Jachris Hose and Couplings streamlines communication with Google Apps

Posted by Warwick Bouwer, CEO of Jachris Hose and Couplings

Editor’s Note: Today’s guest blogger is Warwick Bouwer, CEO of Jachris Hose and Couplings, a South African supplier of specialist industrial equipment.

In mining and heavy industry, the right technology can give you the edge. Founded in 1976, Jachris is now the largest supplier of specialised hose and couplings in Africa, particularly to mining and industry. We’re based in Springs, outside Johannesburg, South Africa, and also operate in Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Kenya. We offer the most complete range of fluid transfer and fluid power products on the continent and see machine/plant uptime as our key driver. We’re proud to be at the top of our industry, but we’re not resting on our laurels. We’re looking to the future and making sure that our communication within the business is the best it can be, so that our customers get the products they need in the shortest possible time.

Prior to switching to Google, we were dependent on an internal mail server and Microsoft Outlook, with a web portal that functioned intermittently. Receiving emails from outside the company was difficult, with extensive downtime, as we were dependent on two-way internet connections. It was very clear that we needed to look at better solutions, because our below-par software was impacting on our business performance. I’ve always believed that software should make your business better, not harder, and it was time to make a change.

We looked briefly at Office 365 as an alternative, but Google Apps’ cloud-based storage and ease of transition attracted us. We required a single point of contact for all our communications, including email, chat history, documents and spreadsheets, and Google could provide that. We would no longer have to rely on our own hardware and software to receive emails, and regardless of platform or device we could access email. Google’s quality, usability and reliability were selling points for us.

With the help of our Google Apps reseller, OpenNetworks, we were able to migrate 60 users over a 24-hour period at the beginning of last year. It was great to have a partner like OpenNetworks on board who could address questions and concerns and also facilitate our training sessions. People can get anxious when software or work processes are changed, and the training really helped with that.

Since then, our ability to manage and integrate data has improved tremendously. Gmail’s incredible user interface is so easy for new users to grasp, and they need very little training to get up and running. We don’t have to worry about backing up data or losing emails because we can retrieve deleted mail from the Google Vault. We also use the chat function Google Hangouts provides, and it’s very useful to have chat histories embedded in the email management software.

Over time, we’ve been able to migrate all our users to Drive, so that when we’re away from our work computers we still have access to the documents we need. We’re able to share documents between work teams, and it’s really opened up communication between previously separate departments and branches. For instance, with production orders, all the right people are kept up to date and in the know. We can update and maintain Google Spreadsheets between different team members and the latest version is automatically available. We don’t have to email a separate file anymore. This is particularly important with big sales projects, as the entire supply chain is aware of delivery deadlines.

Although uptake on the Google Docs and Spreadsheet side of things has been a little slower we have a number of people who use the tool extensively. We also do have a few users who are finding the change a little bit harder - it’s an old dog, new tricks type of situation - but we are working on getting everyone comfortable with docs and spreadsheets.

The addition of Google Vault to the Jachris Google Apps has provided us with the security that no matter what happens to an email - we can find it. Vault makes sure that we are prepared for the unexpected. The extended management and information governance capabilities proactively archive, retain and preserve Gmail and on-the-record chats. So specific admin users can find and retrieve valuable information from any mail account across the Jachris domain.

We’re very pleased with the results we’ve seen so far. The ability to share files and always have the latest version of a document has been a huge benefit to us. We’re looking forward to seeing how Google Docs and Spreadsheets develop in future, as we believe there is huge potential in these products. We currently have 66 488 document that are shared within our business - and no one has to maintain a server to make this document collaboration work!

Talking about server maintenance - at the moment we have 78 527 emails within our business - with no one spending time maintaining a server to make the magic happen. So document collaboration, massive mailboxes, a host of other advantages and not a day of downtime in sight. What more could we as a business want?

Given Google’s track record, it would be silly to bet against it. It’s worth betting on Google to come up with something equal if not superior to other business applications in the marketplace. At Jachris we have chosen to bet on it, and we haven’t been disappointed.

2 Step Verification - what is it and why you need it.

Stronger security for your Google Account
Phishing scams seem to be the order of the day - and more and more of these emails are making their way into mailboxes across the world. The suggestion that we have for all our users is to activate 2 Step verification. With 2-Step Verification, you’ll protect your account with both your password and your phone and those pesky phishing email scams will become a thing of the past.
Why do you need it?
There is a phishing scam that goes around and users are being caught out by it time and time again. When you give these scam artists your email address and password they have access to ALL your email, email contacts and documents. Using 2 step verification will help keep the bad guys out - even when they have your password. This will also help with POPI compliance - so please read the rest of this mail and follow the steps to get set up! We are encouraging all our users to get set up and sorted out with 2 Step verification for their own protection. So either read more below - or click on the blue button to get started.
How does it work?
Signing in to your account will work a little differently. Once you have 2 Step verification set up you will: Enter your password - Whenever you sign in to Google, you'll enter your password as usual. Enter a verification code - Then, you'll be asked for a code that will be sent to your phone via text, voice call, or the mobile app.
Keep sign-in simple During sign-in, you can tell us not to ask for a code again on that particular computer. From then on, that computer will only ask for your password when you sign in. You'll still be covered, because when you or anyone else tries to sign in to your account from another computer, a verification code will be required.
How it protects you.
An extra layer of security is added - so you will protect your account with something you know (your password) and  something you have (your phone). The verification codes are uniquely crafted for your account when you need them. They will be sent to your phone via text, voice call, or the mobile app. Each code can only be used once. With this 2 step verification in place if someone gets your email password through a phishing scam - your account is safe - because they will also need your phone to get into your account!
What about the email on your phone?
You will set up app specific passwords - which are passwords you only have to enter once on your smartphone or tablet to make sure your email is available on there. To set those up - click here. These are awesome passwords because: You don’t have to remember it, because you only have to enter it once and can generate a new one anytime You only need it when you want to authorize a device, a mobile application (such as a Gmail app on your mobile phone) to connect to your Google Account If you lose a phone or stop using an application that was authorized with an application-specific password, it is easy to revoke the application-specific password for that application.
What are all the different ways of getting codes?
Get codes via text message Google can send verification codes to your cell phone via text message. Your carrier's standard messaging rates may apply. Backup phone numbers Add backup phone numbers so Google has another way to send you verification codes in case your main phone is unavailable. Want a phone call instead? Google can call your cell or landline phone with your verification code. Backup codes You can print or download one-time use backup codes for times when your phones are unavailable, such as when you travel. No connection, no problem The Google Authenticator app for Android, iPhone, or BlackBerry can generate verification codes. It even works when your device has no phone or data connectivity. Register your computers During sign-in, you can tell us not to ask for a code again on your computer. We'll still ask for codes on other computers.
So the combination of 2 Step Verification and Google Vault will go far in ensuring and increasing the safety of your Google Apps Account. Want more information on the Google Apps solutions for companies?  Give us a call.

What's been happening at OpenNetworks?

We have been rather quiet lately and we are sorry about that - but it has been with good reason! A couple of features have been refined for our users - check below to see what has changed. Adding contacts and organisations to meetings and calls has always been focused on ensuring all the correct information is linked to the right business and contact. So we have made a change and the system will now do it for you. All you have to make sure of is that the contact is linked to the correct organisations. Then it becomes as easy as:

Add a contact to the call - just click in the contact field and type in the name of the person you want linked.

You will see that the organisation is automatically added. If the contact is linked to more than one organisation - you will be asked to choose one!

You can then set the time and date for the call and last but not least - give the call a name. Just click on the three dots next to call name...

And your call name is automatically created for you - the organisation name and the firstname of the person. Remember to make a note if the call is far in the future - else you may forget what you need to call them about! For more info on calls and how to use that feature - click here. The same happens in meetings - you add your contacts to the meeting and hit save - the organisation that they are linked to will be added to the meetings as well. Quick and easy. For more info on using meetings - click here.

And what about Google? Those guys have also been very busy - with New Google Sheets and new Mobile Apps for Docs and Sheets. Check out the recap that Google put together for April and keep an eye on the Google Apps update blogs.

As always - let us know any feedback and questions or ideas!

Don't just take our word for it.......

Check out what some of our clients have to say......
Over the years OpenNetworks has helped a few companies make the change to Google Apps and step into the world of Cloud Computing. For many of our clients the move to the Cloud is an exciting yet nerve wracking journey, with results only becoming apparent after the initial "change shock" has worn off. We find this takes about three months and after that no one ever wants to go back.

So we rallied a couple of clients and asked them about their "a-ha!" moments using Google Apps and where cloud computing saved the day!

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"After a lifetime of Outlook, making the jump to Gmail was a bit of a frightening experience. 'But it just doesn't look the same,' I thought to myself? It's all about change management and well, just learning something new.

I love working with Gmail now, knowing what I have endless storage and unlimited access. Wherever I might find myself in the world, as long as I have an internet connection, I have access to my mails! This has proven invaluable a countless number of times, and to be honest I couldn't imagine having to set up my mail in all the possible environments I use it, if it was not GMail it would be near impossible!

As for the document collaboration, I suppose different companies have differing needs. Recently we had a situation where a last minute tender (you know what tenders can be like), found five of us working from five separate environments on one document. There would have been no other way to do it! Compiling our tender was so simple using Google Docs and Drive and working together meant we also completed it in half the time (which was really helpful)! Needless to say the tender was submitted with time to spare!

We are looking forward to learning more about the Google products we have available to us and how best we can apply them in our business."

- Amy Davis, Marketing Manager BEX Express

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Cycan made the change and moved over to Google Apps earlier in 2014 and even though some users embraced the change others were a little more hesitant - until Google Docs proved its' worth!

"One morning I was greeted by a sweating colleague who had discovered that she had deleted half of her document and wasn't able to recover it. Understanding how much work had been put into the document, I panicked, until she said that it was a Google Doc. Having recently moved to Google Apps with OpenNetworks, I knew that there would be a handy document history that meant I could restore what had been lost the evening before.

Still new to the process, and still a little weary that it would indeed work, the phone at OpenNetworks was soon ringing. Within minutes the team at OpenNetworks had helped me to restore the document to a previous version and teach the office a few new cool tricks.

It's times like these that trying something a little different pays off! Thanks Google Apps and OpenNetworks!"

- Stuart Wainwright, Head of Operations Cycan

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If you would like to know how Google Apps and OpenNetworks can make these types of changes for your business - get in touch!

47 Stats You Need to Know About the Google Apps Ecosystem

Since Google launched Google Apps in 2006, there’s been considerable growth and adoption of the suite. The last reported numbers state that there are over 5 million organizations on Google Apps with 50 million users and it seems like more organizations go Google everyday – in fact the US Army have gone Google!

We’ve rounded up 47 of the most important stats alluding to the platform’s adoption, growth and future. 

Moving to the Cloud

We’ve known for a while that a large shift is underway in the realm of IT. The move to the cloud, first propelled by early adopters and championed by Google, Salesforce.com and others is becoming more and more mainstream.

1. According to Mark Murphy, an enterprise software analyst at Piper Jaffray, today 9.7% of all computing workloads are run in the public cloud. However, that number is expected to rise to 30.2% in just five years, adding up to 44% annual growth in workloads for the public cloud compared to just 8.9% growth for on-premise computing workloads. Source.
2. In organizations operating on Google Apps with 1,000+ users, IT admins believe it will take on average 5 years for a full move to the cloud. Source.
3. 29% of Google Apps admins have already transitioned their IT infrastructure 100% to the cloud and 73% of admins feel a full move to the cloud is inevitable. Source.
4. In 2013, Cloud Business Email mailboxes represent 27% of Business mailboxes worldwide. Source.
5. 545 cloud services are in use by an organization on average, and the highest number of cloud services in use by an organization is 1,769. Source.
6. [In 2012] the majority of businesses are adopting cloud computing – 38% have already adopted cloud computing and a further 29% are making plans to adopt it. 89% of financial decision-makers are aware of their organizations’ plans to adopt cloud computing and 66% have been involved in the decision as to whether cloud computing should be adopted in their organization. Source.

Examining the Adoption of Google Apps

Small and large businesses differ widely in how they adopt Google Apps. Generally, smaller business are quicker to adopt Google Apps. This could be for myriad reasons including cost savings, mobile or remote workforces, small prior investments in on-premise systems and ease of migration.

One obstacle we often hear from larger organizations stems from the lack of granular controls and “back office” features associated with Google Apps. However, an ecosystem of third-party providers has emerged to fill these gaps and we’ve seen adoption of the suite from some of the world’s largest businesses – includingWhirlpool.

7. Gartner found that Google’s cloud-based productivity suite (ie. Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc.) is taking market share from Microsoft. Google Apps had about 10 percent of the cloud-office market in 2007, 20 percent in 2009, and between 33 percent and 50 percent in 2012. Source.
8. In 2011, Gartner analysts believed that Gmail had no more than 1% of the enterprise email market, but it had close to 50% of the market for enterprise cloud email, where it competes with MSFT, IBM and smaller vendors. Source.
9. In 2013, Gartner expects there will be 630 million productivity suite business users, with 50 million of them using a cloud-based product. By 2022, there will be 1.2 billion office suite business users, with 695 million of them using the cloud. Source.
10. For smaller businesses, 63% support or plan to support Gmail. At larger companies, in contrast, only 29% support or plan to support Gmail. Just 20% of companies with 50 or more employees have deployed Google Apps and Gmail; an additional 6% encourage use, while 28% discourage or ban use outright. Source.
11. In small companies, 39% have apps and Gmail deployed, and an additional 11% encourage use versus 11% who discourage or ban Google Apps. Source.
12. When asked what percentage of their business apps will come from Google in two years, two-thirds of small-business users say that 25% or less of their apps will come from Google compared with a whopping 87% of large businesses saying the same. A big part of this disparity is because Google doesn’t offer back-office and other applications crucial to larger businesses. Source.
13. On the 2013 Q2 Google earnings call, Nikesh Arora, Senior Vice President and Chief Business Office at Google, said more than half of Fortune 500 companies are paying for Google enterprise products, and some 5 million companies are using Google Apps for Business. Source.

The Continued Growth of Google Enterprise

While Google Enterprise may be a little known entity to the world at large, this sector is growing within Google and even propelling its earnings. This signals to Microsoft and other Google Apps competitors that competition for customers is only going to grow more contentious.

14. Google Enterprise products are comprised of Google Apps, Google Search Appliance, Google Cloud Services, Geospatial and Mapping Products and Chromebooks for Businesses. Source.
15. Google Apps represented just 1.4 percent of the company’s fourth-quarter 2012 revenue. Source.
16. In 2012, Google booked more than 96% of its revenue from ads. The remaining 4% came from its enterprise products. While small in terms of percentage of revenue, Google’s Enterprise products accounted for $1.37 and the sector is growing by about 30% a year. Source.
17. Gartner analyst Tom Austin claimed that Google has overall better cloud infrastructure than Microsoft at this point (April 2013) and doesn’t see Google pulling out of the productivity suite business as its 1.4 percent Google Apps revenue could grow to 5 percent in 2017. Source.
18. Arora goes onto describe four major trends are driving growth: 1) rise of multi-screen consumer; 2) ability to deliver more precise answers to consumers; 3) Google offers lots of places to advertise, including brand options on YouTube and elsewhere; 4) Google’s apps/enterprise business. Source.
19. About 1,200 or about 3.6% of all Google employees work on Enterprise initiatives. Source.

Cloud Services Brokerages

The growth of adoption of Google Apps has also fostered the growth of cloud services brokerages (CSBs) dedicated to helping their customers make the most out of the Google Apps platform. In addition to providing migration expertise, CSBs have been employed by larger organizations to assist with custom development and integrations.

20. Over 30% of enterprises using Google Apps are working with a reseller to integrate Apps with other cloud applications to create a fully communicative cloud suite. Source.
21. And Google Apps administrators want their resellers to make more recommendations when it comes to building out their company’s cloud suite. 20% of Google Apps admins would like their reseller to provide recommendations for third-party software that integrates with Google Apps. Source.
22. In 2011, Google stated that the Google Apps partner community more than doubled since 2010 to over 2,500 certified partners operating in 70 countries. Source.
23. As of July 2012 Google stated there were 6,000 Google Apps resellers serving businesses, government agencies and educational institutions around the world. Source.

Reasons for Migrating to Google Apps

While cost savings may be a leading factor driving adoption of Google Apps from very small organizations, we’ve found that providing users access to their data from virtually anywhere is seen as the most appealing benefit. As BYOD and the consumerization of IT continue to disrupt the workplace, this benefit will only grow in significance.

24. 51% of Google Apps admins cite user access to data from anywhere as the key benefit of moving to the cloud. Source.
25. Less than one third of Google Apps admins in organizations with 1,000 or more users cited cost savings as a key benefit of moving to the cloud. Source.

Microsoft Office

From BetterCloud’s own studies, we know that users are often reluctant to leave behind legacy software – in most cases that means Microsoft Office – Word, Excel and PowerPoint. However, it’s encouraging to note that as companies spend more time on the Google Apps platform, they’re able to decrease their investment in Microsoft Office.

26. Google is doing to Microsoft as Microsoft has done to countless competitors: releasing products that are pretty good, improving incrementally and making them so affordable that, at some point, it’s hard to justify not making the switch. That’s especially true when most of your company’s employees have Gmail and Google Apps accounts and aren’t shy about using them for business. Source.
27. Over 60% of Google Apps customers are minimizing further investment in Microsoft Office. Source.
28. 64% of Google Apps admins who have been on Google Apps for two or more years said that they are minimizing further investment in Microsoft Office. Source.
29. In organizations using Google Apps with 500 more users, 62% are minimizing further investment in Microsoft Office. Source.

Google Apps vs. Office 365

Microsoft has been feeling the heat from Google since Apps’ launch in 2006. To compete with its own cloud-based messaging and collaboration platform, Redmond launched Office 365 in 2011. So far adoption of the suite has been slow.

30. Gartner: We are at the start (2011) of a major escalation in the war of the email clouds. As part of the June 2011 launch of Office 365, Microsoft released a cloud email service based on Exchange 2010. Exchange was designed to be an on-site enterprise email system, and Microsoft’s main challenge is to deliver a cloud version of Exchange that faithfully reproduces the capabilities of an on-premises deployment. Google, on the other hand, built Gmail exclusively for the cloud and for consumers; its challenge is to deliver broad enterprise capabilities for Gmail. Source.
31. Gartner analysts also predicted that in 2011 cloud email was still in its infancy – at 3% to 4% of the overall enterprise email market, but expected it to be a growth industry, reaching 20% of the market by year-end 2016, and 55% by year-end 2020. Based on this growing demand for cloud email services, Google’s prospects for continued success in the email market are strong. At this point, Google should be considered the only significant threat to Microsoft in the enterprise email market. Source.
32. Two years later Gartner’s Tom Austin says that Google Apps is better suited for heterogeneous environments, while Microsoft Office is “wed to Windows.” “Whatever Microsoft does on iOS or Android [with Office] is not going to be world class.” Source.
33. Austin noted that Microsoft has been losing market share in the broader operating system platform wars, and added that “we think most organizations will be heterogeneous, so Microsoft’s strategy [of Office being tied to Windows] won’t be effective in the long run.” Source.
34. Austin adds that going with Google Apps represents the best heterogeneous strategy, with more innovative products and better cloud-based infrastructure. As for Microsoft Office 365, Austin said that “it’s evolutionary” and that “we’re not sure Microsoft can beat Google’s pace of innovation.” Source.

Role of the Google Apps Ecosystem

An obstacle many organizations worry about overcoming on their way to the cloud is the lack of granular controls and comparable software in the cloud. The Google Apps Marketplace, Chrome Web Store and Drive installable applications have emerged to help organizations fully realize the potential of Google Apps and make their use of the platform easier and more secure.

35. 28% of Google Apps admins in organizations with 1,000 or more users say a lack of key comparable functionality is keeping them from fully moving their organizations to the cloud. Source.
36. Google launched the Google Apps Marketplace in March 2010 with over 50 companies selling applications in the Marketplace. Source.
37. By 2011, the Marketplace had more than 300 applications listed. Google also made three key observations on the one year anniversary on the Marketplace: 1) Web app adoption is accelerating across every business function and need. 2) Customers value web apps that work together — what Google calls integrated apps. 3) It’s harder than ever to evaluate and select the right app, given the number of new apps coming to market, and their increasing specialization. *Note: BetterCloud believes the number of applications listed in the Marketplace is now over 600. Source.
38. A typical Google Apps admin installs 6 Google Apps Marketplace applications, but keeps only 3. Source.
39. Peer review is the number one factor driving Marketplace installs. Source.

Google Apps for Education

The education sector has perhaps adopted Google Apps more quickly than any other. For educational institutions, Google provides Google Apps free of charge, so it’s almost a no brainer when looking at price (or lack thereof) and existing familiarity of many students with Google products (Gmail, Chat, Calendar etc.). For similar reasons including cost savings and ease of use, educational institutions have also been quick to embrace Chromebooks – Google’s affordable, web-only netbook-like device.

40. Over 20 million students use Google Apps for Education around the world. Source.
41. 72 of the top 100 US universities use Google Apps including Princeton, Brown, Northwestern, Georgetown and Vanderbilt. Source.
42. In 2013, Malaysia’s Ministry of Education adopted Google Apps for Education for 10 million students. Source.
43. According to the National Survey on Mobile Technology for K-12 Education, 81 percent of respondents had adopted or planned to adopt an iPad, up from 73.5 percent in 2012, while 31 percent had adopted or planned to adopt a Chromebook, up from 14 percent in 2012. Source.

Chromebooks in the Enterprise

While schools have been arguably the quickest segment to embrace Chromebooks, we’re seeing an upward trend in adoption of the device in businesses. At BetterCloud, we’ve fully embraced Chromebooks – especially the Pixel (both our CEO and Director of Marketing use these devices full time). While we’re no doubt early adopters, the trend of adoption among enterprises is favorable and we expect the devices to play a larger role in businesses operating on the Google Apps platform moving forward.

44. 28% of enterprises have some interest in Chromebooks. Source.
45. According to Forrester analysts, the prospect of moving away from the laptop maintenance business is a strong selling point for Chromebooks. Imaging Windows PCs and deploying them to workers requires time and effort from I&O personnel. I&O leaders prefer less time spent in this area. Chromebooks require very little imaging; pilot users say any given device can be configured for a new user in under 15 minutes. Source.
46. Again, Forrester analysts identify potential synergies between Chromebooks and Gmail / Google Apps. For companies that move to Gmail – over 5 million globally – Chromebooks offer a technically optimized experience, according to Google. Once the move to Gmail is complete, I&O professionals report grassroots interest in the collaborative features of Google Apps such as Google Drive. Source.
47. Chromebooks give an organization the opportunity to capture the benefits of cloud computing. Chromebooks promote a cloud-oriented architecture that offers numerous benefits to enterprises. Glenn Weinstein, CIO of Appirio, cites the time-saving benefit of Google’s single-sign-in feature, which allows multiple applications to be accessed from any device via Chrome browser with credentials entered just once. Source.

Final Thoughts

Everything seems to be moving in the right direction for Google Apps – adoption by both large and small businesses and educational institutions, support from Google’s corporate leaders and overall adoption of cloud products. As the suite matures and more organizations embrace the cloud, it will be interesting to see if Google can take away even more market share from staunch incumbents like Microsoft. As we’ve said before – and we’ll surely say again – we’re betting on Google.

Source: bettercloud

Lodox goes Live!

What would be the best way to start off a new year? Refreshed, energised and ready for change?

Well Lodox Systems (Pty) Ltd is a company that decided to start 2014 with a change not only to the way that they think about IT but also in the way that they do IT. Lodox is a South African company that produces a unique full-body X-ray scanner – the only one of its kind currently on the market. Their most recent product, the Xmplar-dr X-ray system, provides full-body X-ray images in just 13 seconds, with minimal radiation dose (0.12mGy), and with exceptional image quality.

The Lodox core markets are the medical trauma environment and Forensic Pathology (medico-legal) facilities. Lodox Head Office is proudly based in Sandton, Johannesburg, where the X-ray scanners are designed, built and distributed. They have dedicated agents managing sales in all areas of the globe, as well as their North American subsidiary, Lodox NA.

Not only is Lodox at the forefront of scanning technology - they are famous for TV appearances as well! A Lodox Statscan was recently installed in the new ER department of  Grey + Sloane Memorial Hospital where the hit TV series “Grey’s Anatomy” is set. In the episode ‘Idle Hands’ (Season 9, Episode 18), Lodox is used to take a full-body X-ray image in just 13 seconds. The machine emits very low levels of harmful radiation so patients and staff in the ER are as safe as possible. Keep watching Grey’s Anatomy to see Lodox at work in the new ER!

Lodox approached the change over to Google Apps in the same way that the team approaches any challenge - with an amazing “can-do” attitude. The 34 team members went live on their Google Apps in the first week of January, when most companies were still getting going after the festive season. Within one week the entire Lodox team was up and running - using the combination of Google Apps and OpenNetworks Contact Management to move the business forward early in the New Year.

OpenNetworks has been changing clients over to Google Apps for a number of years and this particular change over was extremely refreshing in the way that the Lodox team approached Google Apps. Within the team there was interest and excitement, Carlos Sousa the Chief Operating Officer of Lodox guided the users to Google Apps help sites and created a forum where the users could give feedback and bring awesome features and functionality to the attention of the rest of the team.

Starting 2014 off with such an amazing client has put a spring into the OpenNetworks team members step and we look forward to partnering with Lodox going forward and assisting with increased communication and efficiency throughout their business interests!