Recently, I was watching an episode of “CSI Miami.” The main character, Horatio Caine, is a bit dramatic for my taste, but the cutting-edge technology on the show is more than worth the watch. Everything from robotic bomb disposal to surface computers give an amazing look into the technology that can assimilate the world in a short time. And leading the way is Google. At a Mobile Internet World conference in Boston, Rich Milner, Google's general manager of mobile platforms, explained the reason behind its aggressive open source entry into the competitive market of mobile phones and mobile operating systems. The main event was a look at Google's G1 phone partnership with T-Mobile. As amazing as G1 performs as a smart phone, Google's primary motivation is to perform in the information business. “Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful,” he said. Google is now an integrated part of modern culture, replacing the family dictionary, the encyclopedia and phone book. It has indexed a staggering 8,058,044,651 (and counting) Web pages on its servers and offers a suite of products that are available for small business–for free. Here is an overview of Google products that might be perfect for your technology needs in 2009. Google Docs
Google Docs is a word processor, spreadsheet and presentation tool, similar to Microsoft Office except for one big difference: Google Docs is online based. Documents are available to anyone with access, at anytime and from anywhere. Imagine needing access to some type of form or information while visiting a customer or prospect. With Google Docs, you can create, edit and collaborate over spreadsheets, documents and
presentations easily and securely. Underwriters can create a Google Docs account. Policy packets could be uploaded by the agency and downloaded by the underwriter. Google Docs and spreadsheets do not default to an encrypted HTTPS connection once the user has signed in. However, documents and spreadsheets can be optionally accessed through HTTPS. When typing in the url for Google Docs, type in https://docs.google.com rather than http://docs.google.com. To learn more about the security of Google Docs, see its privacy policy. Gmail
Gmail allows staff to access their e-mail accounts anywhere they have an Internet connection. This includes desktop workstations, laptops and smart phones.

Gmail provides standard e-mail services such as forwarding, out-of-office and aliases.

GrandCentral
How many e-mails and phone numbers are in your world? Between your desk, cell, fax and different e-mail addresses, the number is growing daily. GrandCentral by Google can unify your crowded communication world. GrandCentral uses VoIP to converge all of your phone numbers and e-mail into one unified message center. If your phone numbers or e-mail addresses change, simply update your GrandCentral's permanent number and e-mail address file. Everything is transparent to your callers; they don't need to know about or care which phone you're picking up. You can even have all of your numbers ring at the same time, then choose which one is the most convenient at the moment. GrandCentral lets you record calls, switch phones mid-conversation, even answer the phone while someone's leaving you a voice mail. If your agency has a Web site, GrandCentral also includes a remarkable “widget” that empowers visitors to enter their names and numbers so GrandCentral can call them, then call your phone without showing the caller your number. Your customer and staff are instantly connected. Google Maps
Customers rely on the Internet to locate business information, including where an agency is located. Google Maps allows you to use your e-mail, Web site or other means of electronic communication to direct them to your front door. The Google Maps/Local Business Center lets people know where you are and what you do. You can even upload photos and free information to give yourself an edge to attract new business. Use the Local Business Center to create a free listing. When potential customers search Google Maps for local information, they'll find your address, hours, even photos of your agency or information on products and carriers. It's easy, free, and you don't need your own Web site. Google Analytics
If your agency wants to make the most of the Web, it is essential to optimize your
Web site. Google Web site Optimizer (http://services.google.com/website
optimizer) tests content combinations on your Web pages. It's a free tool that lives inside the AdWords system, so you'll need an account there to use it.