Google Apps - Marketplace Addons you really need

I migrated my domain to Google Apps and would like to share some of my experience.

One of the great features is IMHO the Enterprise Marketplace where you can find lots of really useful (and even more of useless) Apps to add to your domain. Here is a selection of apps I tried or at least noticed.

Must Have

  • Doodle integrates really nice into Google Apps and fulfils all dreams about scheduling meetings or asking several people about their opinion on something
Useful
  • Lucid Charts has a free account which is more than sufficiant for most simple drawing needs. The shape library is rather simple, e.g. no floor plan shapes. Diagrams are limited to 60 objects each.
  • PresentOnlineNow gets the job done with regard to online presentations and comes for free for up to 10 participants in a meeting room. Only downside is that screen sharing does not work from Linux. Positive is that the participants don't need to install anything, it requires only Flash.
Might Be Interesting
These apps seem interesting, I did not yet have time to check them out:
  • Organizer is the cure for Email overload
  • Bookmarks Version 2 (FREE) centralizes bookmark management and sharing, free version covers 500 bookmarks per domain.
  • Exxtensions allows to send a Fax from Google Docs (and possibly also local files in the future). Prices seem competitive. BEWARE: THEY SEND AN EMAIL TO ALL DOMAIN USERS! I talked to the support and the promised that the next release (early 2012) would include customizable Sender ID which is currently missing. The support thanked me for voicing my opinion but did not state when they would stop to send unsolicited emails.
  • Sherpa Tools might be interesting to manage shared contacts. Did not try it out because it does not work on Apps For Free (according to the reviews).
  • Shared Groups. Reviews sound good and really affordable at 10€ per year. Did not try because eventually I don't need shared contacts for a family domain (yet).
  • Lend-Items: Keeping track of items on loan. Free plan allows adding 100 items to your catalogue.
  • SurveyAngle: Online surveys, forms, polls, and questionnaires.
    • Gbridge: Free instant VPN for everyone using Windows. With Desktop and File sharing.
  • Gliffy Diagrams and Flowcharts also offers a free account but seems more restricted compared to Lucid Charts. OTOH it has some really nice shapes like for a floor plan. Unfortunately with the floor plan one cannot set the sizes precisely.

Things That Looked Good but Did Not Work Well
  • Shared contacts. Even if you get them filled in it is no big help.
  • iClippy promises to solve all screen shot problems but fails to support Linux and is limited to 800x600 in the free plan


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