Google targets business users with Blackberry connector

04.05.2009
Google Inc. is looking to pull more business users into its by making it easier for Blackberry users to use Gmail and Google Calendar..

The company late Monday unveiled the Google Apps Connector for BlackBerry Enterprise Server, which is now in beta and slated to be available in July.

The connector is designed to make it easier for people with Blackberries to access hosted , Google Calendar and Contacts. The new tool also integrates features in the Google applications work with built-in , allowing users, for instance, to receive via the BlackBerry smartphone's built-in email client.

Dan Olds, principle analyst with the Gabriel Consulting Group, called this a smart move for a company eager to bulk up its business presence.

"This is going to make it a lot easier for Blackberry people to use Gmail accounts and Google calendar," he added. "I think this is a big market for Google. If they're going to offer Gmail and other applications, it's definitely in their best interest to make them run on as many devices as possible and Blackberry is a big one. We know they want to get into the corporate market more and become sort of an enterprise replacement for Microsoft and Exchange. This gives them a more compelling story toward this end."

Olds also said a lot of people will find it helpful to have their calendar automatically updated on when it's updated on their computer and vice versa. "This is just going to make it easier on people," he said. "That's a handy thing. Anything you do in Google calendar gets into your Blackberry, and your contacts will be synched as well. It's just helpful."