Google Inc: More Australian Enterprises Say Goodbye to Microsoft to Use Google Apps

Since Google Inc's coup with Woolworth's, the tech giant has added thousands of enterprise users in Australia.

Among the companies that recently signed up for Google Inc's corporate solutions are Woolworths majority-owned Australian Hospitality & Leisure and top women's fashion retailer Specialty Fashion Group.

At Specialty Fashion Group, about 4,700 employees are set to use Google Drive to store files and collaborate with others online. They will also use Google Sites to create and share webpages.

The company has 900 stores across the Katies, Crossroads, Millers, City Chic and Autograph brands.

Australia Hospitality & Leisure (AHL) plans to move its 11,000 employees to Google Apps. They will be using Gmail, Contacts and Calendar and stop using the conventional Microsoft solutions.

AHL, 75 per cent of which is owned by Woolsworth, operates 460 liquor retail outlets and more than 300 licensed venues including BWS and Dan Murphys.

According to Google Enterprise's global president, Amit Singh, Woolworths is moving on to the next phase by rolling out 5,000 Google Chromebox thin clients as part of its move to Google corporate solutions.

Last April 2013, Woolworths announced it would replace current Microsoft Outlook, Office and Excel for Google's Apps and Docs.

Daniel Beecham, Woolworth's chief information officer, said the company wants to provide equal or superior technology compared to what its staff uses at home. This view is shared by many technology managers in Australia.

Amit Singh says close to 25,000 Woolworths employees will be the first company to move to Google Inc in over a year's time. Google Enterprise data says 58 per cent of companies in the U.S. Fortune 500 are already enterprise customers.

Singh said there is no doubt than more than half of the companies in Australia will use Google Inc at some point. Australia may have been behind U.S. in Google usage but now that Woolworths is the largest client for Google Apps, things might faster in Australia compared to other nations according to Singh.