Unlocking the API potential of Google Apps

Facilitated by Ryan Ozimek, PICnet

Most folks are now aware that Google offers hosted productivity apps such as Google Docs. But many less are aware of the rich API-level access available to developers. Ryan will offer a tour of these APIs and give some examples of nonprofit-specific use cases.

Notes

raw notes with typos

Goals

• Everyone's Uses

(Possible) Uses of Google API

• Charts
• Provisioning System
  • EMail Services
  • Google Apps
  • Creating Accounts
• Maps
• Search
  • AJAX Search
  • Google Suggest
• Google Earth (in Browser)
• Google Checkout
• Google Docs
  • Could have good potential for accessing spreadsheets and integrating with Charts, Maps
  • Speadsheet as forms
• Google Calendar
• Grand Central (coming up)
• GData

Concerns

• Open-ness
• Accessibility
• Security
  • SASS90 Type2 (Google Maps for Domain)
• What can Google do with that data?
  • Read EULA
• What if Google goes away

Most Popular

• Maps
• Analytics
• Search

Resources

• code.google.com
  • Examples
  • Videos
  • API documentation

Uses of Google APIs

Maps

• API key
• Needs to be Publicly Available
• Tons of example, videos
• Can create what is in the marker window
• Put GData

Google Earth (in Browser)

• Plugin (download)
• If plugin go to regular Map
• Regionation
• Size of icons

Charts

• Key
• HTML Table translate columns and then API can turn into chart

Calendar

• Example
  • Marketing Calendar that is Shared
  • Use Email
  • Integrating Salesforce and Marketing Calendar (Can do)

Provision Email

• Case Study: Non-Profit SoapBox (un-demand Joomla)
  • Needed email accounts for customers
  • Google Apps was a good solution
  • Can include Google Apps into installation
  • In Joomla, can create new email accounts in web interface
  • Create email lists on the fly
  • one point of entry

Possibilities/Questions

• Markers in a Map, select certain markers via mouse
• scheduling emails

Analytics

• embed analytics data into a site
• embed code from google.com/analytics

Docs

• easily create a document repo
• Example: Salesforce
  • can attach documents to contact
  • can edit in browser
• can cross reference
• full text search
• Case Management
• Can uplaod PDF and JPG

Overall

• collects services into one site
• many way to use google services with just embedded html (no coding)
• use API, coding to create something more dynamic and data-driven
• make site easier with simple search
• privacy, security concerns

Other

• JING (screencasting tools)
  • jingproject.com
• Google Audio Search