I'm left slightly unsure what you really get from Capgemini's new offer to provide support for Google Apps. What is Capgem offering that Google's Enterprise Premier support tier doesn't give you already? Is this just an oddly branded but typical corporate strategic consultation? The CIO article quotes Google's Kevin Smith as saying, "Capgemini can help clients develop a strategy for the most effective use of Google Apps, whether as an enterprisewide collaboration solution, or for employees not served in a traditional desktop application environment." If developing that strategy is really all they are bringing to the table, what's up with the customized support pricing? Isn't that a typical, limited time engagement? Or is Google using Capgem effectively as a reseller for the product, counting on them to push those services out like other major consultancies... oh, let's say, Accenture... have landed in hot water for recently, with the "support" service as the incentive?

This CMP Channel article has a few more details which sound less sinister: "The firm will offer training, level 1 and 2 support, provisioning, security consultation and integration with corporate single-sign on systems, among other services...." Still, c'mon, other than the SSO integration, exactly how much value do any of those really have, considering the simplicity of the apps and low barriers to entry? Perhaps more interesting is the tidbit that "Capgemini declined to say whether it's reselling and making margin on Google Apps Premier, which carries a list price of $50 per user annually." No kidding.

I don't pretend to know what Capgemini is up to and it's hard to fault them for not wanting to open their books, exactly, but what I do know is that you need to be damn careful when you are in a position where a company you are relying on for objective advice-Capgemini, if they are providing you a consulting or outsourcing service-is also positioned to benefit more if you select one particular solution over another. The appearance, at least, of objectivity is completely absent in such situations, yet they are incredibly common in the IT service industry. It's worth a second look at your vendors and consultants to see if you are inadvertently in one today.