Google Apps goes Enterprise Professional: $5000 please
Does Google offer professional services? No. So says Google.
Why not?:
Google does not offer professional services because our enterprise products are so easy to set-up and configure that customers do not generally need consulting services from Google.
So says Google. Google “customers,” however, are not in unanimous agreement.
(see Is Google Office really an enigma?)
Google is actually a bit torn as well. Consulting services may not be such a bad thing, for Google that is:
For customers who would like more extensive assistance with integration and customization, the Google Enterprise Professional program offers Google Apps experts who provide value-added services to customers.
Why then? The Google Enterprise Professional program is a direct marketing and sales channel for Google Apps.
How it works: Google sells annual memberships for the right to be deemed a Google Enterprise Professional on Google Apps, at a cost of $5000, including:
50 Google Apps Premier Edition user accounts,
Training on the Google Apps Premier Edition product suite and APIs,
Online customer forum and knowledge base, online partner forum,
Google technical support specialists and product documentation, developer consultation,
Marketing via Google website, certified logo, guidelines, press kit.
Google has designed its Enterprise Professional program as a two-way street. While Google supports $5000 members in selling more Google Apps, it also requires that the paying Enterprise Professionals support Google in its efforts to sell more Google Apps as well, via a mandatory “Success Stories” component:
As a Google Enterprise Professional, you’ll be providing valuable assistance to Google Enterprise customers and we want to share your stories. Partners are required to publish a customer or solution success story.
A dozen companies have forked over $5000 to Google to date for a membership in the Google Enterprise Professional program for Google Apps, according to Google’s partner directory.
Bottom Google line?1) $60,000
2) Six hundred pre-sold users of Google Apps Premier Edition (market rate: Free)
3) Twelve Google Apps testimonials!
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