Online grocery retailer Ocado is deploying Google Apps for Business for 1,250 staff, with the aim of cutting costs and improving productivity.

Ocado said the cloud-based product suite will facilitate remote working, improve productivity and boost internal communication for head office staff and regional managers. Staff will be able to log in from any secure internet connection to access their emails, documents, calendar and other internal information.

Hosted in Google’s secure cloud, staff will have access to tools such as Google Talk and Google Docs. Ocado will also use Google Sites to develop a branded web landing page for staff. Ocado’s marketing team will be able to use this page to produce internal announcements in video form, using Google Video.

Ocado says Google Apps will reduce its IT costs - saving on servers, back-up space, support and maintenance - whilst in the longer term eradicating costly upgrades and licence fees. Ocado will also use the Postini Message Security feature included in Google Apps to replace its legacy spam filter system, leading to further cost savings.

Jon Rudoe, head of retail at Ocado, said, “At Ocado we aren’t afraid to challenge conventions and do things differently. We love the fact that Google Apps continues to innovate and develop new features and are excited about the benefits we expect to see across the business.”

Source: http://www.computerworlduk.com/news/cloud-computing/3246996/ocado-moves-into-the-cloud-with-google-apps/