Google in corporate desktop push. Google has linked up with IT consultancy and outsourcing specialist CapGemini to target corporate customers with its range of desktop applications, in the search engine's most direct move against the dominance of Microsoft. CapGemini, which already runs the desktops of more than a million corporate workers, will provide its customers with "Google Apps" such as email, calendar, spreadsheets and word processing. CapGemini is one of Microsoft's partners for its new Vista operating system and will continue to use products from Microsoft and Lotus Notes owner IBM, but adding Google is a vote of confidence in the company's applications.
CapGemini is already installing Google Apps in its first major corporate customer. "Microsoft is an important partner to us as is IBM," said the head of partnerships at CapGemini's outsourcing business, Richard Payling. "In our client base we have a mix of Microsoft users and Lotus Notes users and we now have our first Google Apps user. Microsoft Brings the Works Online. Help With Your Business, Often Free, on the Web. 17 MS Office Killers.