5 Ways to Backup Google Apps for World Backup Day

Today, March 31st is the World Backup Day which is to encourage global internet users to safely save all your digital assets. When it comes to data recovery, your cloud backup data really matters.

No matter how secured online storage you are using, an unexpected thing can be always happening, mark this date to back up your cloud data.

If you use google cloud storage, especially if you use Google Apps for Work or Google Drive for Work for your professional life, there are five best cloud backup assistant tools available.

1. Google Drive Software

- To back up Google Drive files

The Google Drive Software can be used to copy your cloud file storage into your local computer end. Visit the Google Drive website and download the software. It supports both PC and Mac platforms. Then, install the software and login with your Google account. 

When the program is playing, the entire files and folders on your google drive automatically synchronize with the computer. Select the files and folders that you want to copy and backup your entire files into a local folder on your computer. 

-  Google Drive software homepage -

2.  Google Apps Sync for Microsoft Outlook

- To back up Gmail, Calendar, Contacts, and Tasks.

Gmail backup easily can be done in Outlook. You can backup your mail, calendar, contacts, and more using Outlook. To do so, download Google Apps Sync tool for Outlook (GASMO) and make a new profile during the setup process.  And then your online google apps data is synchronized and saved in an outlook PST file.  You may make a copy of the PST file into a backup folder on your computer.

- GASMO how it works video -

3. Google Apps Vault

- To centrally back up and archive Gmail


Google Apps Vault is one of the Google applications which can be added on top of Google Apps. With Vault, you can be prepared to assess a legal matter or compliance issue in a timely, cost-effective way, with minimal disruption to your business. Google Apps Vault has no quota. Gmail’s 25GB quota does not affect back-end Vault storage, so users can delete an email, and Vault will still retain it. Once you activate Google Apps Vault, the users’ historical data will be archived as well as new in and outbound emails. 

-  Search page in Vault's eDiscovery -

Your google apps admin can access Vault's discovery and search email contents. The Admin can insert the user's email address, time frame. And then it can be exported as mbox files.

4. Google Take Out

- To back up the entire Google Apps and other Google services

Google Take Out is an ultimate cloud backup tool to archive your entire google services. It works not only Google apps but also other google services such as Blogger, Orkut, Panoramio. Once you select the google services to back up, you may select a compressed file type like a ZIP, TGZ and upload into your google drive or get a download link via email.

- Google Take Out service; choose a backup file type and delivery method -

5. Third Party Backup Storage

-  To back up the entire google apps services (Email, Drive, Contact, Calendar, Sites and etc)

Real-time online backup storage service for entire Google Apps service is possible with a third party tool such as Netkiller Spanning backup for Google Apps. Through this tool, you can backup at a certain time daily by default, but it also able to perform real-time backup if needed. The data is stored within a non google cloud environment, which is Amazon Web Service (AWS).

Conclusion

Whether due to an unexpected system error, interruption, hacking attacks, or a simply by mistake, the bottom line is your critical digital assets has to be protected and regularly backed up to a different place. Now is the good time to utilize backup software and construct a backup policy to safely hold and liberate the Google Apps data out of google cloud.

How to Make a Mobile Friendly Site with Google Sites and Get a Higher Rank

Google has released a very important news which will greatly impact on Google's search engine result page (aka SERP).

That is, Google will rank mobile friendly websites higher on the SERP.  Google announced a major change in an official blog. 

It will impacts everyone, anywhere from individuals, small businesses, non-profits to large organizations who has the websites.  If you have a website and want to show your website on a higher rank, it is a mandate that optimizes your website as a mobile friendly.

Because nowadays people spend more time on mobile rather than on computers people search and visit the website through mobile more than computers.

The analysis by comScore also supports the trend. On Jan 2014, Mobile exceeds PC internet usages for the first time in history.

Google has announced that starting April 21st it will be expanding its use of mobile friendliness as a ranking signal.  This change will affect in all languages worldwide.

In order to help you to build the mobile friendly website, Google offered a tool called Mobile-Friendly Test website.  To get you started, simply enter your website address and you can find the test result.

There's a good news for Google Sites lovers since Google Sites, which is developed by Google has advantages.  You can make a mobile friendly website in one click.  For example, find the test result to see 'Google Sites for Mobile'.

<Before Mobile Friendly>

<After Mobile Friendly>

The secret of 'Google Sites for Mobile' is simple.  I have just checked on 'mobile option' as below screenshot to get the mobile friendly site. For more information, please refer to the previous article here.

However, please note that even if you have designed a website with Google Sites and checked on mobile it may not look perfect on mobile.  In that case, you would need to fine tune it to make more mobile friendly websites.  Also, you can think of developing an optimum Google Sites for mobile phone resolution.

After all, this change could motivate people that currently don't have a mobile-friendly site to create one.

5 Essential Outlook Tips for Google Apps users

Google Apps is a 100% web-based application so user can run the app without installing any software. Just login with your credentials to check your email, write a document, schedule an event or many others.

However, there are still many users who want to keep using Microsoft Outlook since it provides familiar and more functions in advanced user interface than the web gmail.  Here are five tips for Outlook Fans who want to make the most of Google Apps.



1. Google Apps Sync for Microsoft Outlook; GASMO


Instead of follow steps to configure IMAP/POP3 settings for your email, GASMO enables you to create a new google apps profile and sync the Google Apps data such as Gmail, Calendar, Contacts.

Please note that GASMO supports only Windows platform and compatible with Microsoft Outlook 2003 or above.

Reference: GASMO website



2. Hangout Plugin for Microsoft Outlook

With Google's Hangouts plugin, you can easily start a Hangout with just a few clicks in Outlook, or you can set up a schedule.  Once plugin installed, You can find Hangout menus in Home.  The tool also can be installed on Outlook 2007 or later version in Windows environment.

Reference: Google Hangout Plugin for Microsoft Outlook website



3. Undo Send


If you use the 'Undo Send' function in Gmail, sending email can be cancelled within 30 seconds.  If you wish to use such feature in Outlook, You can just use the 'Rules and Alerts' feature in Outlook (Home > Rule > Rules and Alerts). Canceling an e-mail sent through the delay settings for sending messages like this screenshot can be done. :)

* SIDE NOTE: Did you know that you can also set up automatic CC/BCC on all emails that you send? See below screenshot as an example.

4. Send Email As


If you use multiple email aliases in addition to the email address you use in Gmail, you can also 'Send Email as' in Outlook.  When you compose an email, you may find From and choose email address from a drop-down.

5. Canned response


If you enable 'Canned Response' feature in Gmail Labs, you can easily  frequently bring used email scripts and send.  With the 'Text Box Gallery' of Outlook, you can implement the same 'Canned Response' feature of Gmail.  On a new email, Highlight portion of your email phrase. Go to Insert and click 'Save Selection to Text Box Gallery' under Text Box.

The five tips above represent just a sample of amazing tricks you can customize your Outlook experience.  If you have any comments or questions regarding this post, please notify me via the 'Contact Form'.