Google targets government with Reston, Va., beachhead

Mountain View, Calif.-based Google has opened an office in Reston, Va. – a scant 20 miles west of Washington, D.C. – to establish a local presence in hopes of growing its government business.

The 18 staffers on Google’s federal sales crew will be working to get agencies to consider using the Google Docs word processor, Google Earth satellite imagery and maps, and tools in the Google Apps package. The latter offers software-as-a-service for enterprise email, instant messaging, collaboration and security. Gmail e-mail, customized calendars, spreadsheets and Google Sites wikis are included in the package.

The public sector already is using Google products. At last count, 10 cabinet-level agencies in the federal government were tapping into Google Apps and other Google offerings. Numerous local and state governments around the United States also are relying on Google to boost efficiency in the workplace.

Google search, geospatial products and Google Apps are Google’s three main offerings to government, including state and local government, Mike Bradshaw told GovPro.com. Bradshaw is director, Google Federal, at the Reston, Va., Google office.

The District of Columbia government, which employs more than 39,000, has begun using a Google-designed e-mail service. Several Google components, including YouTube instructional media and an internal wiki, named DCpedia, are helping bring district workers up to speed on the e-mail system. The DCpedia is an intranet portal that provides a free, open-content online encyclopedia.

What’s more, the district is relying on Google Maps to plot the locations of public works projects. Google Apps, meanwhile, is helping make the D.C. government’s procurement information available to the public. Citizens can find out how the district is spending its tax dollars with just a few clicks.

For more information on Google applications in government, click here.