SaaS, Enterprise 2.0 & Cloud Computing 
Yammer, the Twitter for businesses, is adding some impressive features: Revamped iPhone App with Push notifications, Likes - message sharing tool, Threads - threaded message view and Improved Search. Other improvements include more security options (you can make passwords automatically expire after a certain time period), a ‘broadcast’ mode for network admins that lets them send a message throughout an entire network, and an improved interface. All in all this is a great update for Yammer, which continues to improve on an already-solid product. ***
Since Google decided that Apps was something they wanted to sell to enterprises, lack of integration with BlackBerry Enterprise server has been an impediment to making that sale. Now that's changed. Starting today Google Apps customers can sync their mail, contacts and calendar with BlackBerry smartfones. The new Connector they launched today will give you some fairly high-quality results. Emails sent to Gmail aren't true push, but they'll show up within 60 seconds. You can also read and delete emails and Calendar items with full unity with the online backup; Gmail labels will even translate into BlackBerry folders. ***
Today, Gmail has added the ability to email tasks from Google Tasks service. “Email Task List” is now being rolled out as an option under the ‘Actions” tab under Tasks. When you click on “Email Task List” it will open compose email window with the contents of your current task list. You can send your current task lasts or completed task lists to anyone.Though minor in comparison to other features added to Gmail, the ability to email your Task list can be particularly useful to share both work-related and personal to-do list. ***
Today Google added two new tools for Google Enterprise Search: Side-by-Side search comparison and new connectors for the GSA. Side-by-Side search lets users test and rate results from two different search queries (Policy A vs. Policy B) on the same data, to see which gives better results. Employees can vote on their preferred results, by clicking on either the Policy A or Policy B button and the administrator can then use that information to choose and set up the right search solution for the business. The GSA connector lets businesses connect to different types of data, both online and offline, for search functionality. It has been updated to search across content management systems of enterprises (such as SharePoint, FileNet, etc). Google also now provides a connector specifically for Salesforce data, so the GSA can include internal Salesforce data in search results. ***
Google has linked its Google Apps suite with the Groups service, making it possible to share documents, sites, and calendars among defined groups of people. For example, a spreadsheet shared with a Google Group will be accessible immediately to anyone joining that group, or rendered inaccessible to those leaving the group. Across Google's various applications, including Docs, Sites, Video for Business, and Calendar, groups can be given access by having an invitation sent to the group's e-mail address, rather than to an individual's e-mail address. Until now to share these items, you had either to make them entirely public, or share them on a person-by-person basis. ***
Microsoft and Nokia announced a partnership that would take MS Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Sharepoint and Office Communicator) onto Nokia smartphones. Despite rumors to the contrary this week, Nokia confirmed that they're sticking with Symbian while they bring the software to their ESeries devices. The first service to appear next year will be Microsoft's Communicator, with full Office support later in the release cycle. Next up will be SharePoint and System Center, an IT infrastructure product. It's clear that this move is an admission, even if it's implicit, that Windows Mobile hasn't shown the success in mobile productivity that Microsoft has hoped for. ***
