Google this! Using Google apps for collaboration and productivity

Abstract

In 2009, Colorado State University migrated to Google Apps for Education as an e-mail hosting solution for its students from an internal on-premise e-mail system. The additional capabilities of Google Apps, originally seen as a nonessential add-on to the e-mail solution, have boosted the collaboration and communication among CSU's students beyond our expectations. Once the faculty and staff saw the potential for collaboration the requests to opt-in increased. This allowed collaboration between faculty and students on a scale not previously witnessed at CSU. Faculty who have made the switch to Google Apps are satisfied and enthusiastic with the service. The Google Apps for Education suite comprises Google Mail, Calendar, Talk, Docs, Sites and Video. In this paper I will provide an overview of each App as well as specific techniques on using each App. We will discuss the potential of teamwork and idea exchanges made possible by Google Apps and how they can be implemented in the academic environment. We will discuss and demonstrate interoperability between Google Apps and external applications, IT team collaboration, student employee management integration, migration techniques and more. Copyright 2009 ACM.