Google says they've made an arrangement with WiMax provider Clearwire to provide Google Apps to Clearwire customers. According to the companies, Clearwire will begin migrating its current customers to Gmail and Google Calendar sometime in the first half of this year. Google also plans to be a major partner with Sprint for the launch of their upcoming WiMax service, Xohm. Clearwire only had 348,000 total subscribers at the end of the third quarter.
Well, Clearwire has to do something to gain more subscribers, like offering a service that is already free and available to the public - wait, you mean I can get Gmail for free sans Clearwire? Hmm, guess I'll just use Gmail on my lovely Cable internet that didn't require a contract, equipment purchase, or sub-par speeds.
Face it, Clearwire, you are going to have to offer no contracts and equipment leasing to compete with cable and DSL. Two years is a LONG TIME to commit to an ISP.
I have had Clearwire now for about a year and their offering of 1.5 is "LAME" (painfully slow). Their marketing folks are wise to use Google as a branding opportunity. I am hopefull of the WiMax conversion this year.
I think this is a good move on both parts. This way clearwire can just focus on wimax and not have to host email. Of course Google wants their name on everything so that was a good arrangment for them. Now as long as Sprint can come through on Xohm there might be hope for wimax.
You can customize the package to take the Google name off a lot if you use the Google Apps hosted package. I have it for my own small business and i took their logo off and put my own company's up; besides i have a custom URL for the webmail.
The Gmail interface has to be THE best web-based e-mail system out there and it is certainly better than the web-based e-mail system that Clearwire currently offers. As a Clearwire customer - this is a good move in my estimation.