We have a new addition at Cloud Hypermarket – Zoho Business and we are delighted to have them on board.
Zoho’s basic business package is an interesting one as it the basis of the company itself, bravely taking on the giants around it in Microsoft and Google whilst experts mocked their attempts and predicted their demise. In late 1997 ZDNet Editor in Chief, Dan Farber and Webware.com's editor Rafe Needleman talked to AdventNet's CEO Sridhar Vembu to find out about Zoho's office productivity suite and how the CEO plans to compete against Microsoft and Google. Farber and Needleman then analyze the company's business model and determine Zoho's chance for success in the emerging Web 2.0 office software market – and decide they have none:
In late 2008 Zoho hit 1 million users and they are still here and a force in the market – so clearly something is working. Zoho mixes the simplicity of Google Apps with a business focus. The business package comes with hosted email, shared calendar, collaborative messaging, document management, and their award winning office applications. They have one of the most complete Cloud packages around and are priced very fairly. The interface for their office apps is clearly based on Microsoft’s Office equivalent (although no one is even close to reaching the functionality of office yet). Zoho's office apps include writer (word processor), sheets (spreadsheets) and show (presentations). Starting from a business perspective and focus gives them an advantage as does the fact that they have always existed in the cloud meaning they are mission focussed which can only be a good thing. Their add on packages are extensive (more than any other vendor) and their business package could be a very good way for businesses to start with the cloud.
Rather than get into reviews myself I will refer you to several independent online assessments:
