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The ongoing Google Apps and Microsoft BPOS tussle, soon to be rechristened the Google Apps and Office 365 tussle, saw two major shots being fired in the last week or so. Google's Launch Against Microsoft BPOS First, not to be taken for granted, Google sued the Department of Interior for floating a Request for Quotation to upgrade its messaging systems, which favored Microsoft BPOS. Google called the RFQ, "unduly restrictive of competition" since it involved a requirement that the solution "should work with Microsoft BPOS", automatically excluding Google Apps. Google approached the DOI a number of times, before finally going to Court. The DOI on the other hand contends that Google Apps does not offer the "enhanced level of security" that it requires. Some feel that this suit has the possibility of causing Google Apps public embarrassment, if the security vulnerabilities of its solution are exposed in open court. Microsoft Fires back Microsoft, on the other hand, continued with its trend of taking pot shots at Google Apps. In an interview, Microsoft's Eron Kelly, senior director for Business Online Services Marketing, said that Microsoft has had business class users come to Microsoft after trying out Google Apps. According to him, Google Apps was an "interesting consumer service" which lacked vital enterprise capabilities like access delegation. From the look of it, the tussle is going to continue into the foreseeable future, with neither solution really going away from the market. Microsoft has the benefit of a traditional enterprise base, which is going to keep its position strong, while Google is going to continue making intrusions, but slowly. At the same time, the market will continue to have room for alternatives to Microsoft and Google products like HyperOffice, Zoho, Zimbra etc.
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