The 100 Best Products of 2007 - #1 Google Apps Premier Edition

Web applications; US$50 (NZ$67) per user per year

Google is much more than just a search engine, and with its invaluable Google Apps suite, the company is well on its way to challenging Microsoft for productivity-suite supremacy. Google's Docs & Spreadsheets (soon to be joined by a PowerPoint-esque presentation application) already makes for an interesting alternative to Microsoft Office. Combine it with Gmail, Google Talk, and Google Calendar, and suddenly nearly all of your basic productivity programs and data can be available online.

For small businesses that need more than the free versions offer, Google Apps Premier Edition adds capacity, support services, and tools for integrating existing infrastructure so that all your employees can use Google's powerful Web apps - no matter where they are. Printouts may never die, but if Google has its way, the office-less office may become a reality long before the paperless one does.

Click here to find out more about Google Apps.

YouTube in deal to offer local television programming

Hearst-Argyle Television and YouTube have announced a joint effort to add news, weather and entertainment videos and original Hearst television programming in five local markets to YouTube.

Beginning Monday this week, Hearst TV stations in Boston, Sacramento, Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Manchester, N.H., will begin posting local video to dedicated YouTube channels.

The deal marks the first distribution agreement between Google subsidiary YouTube and an independent television broadcaster, according to YouTube and Hearst. YouTube last week announced a deal with EMI Group to begin showing music videos and performances on the site.

For Hearst's part, the deal fits within its overall strategy to distribute its content on TV, the internet and mobile phones, says executive vice president Terry Mackin.

As part of the deal, Hearst will also use YouTube as part of its new digital video project and will broadcast high school football and basketball and local amateur entertainment on YouTube.

Websites operated by Hearst television stations nationwide generate 1 billion page views each year and provide Wireless Application Protocol content, podcasts, web-based newscasts, web videos and blogs in various markets.