Rentokil Initial has become one of the largest user ofGoogle Apps, rolling out the cloud-based office suite
to 35,000 users globally.
Rentokill plans to use Google to consolidate 40 email systems
including open source products and Microsoft Exchange, into a
single email system. The complex setup prevented staff from sending
email across the group.
"The company has evolved with each business buying its own
systems. We also acquired a number of companies. We had difficulty
in sending email across the company," said Bryan Kinsella, chief
information officer.
Kinsella has now mandated the use of Google Apps across the
group for email, collaboration and video conferencing.
Rentokil selected Google Apps after a 100-day pilot within its
Ambius division, with 800 users in different countries, which
demonstrated the system's suitability for the group as a whole.
Email is the second stage of a five year programme to streamline
business processes in the company. Last year, Rentokil Initial
deployed handheld computers. It installed a new network in the UK
and is in the process of virtualising servers, rationalising data
centres, standardising its PC infrastructure and moving to a single
mobile telephony provider.
The company aims to rollout Google Mail to 35,000 during 2010.
To simplify the rollout, the company will continue to provide
access to their legacy email, while providing Google Mail, via a
web browser, for all new mail correspondence.
Earlier this year, manufacturer
Valeo became the first company to use Google Apps globally
after it signed a deal to use the SaaS for three years.
Kinsella said, "By deploying Google Apps, we can overcome a wide
range of technical and communications issues and enhance our
ability to deliver operational excellence throughout the
organisation. The frustrations of not having access to a single,
company-wide
e-mail address database will disappear and the translation
difficulties faced by those colleagues wanting to collaborate with
others around the world will be lessened."