According to Business Week:
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_07/b4021070.htm

<< Soon, [Google's] expected to add word-processing and spreadsheet services to [Google Apps for Your Domain], which includes an online calendar, chat service, and Web page builder. In coming weeks, Google Apps will turn into a real business as Google begins charging corporations a subscription fee amounting to a few dollars per person per month. >>

Do they have inside information on that or are they just playing the guessing game? I was under the impression that it was always the plan to charge for Google Apps for Your Domain once it was out of Beta.

And I still don't really understand the benefit of adding services like Docs & Spreadsheets to GAFYD. Offering Gmail, Page Creator, Start Page and Google Talk services made sense as they needed to use the custom domain. Surely it would be an easier and / or better solution to link / integrate GAFYD Accounts with Google Accounts?

Via: http://labnol.blogspot.com/2007/02/google-apps-for-your-domain-honeymoon.html

BTW, using the same techniques explained in one of my recent posts about AdSense coming to Google Apps for Your Domain – http://ruscoe.net/blog/2007/01/adsense-coming-to-google-apps-for-your.asp – I can confirm that it looks like they *are* going to be adding Docs and Spreadsheets to the list of services available in GAFYD, as these were added as available services since then (i.e. in the past 2-3 weeks):

Google Spreadsheets:
https://www.google.com/a/google.com/ServiceLogin?service=wise

Google Writely:
https://www.google.com/a/google.com/ServiceLogin?service=writely

I don't know if this clarifies anything, but this is from the AFYD FAQ:

>> Is there a premium version of this service?
Not at this time. However, if your organization has advanced needs not met by this free service, let us know and we'll get in touch when a premium service is available for your organization. <<

So perhaps the current one will be free, but of course the Enterprise version will be at a cost.

Contrariwise to Tony, I DO see benefits to adding Docs (and the rest of the coming Google Office) to GAFYD; and to making organisations pay for it.

If you're going to get medium to large companies to use the services you're going to have to provide a) support b) a large amount of extra storage space and bandwidth, far beyond what the free version provides (however many hundreds of documents an individual user is allowed).

Lots of users accessing complicated spreadsheets and databases and documents costs; but companies need this sort of access, and it would be weird if Google didn't eventually go for the corporate market. It's a big one, after all.

The money thing is sort of incidental. Obviously Google has to charge for unlimited or near unlimited Office usage; but also, if they're not being charged, biggish companies will think they're not getting a proper or safe service. That sort of thing is what they have budgets for.

All very good points, photoactive. I guess I meant that I didn't see the point in them adding the *current* versions (i.e. same storage, same support, same reliability, same features) to GAFYD. I guess if they increase the storage, offer support, improve reliability and maybe even add some new features, then it would be worthwhile paying for it. Although I still don't understand why they just don't create "Pro" versions and link them to Google Accounts rather than force users to maintain two accounts.

Very true!

If the workplace Google thing gets going – which it surely will, gradually (or, knowing Google, surprisingly quickly) – then if they don't want to create a world of exhausted and confused schizophrenics they'll have to find some way of letting us access both our workplace and our personal-life spaces without logging in and logging out all the time.