Dear Google. . .

 

  Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope you all have plans to spend time with someone special today. Or, if
you forgot, it might be time to make that frantic call to the florist!
Either way, be sure not to disappoint those who are special to you.

Heartache is an interesting topic today and something that
got me thinking. There are a number of businesses who've experienced heartache of their own after experiencing that initial blush of romance with Google Apps. Many of them opt to part ways with Google after
encountering a wide range of problems.

 

Not all of these tales have a sad ending though.  Being an optimist and somewhat of a
matchmaker myself, I wanted to showcase two customers whose break-up with
Google resulted in happy endings. Breaking up may be hard to do, but it can lead to real, long term compatibility as these letters reveal.

Our first customer, Bradshaw
& Weil, an insurance agency and one of the oldest businesses in
Paducah, Kentucky had this to say in their Valentines-inspired missive to Mountain View:

Dearest Google,

First, let me say that
being with you has taught me so much. Painful experiences can do that. However,
the time has come to say good-bye.

In the beginning, I
remember being so happy.  I wanted to
switch to cloud-based services, to help me back up my data, recover from any
failures, and reduce my need for on-site software, hardware and management. I also
wanted to use push technology and over-the-air synchronization between
Microsoft Office Outlook and wireless devices. 
You said you'd be there for me but you let me down. 

Back in 2006 your
Google Apps Standard Edition was so young and full of promise. To be honest, I
found that your capabilities were limited but wasn't ready to face it.  It hurts to admit that I was embarrassed we
weren't able to do a two-way sync between my mobile devices and your Google
Apps.  Why couldn't you see how much pain
you were causing?

Sure, there were some
good times.  However, you've got to admit
there were problems between my Microsoft Office Word documents and your Google
Docs...I couldn't even get contacts onto my different phones! It's not like I
didn't ask for your help.  I tried
contacting you several times but each one was unsuccessful.  Oh, the unrequited love!  I can't stay in a relationship if I can't get
through to you - my business needs are important too.

I've done everything I
could.  We spent 18 months trying to make
it work.  You said you were free but in
the end, the time and frustration I experienced made me see how costly you
truly are.  I just can't keep pretending
anymore.

You should know that
I've met someone else. I know you've heard the rumors that I'm getting more
done with Microsoft Business Productivity Online Standard Suite from Microsoft
Online Services - and it's true. I spend 50% less time on IT management now,
and I'm in the process of implementing a much richer document, communications
and workflow system. I've always wanted a low-maintenance relationship that is
based on trust and now I have it.  The fact
is I need more than just a service provider. 
I need a business partner that's aware of and can meet my
requirements. 

Please don't try and
talk me out of this. I know I've made the right long-term
decision with Microsoft Online. Microsoft brings so much to our relationship,
including Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Office Live Meeting, and Office
Communications Online. With Microsoft Online I have high reliability and financially-backed
service-level agreements.  Without the
workarounds I faced with you, I can now spend my time generating revenue
instead of worrying about IT problems.

I hope we can still be
friends.  You're young so maybe you can
learn from all of this.  Best of luck to
you.

Sincerely,

Bradshaw
& Weil

 

When you have problems getting something to work,
it kills productivity and that's frustrating, but not nearly as frustrating as
not being able find someone to help you.

That's something we also heard loud and clear from our
friends at BridgeView
IT, a high tech recruiting firm headquartered in Denver, Colorado in their break up letter to the advertising team at Big G:

Dear Google,

There is no easy way
to say this. I'm sorry but I don't think we should see each other anymore. I
think it is for the best.

Recruiting services
for technology firms is fast-paced. 
People count on me for speedy and accurate answers not to mention
modern, reliable communications technology. I can't afford downtime, and I need
a service that lets me communicate easily and reliably.

You've spotted me
using the Microsoft Business Productivity Online Standard Suite, and I won't
deny it. This subscription-based suite provides me with a new level of
cloud-based e-mail, collaboration, instant messaging, and web conferencing that
I've never experienced before. With multiple offices across the U.S., I've got
faster access to information and the quick answers my customers require. 

I admit I was attracted to Google Docs online document sharing and Google Talk
instant messaging.  Your price really
caught my eye too. However, in the short time we've been together, I realized I
needed more support.  Now that I'm with
Microsoft, I can get a live person on the phone in my time of need.  It really is true, communication is so
important to a good relationship.

Please be happy for me.  Microsoft Online
Services and I were meant for each other. 
I even have a single sign-on for all my Microsoft Online Services
communications tools. Employees don't have to remember multiple passwords, and
each department, including Sales, Recruiting and Operations - can share files,
calendars, distribution lists, and other information critical to teamwork.  They can even conduct web-based video
conferences in different cities with ease. 

Breaking up is hard to do but believe me, it's better this way.

 

Sincerely,

BridgeView
IT

 

Well, there you have it - tales of customers who have simply
fallen out of love with Google Apps.  At
Microsoft, we've learned the importance of focus when delivering great
cloud services that work the way you want, with reliable customer service that is there when
you need it.

Happy Valentine's Day and here's to finding the right match!  If you have your own stories of heartbreak with Google, feel free to share them and I might be able to make your match with Microsoft Online Services!