Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) Business Apps provides a cheaper alternative to the productivity tools in Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) Office, and some mid-sized companies are finding good reasons to make the switch to this software as a service offering. Others, however, still find that it makes sense for them to keep productivity software on site.

Goble and Associates, a Chicago healthcare marketing company, has been using the email, calendar and office tools in Google Apps for Business for more than a year, writes Gene Marks in a post at Forbes. The firm, with a staff of 80, pays $50 annually for the applications. In addition to the cost-savings, Goble and Associates has found advantages in not having to install programs and letting someone else--i.e., Google--deal with upgrades.

However, since Goble and Associates made the switch, there have been approximately three outages with Google's servers, Marks writes. While this isn't of great concern to some companies, others want to retain the control, reliability and security which they are accustomed to with applications deployed on site.

For Marks, who runs a small consulting firm, the main reason for sticking with Office is its compatibility with legacy applications. His firm uses CRM, accounting and customized applications built decades ago, some of which use Office applications to produce invoices and correspondence.

"Google's apps don't really play with my apps," he writes. "Unless we completely replace these applications with others that do the same with Google Apps, we'd be forced to take a step back."

For more:
- see Gene Marks' post at Forbes

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