Google-izing the network world

There are a few different ways to discuss computer systems. Individually, networking, portability, etc...

To just look at networking for now gives us a chance to talk about services. Especially services provided by, yep, you got it, servers. Amazing huh?

In a traditional, server based network, servers are the computers that have programs that provide a feature or "service" for other computers, called "clients" ( also now called "hosts"), to make use of.

For example, Email. Email is provided typically by an "email server" which is a computer that provides an smtp, pop, imap and related other apps for the end result of providing email service to a given network.

How about Instant Messaging? Same thing, there is a program ( like the "Jabber" server app ) installed and configured on a server that other "hosts" will access with a "IM Client" app on their own computer to be able to talk "real time" with others signed into that server.

These server apps can be found available for a variety of Operating System bases, like Windows, Unix,Linux, Mac, etc and so on. They are available for a variety of costs ranging from free ( Open Source) to Commercial and often quite expensive. Many times, the app can be free but support may cost quite a bit from a support provider.

Since we are in the Linux world, we will take it from that point of view. Most of the major "servers" application-wise, are freely available, you are on your own in regard to installation and configuration, unless you get a How To or buy a book. You may even pay a company for support. There are some who take a "free" version and add their own tools and tweaks to it and charge for the support as well.

Most of the costs of providing these services on an in-house network are born by the company or person that "owns" it. This can lead to some high costs in equipment and support, either by hiring your own techs or paying for outside support.

Google has an option to provide all these services and more for your local network at no to "low" cost. The "low" cost is relative to how much you would pay for equipment, staff, software, support, etc.

You have an option of free "standard" service, which allows you to tie the group of services they offer to your own unique domain name and network. The only trade off there is you get to look at all the advertising they toss in. ( Got to pay for it somehow, right? )

Another option for businesses is the premium service which allows much more control and integration of the services into your existing network and websites, without the advertising. This costs $50.00 per year, per user. Again, that really is a low cost relative to the total of purchased equipment, software, etc...

They are even community and civic minded, providing what essentially is the premium business service package for free to schools and nonprofit organizations.

Now you might be saying, " So, is Big Bear doing ads for Google now?" , the answer would be no. I am providing an overview of an interesting alternative to in-house networking solutions is mainly what is happening here.

How to use this Google-ized package

For example, as an experiment, I have set up one of the local small schools I work with to use the Google package. They are a non-profit school with pretty much no budget for computers at the worst and scraping for modern hardware in the classrooms at the best. Building a server backbone isn't exactly the highest spending priority currently.

So, while they find money to replace and obtain computers for the kids to use in the classrooms, it is still a good idea to bring modern day connectivity tools to the staff and students.

Here's where Google came in.

For a modest ten dollars, we obtained a domain name, via one of Google's "partners", not from Google itself. Using that, we signed up for the standard package from Google, with the option to request an upgrade to the premium "School" package if we find it working out, later.

It's very interesting to note that using the domain obtained via Google, the services are integrated and managed much easier than the other option of using a domain you may already own . It is possible to use another, but the configuration of email and DNS management will take more work to point it all to Google's mail servers, etc...

Now the school has a "Start Page" that can be used as a home page from any computer that has an account and signs in as, myname@mydomain.yep. The Start Page is essentially a Google start Page, but can be customized to use your domain and images instead.

The person acting as the admin can add users, providing access to email, shared calendars, Instant Messaging, Google apps like wordprocessor, spreadsheet, etc...

The "outside" web does not have regular access to it, so for those signed in, it seems like they are using services that could be available from their own in-house servers, accessed via browser, which is the growing trend anyway.

You can access email via a local app like Thunderbird or Evolution. Upload and download docs and files for use on your own apps like OpenOffice.org or AbiWord or whatever. It can be as invisible as you like. Even more so by utilizing the premium service.

Of course, the downside is, with the standard edition, you have to view advertising and you have less integration and total management ability, as contrasted to the premium version.

It is an internet based service, so if you have any confidential documents and files, you may not feel comfortable keeping them stored online either. Google, like any other business that provides an online service essentially makes you agree to let them or the gov't look in on your files, records, etc whenever "they" feel they need or deem it necessary. So there really is NO such thing as "privacy" in this situation.

For the school, this is not really a major issue. They do have their own, on site file storage for private records and documents. The Email, IM and shared calendar services do not get used to convey "personal" information, or it shouldn't, so it's not like there is anything to "hide" there.

A school is pretty much a public place, even if it is a private school.

Should someone want to use these service packages for their small business, say if they are just starting out or just want to save some money. They will want to weigh the importance of the privacy and integration versus accessibility and communications.

For the most part, I am a control freak. I prefer to have the machines and information set up in the location I am working at and damn the costs! So it took a lot for me to initially be willing to try the Google service in this capacity.

The costs do make a big impact to any business or school or organization that wants to have access to the current tools and technology but perhaps not the budget for it.

In the context of Linux, because all the services are browser based and accessible to a wide variety of local apps, it can be implemented as easily as it would in any other OS environment.