This week’s Project of the Week is brought to you by one of GovLoop’s 2011 Major Partners, Google. As the year continues they will be present on GovLoop to help answer any questions you have within the Google for Gov group right here on GovLoop.
Dr. GovLoop recently corresponded with Google and what all they are doing to help improve GSA’s communications – Check out this conversation with Dan Israel of Google:
Why did GSA decide to move its email to the cloud?
GSA needed applications that would enable a more mobile workforce & allow employees to collaborate better with colleagues and customers. The agency also sought a substantial reduction in costs compared to its previous email platform. Martha Johnson’s blog post gives GSA’s perspective.
How did the transition go?
With help from Unisys, GSA successfully migrated 17,000 employees and contractors — and 10 terabytes of data — to Google Apps for Government within six months. The project was on budget and on time, even with a fairly aggressive schedule.
What else are GSA employees getting from Google in addition to email?
GSA employees now have access to the entire Google Apps for Government suite. Shared calendars help them easily coordinate schedules, voice and video chat let them communicate face-to-face with mobile colleagues, and Google Docs allow them to work together in real-time on documents, spreadsheets & presentations. GSA also gave employees the Chrome for Business web browser for a faster, simpler, more secure experience with Google Apps.
What feedback have you received from GSA employees?
Several Google employees spent the first couple days on site at various GSA locations, helping people with the transition. On the whole, the feedback we received was quite positive. People were excited about getting more modern, useful tools. Many GSA employees have used Gmail for their personal email and were already familiar with the product. For others, it’s been a learning process and they have a great support network from their GSA colleagues, Google & Unisys to help them.
How can other agencies benefit from GSA’s experience?
GSA’s experience migrating to the cloud can help other federal agencies contract for and make the transition to the cloud. You can learn more about Google Apps for Government, and other government customers using these apps on our website.