Google Apps campaign steps up Microsoft rivalry

Google has launched a campaign aimed at publicising news of organisations switching to Google Apps as it steps up its rivalry with Microsoft.

The "Going Google" campaign includes a series of adverts about why 3,000 businesses are signing up to Google Apps each day.

The campaign, which also includes daily-changing billboards on four major US motorways, is clearly targeted at Microsoft Office, according to US media reports.

Twitter is another platform Google is using to get the message out about Google Apps before the online version of MS Office 2010 goes live.

Google has set up a GoogleAtWork Twitter account and is calling on Apps users to tweet their story using the #gonegoogle hashtag.

Google claims over 1.75m businesses, schools and organizations have signed up to use Google Apps, but it still has a lot of catching up to do with MS Office.

The Going Google campaign is the latest move by Google in its escalating war with Microsoft sparked by Google's announcement that it planned to develop an operating system of its own.

Microsoft countered with the announcent of a new online version of MS Office and the planned acquisition of Yahoo's search business.

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