Comments on: The Real Reason to Go for Paid Apps Instead of Free http://www.theappgap.com/the-real-reason-to-go-for-paid-apps-instead-of-free.html Apps, Strategies, and Best Practices for Web-based work Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:56:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Anita Campbell http://www.theappgap.com/the-real-reason-to-go-for-paid-apps-instead-of-free.html/comment-page-1#comment-40470 Anita Campbell Wed, 02 Sep 2009 06:46:39 +0000 http://www.theappgap.com/the-real-reason-to-go-for-paid-apps-instead-of-free.html#comment-40470 Chris and Ben, Let me preface the following comment by making 3 preliminary points: 1) I'm not here to defend Google Apps -- they're big enough they can defend themselves. 2) This article was more of an analytical commentary on a reason to use a paid app and why users would pay for an app, and not an endorsement of Google Apps per se. 3) Finally, Google is a billion-dollar company and if their support is poor, they don't deserve having me defend them anyway. That said, my company is a Google Apps paid user. We pay $50 PER USER per year, not just $50 a year. We have not had to use the support options, other than standard FAQs and troubleshooting documents (which solved our issues). If your Apps applications are inaccessible, there is a toll-free number you can call in the control panel. For other issues, you have to use email support. I can't comment on the quality or timeliness of their email support or phone support, since I've never had to use either. Here's the way things should work: the marketplace will determine whether Google's support is sufficient, just like for any company. If businesses are getting crappy support, they won't renew their Google Apps Premier accounts and will go with a better solution. And that's the way it should be. Vote with your feet. -- Anita Chris and Ben,

Let me preface the following comment by making 3 preliminary points:

1) I’m not here to defend Google Apps — they’re big enough they can defend themselves.

2) This article was more of an analytical commentary on a reason to use a paid app and why users would pay for an app, and not an endorsement of Google Apps per se.

3) Finally, Google is a billion-dollar company and if their support is poor, they don’t deserve having me defend them anyway.

That said, my company is a Google Apps paid user. We pay $50 PER USER per year, not just $50 a year. We have not had to use the support options, other than standard FAQs and troubleshooting documents (which solved our issues).

If your Apps applications are inaccessible, there is a toll-free number you can call in the control panel. For other issues, you have to use email support. I can’t comment on the quality or timeliness of their email support or phone support, since I’ve never had to use either.

Here’s the way things should work: the marketplace will determine whether Google’s support is sufficient, just like for any company. If businesses are getting crappy support, they won’t renew their Google Apps Premier accounts and will go with a better solution. And that’s the way it should be.

Vote with your feet.

– Anita

]]> By: Ben http://www.theappgap.com/the-real-reason-to-go-for-paid-apps-instead-of-free.html/comment-page-1#comment-40454 Ben Tue, 01 Sep 2009 20:29:46 +0000 http://www.theappgap.com/the-real-reason-to-go-for-paid-apps-instead-of-free.html#comment-40454 I'm a small business owner, running the free version of Apps (which is down right now, thats how I found this article, it's been down for 10-15 minutes as far as I can tell) I'd be willing to use the paid version if they'd give me tel #'s to a tech support dept at Google and I could call in and get immediate support. I pretty much suspected, as Chris Wade mentioned above that their support is not really going to be helpful in time of need. I'm more than happy to go with a 3rd party as mentioned above if I knew of a company that offered a reliable service at an affordable price. Do you really think for $50/user per year you are "paying" Google and they are going to offer some unbelieveable tech support??? doubt it... I’m a small business owner, running the free version of Apps (which is down right now, thats how I found this article, it’s been down for 10-15 minutes as far as I can tell)

I’d be willing to use the paid version if they’d give me tel #’s to a tech support dept at Google and I could call in and get immediate support. I pretty much suspected, as Chris Wade mentioned above that their support is not really going to be helpful in time of need. I’m more than happy to go with a 3rd party as mentioned above if I knew of a company that offered a reliable service at an affordable price.

Do you really think for $50/user per year you are “paying” Google and they are going to offer some unbelieveable tech support??? doubt it…

]]> By: Chris Wade http://www.theappgap.com/the-real-reason-to-go-for-paid-apps-instead-of-free.html/comment-page-1#comment-38062 Chris Wade Wed, 15 Jul 2009 16:30:53 +0000 http://www.theappgap.com/the-real-reason-to-go-for-paid-apps-instead-of-free.html#comment-38062 We have tried the paid version of Google Apps and their tech support stinks, it takes days for them to respond, unless one of the services is down for one or more users, you cannot simply call, you must email or file a report through their website. They want you to run troubleshooting tools, rather than be a good tech support and remotely logging in and running them themselves. They act more like they are doing you a favor by providing support rather than doing what we have paid them to do! We have tried the paid version of Google Apps and their tech support stinks, it takes days for them to respond, unless one of the services is down for one or more users, you cannot simply call, you must email or file a report through their website.

They want you to run troubleshooting tools, rather than be a good tech support and remotely logging in and running them themselves.

They act more like they are doing you a favor by providing support rather than doing what we have paid them to do!

]]> By: J.R. Voorhorst http://www.theappgap.com/the-real-reason-to-go-for-paid-apps-instead-of-free.html/comment-page-1#comment-35955 J.R. Voorhorst Wed, 13 May 2009 08:19:14 +0000 http://www.theappgap.com/the-real-reason-to-go-for-paid-apps-instead-of-free.html#comment-35955 Hello, just a late post.... main reason for us to go to paid version of Google Apps: SLA. Using free sites give you the risk of your account being closed without a reason by Google. So you have no rights, only risks. Therefore every commercial use of Apps should be paid, to work under the SLA of 99.9% availability. Hello,
just a late post…. main reason for us to go to paid version of Google Apps: SLA. Using free sites give you the risk of your account being closed without a reason by Google. So you have no rights, only risks. Therefore every commercial use of Apps should be paid, to work under the SLA of 99.9% availability.

]]> By: Chris Basham http://www.theappgap.com/the-real-reason-to-go-for-paid-apps-instead-of-free.html/comment-page-1#comment-20513 Chris Basham Wed, 12 Nov 2008 00:11:33 +0000 http://www.theappgap.com/the-real-reason-to-go-for-paid-apps-instead-of-free.html#comment-20513 Great article! I think that any company that's relying on a free app to run an important part of its business is making a mistake. Every company has to cover its costs somehow, and if the company that's providing the app isn't generating sales revenues, I think it's appropriate to be nervous about the company's future as a going concern. I saw a recent article related to the topic and posted a blog entry here: http://community.trackvia.com/posts/d31a8b23c7 Great article! I think that any company that’s relying on a free app to run an important part of its business is making a mistake. Every company has to cover its costs somehow, and if the company that’s providing the app isn’t generating sales revenues, I think it’s appropriate to be nervous about the company’s future as a going concern. I saw a recent article related to the topic and posted a blog entry here: http://community.trackvia.com/posts/d31a8b23c7

]]> By: Anita Campbell http://www.theappgap.com/the-real-reason-to-go-for-paid-apps-instead-of-free.html/comment-page-1#comment-19742 Anita Campbell Thu, 06 Nov 2008 08:18:28 +0000 http://www.theappgap.com/the-real-reason-to-go-for-paid-apps-instead-of-free.html#comment-19742 Hi Sunil, Wow! thanks for pointing out another benefit of Google Apps: the provider marketplace. After your comment I went over and looked at the provider marketplace for setting up Google Apps. There's even a special category for small business support. So essentially you can get someone to set up Google Apps for your business, and also provide technical support. That is a good benefit and a superior alternative to relying on free GMail where you are out walking a tightrope without a safety net of any kind. Anita Hi Sunil, Wow! thanks for pointing out another benefit of Google Apps: the provider marketplace. After your comment I went over and looked at the provider marketplace for setting up Google Apps. There’s even a special category for small business support. So essentially you can get someone to set up Google Apps for your business, and also provide technical support. That is a good benefit and a superior alternative to relying on free GMail where you are out walking a tightrope without a safety net of any kind.

Anita

]]> By: Sunil K http://www.theappgap.com/the-real-reason-to-go-for-paid-apps-instead-of-free.html/comment-page-1#comment-19391 Sunil K Mon, 03 Nov 2008 12:26:04 +0000 http://www.theappgap.com/the-real-reason-to-go-for-paid-apps-instead-of-free.html#comment-19391 Technical help on Google Apps is available starting from $5 per hour hour unlike what you mentioned as $100. I understand there are companies who charge exorbitant - but they are for enterprise level customers; while the small business enterprise can trust companies like us to provide the support they need for Google Apps and related applications. Sunil Dhruvsoft (www.dhruvsoft.com) Technical help on Google Apps is available starting from $5 per hour hour unlike what you mentioned as $100. I understand there are companies who charge exorbitant – but they are for enterprise level customers; while the small business enterprise can trust companies like us to provide the support they need for Google Apps and related applications.

Sunil
Dhruvsoft
(www.dhruvsoft.com)

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