Google is into so many things that it’s hard to keep up with it all. But one thing is obvious — they are making a big push into the small business space. I recently spoke with Rich Rao, Google’s director of Worldwide Sales and Operations. Rao heads up the Google Apps division and shared a few key points about how small businesses are using the service.

Biggest changes in small business technology since the rollout of Google Apps

Rich Rao: I witnessed a three-phase evolution over the last decade. The first phase is what I would call one of poor choice. Essentially, small businesses were faced with a poor choice when it came to technology. Either they had to choose from software that was built for a large company that carried a huge price tag, or they chose inexpensive software that lacked the functionality they needed.

Then, right around 2006, comes cloud computing. All of a sudden, the playing field is level. For the first time small companies had access to all of the same technology that larger companies had and features that small businesses never dreamed of.

{Pick up the April 2013 issue for the full article]

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