Google integrates Apps with Microsoft Outlook

Google has launched Google Apps Sync for Microsoft Outlook, which it claims will allow customers to use both applications together seamlessly.

The product will allow Outlook users to connect to Google Apps for their web-based email, contacts and calendar.

Users can also access information from their work computer using the Gmail interface when they are elsewhere.

Robert Whiteside, head of Google Enterprise UK, explained that the service was designed to encourage more businesses to take to Google Apps Premier.

"This just adds to the Google Apps offline capabilities we added recently, and the BlackBerry support," he said.

"It will allow businesses deploying Google Apps across the enterprise to continue using Outlook until their rollout is complete."

Whiteside claimed that Google Apps Sync will provide "extremely tight" integration between the two offerings.

For example, users can accept a meeting request sent through Outlook in their Google Apps calendar, and their contacts will be completely synchronised.

A simple two-click data migration tool, meanwhile, will allow employees to easily copy existing data from Exchange or Outlook into Google Apps.