In order to make its products more compelling for the
mobile business community, Google has launched the Google Apps
Connector for BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) and enterprise
installation packages for Google Mobile App and Google Maps for
mobile.
According to a blog posting by Software Engineer Hong
Zhang, Google is targeting those workers whose employees have
issued them with a BlackBerry smartphone and will release
software that supports built-in email, calendar, and address book
applications on a BlackBerry via Google Apps
which already includes hosted messaging and collaboration solutions
such as Gmail and Google Calendar.
The BES will allow BlackBerry users to connect directly with the
Google cloud, with the intention of creating what is claimed will
be a seamless experience between Google Apps and the built-in
BlackBerry smartphone applications for mail, calendar, and address
book.
Currently in beta testing with select companies and universities
Google Apps Connector for BES, Google is targeting a July 2009
release for Google Apps Premier and Education Edition customers, at
no additional cost.
The enterprise installation packages for Google
Mobile App and Google Maps for mobile are designed to allow
BlackBerry administrators to deploy Google Mobile applications to
corporate BlackBerry phones. The intentions is that administrators
will have the option of using ALX packages to push applications to
BlackBerry phones through BES. Alternatively, administrators will
be able to host JAD/COD packages on a private intranet so that
employees can download applications from internal sites.
One key sector for which the new software will see use in s in
fleet management. Google expresses confidence that its Maps product
could be deployed to help companies make faster, more informed
decisions such as assessing the location and performance efficiency
of vehicles and other mobile assets.
GPS fleet tracking software provider FleetMatics has announced
that it is now integrated with Google Maps API Premier in order to
provide real-time vehicle data, such as start/stop times and speed.
With the addition of Google Maps, FleetMatics says users can
visualise entire fleet locations and identify the closest vehicle
to a given location with result of being be able to dispatch more
efficiently and reduce vehicle mileage and downtime.