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Which one is best for your organisation? I put them through their paces side by side. Overall, as you’ll see, Google Apps service beats Microsoft Office Live because of its superior e-mail, and because it offers a calendar, something that Microsoft does not.

Initial Setup
For small businesses that are setting up e-mail and managing a Web site through either Google Apps for Your Domain or Office Live Basic, one of the most daunting tasks will be the initial setup and configuration. After all, the whole point of these tools is that they’re for organisations without IT support staff and for normal folks.  Devnet can organise this process for you by purchasing one of their setup packages.
Google doesn’t include tools for domain registration, so you will need to register a domain first, or you can use your existing domain.

Google Initial Setup
Transferring your mail and Web server information from your existing service to Google is not an easy task, Devnet can assist with the transfer as part of their Google Apps add-on packages.

For your e-mail to work with Google, you need to make changes to your existing Mail Exchange (MX) records, which control how incoming e-mail is routed for your domain. You need to make those changes with the registrar who has your DNS records (for example, PlanetDomain, Webcentral, MelbourneIT) Similarly, to be able to create and host Web pages using Google, you need to make changes to your CNAME record with your registrar.

Don’t expect any help from your registrar; they typically takes your money when you register a domain, and then leave you on your own. Devnet can provide guidance and assistance with this process as part of their Google Apps setup packages.  They explain, in simple-to-follow steps what details you need from your registrar and will assist with the migration.  If you don’t have a domain, you can register a domain through our service and then start the process of the Google Apps setup.

Windows Live Setup
What if you want to use an existing domain? Here’s where things get a little sticky. You’ll have to transfer the entire domain to Office Live’s registrar. Google Apps, allows you to keep your domain with your existing registrar; you merely change your existing records. Google Apps doesn’t require you to change who registers your domain.  The problem is that registrars don’t like losing business. So when you follow the wizard the button launches, the great odds are that you’ll find out that your record has been “locked” by your registrar. You’ll have to unlock it yourself; Windows Live offers no help in doing that. I have two words for you “good luck. “

Calendar
The Google Calendar is straightforward and intuitive To create an event, merely click on the date and time, fill out a simple form, and you’re done.

If it’s an event to which you want to invite others, you just have to include their e-mail addresses, and the invitation will be automatically sent out in iCalendar (.ics) format. When someone accepts the invitation, their acceptance is automatically placed in the calendar. In addition, if they don’t use Google Calendar, and instead use another calendaring program or Web site that is compatible with the iCalendar format, the meeting will show up in their calendar when they open the .ics file.

Google’s iCalendar support is particularly useful when scheduling meetings with people outside your organisation. You could create a meeting request, have it sent out in the .ics format to people inside your organisation as well as outside. Those in your organisation would have the meeting show up in the Google calendar. Those outside the organisation would have it show up in their iCalendar-compatible calendars. If the recipient’s calendar isn’t compatible with iCalendar, they will see the meeting request as a plain email invitation.
Google Apps has simple and automated group scheduling is well-suited for small organisations.  Apps offers all a SME would need, and will save the expense of buying network-based calendar software. It can also be enabled for mobile devices such as iPhone, Blackberry’s and standard phones through SMS.

Google Docs
This application can run on any browser, or operating system, and requires no updates or patches.  It also offers support for Office documents and Adobe PDF, and content is available offline with the addition of the free Gears update.  Its full integration with Google Apps, allows you to interact with anyone in your organisation as a collaborator easily and quickly.

The Bottom Line
Which of the sites is better? Google Apps for Your Domain is a clear winner over Microsoft Office Live. It offers superior e-mail, better site management, and has a group calendar, an important component to running a small business and something that Office Live lacks. Devnet can help you get setup on Google Apps Premier Edition, quickly and easily.