Google Apps Migration Guide now Available

Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to bring your attention to one of the guides we created in December, “Google Apps Migration Guide for Legal Service Providers,” in conjunction with Jeff Hogue.

Here’s a quick excerpt from the introduction:

Google has transformed from a search engine company to one of the biggest providers of online applications in the country. They are best known for their robust apps in Gmail and Google Calender, but they also provide a lot of other services that could be useful to the legal aid community. As Google is consistently on the cutting edge of office technology for a very low price (or free), their services should be a strong consideration for any legal aid organization.

This guide will look at the capabilities of Google Apps and weigh their advantages and disadvantages. It will also discuss how to migrate from your current platform to a Google Apps-based platform and present some best practices derived from the experiences of two legal services organizations: Legal Services of Northern California (LSNC), which has used Google Apps to build a searchable system of documents and contact; and Legal Assistance of Western New York, which has incorporated Google Apps into widespread office use and is continuing to work on increasing usage of Docs, Sites and other Apps.

I just wanted to highlight a few things:

1. LSNC switched to it several years ago and hasn’t looked back.
2. It is by far the cheapest option out there for office software.
3. Guide includes information about best practices, transitions, and answers peoples' biggest concerns (security and the cloud).

We will be adding to the guide over the next year.

If you have any questions or comments, please let Brian or myself know. Also, if you are currently using the Googe Apps platform or plan on switching to it in the near future, we would love to hear about your experiences!

Austin