Google has started positioning itself to attract more subscribers away from traditional desktop applications. Google is looking to expand its cloud based services by allowing third party applications to deliver new or expanded services to premium customers. Additionally it is expanding the SLA provisions to Google Apps premium.

Google Labs is reportedly adding a text messaging feature for its US based users according to Techcrunch.com. This is an interesting move and shows that Google sees the future cloud as a collaborative collection of value added applications.

I would suggest this last move by Google has come after the reactions to the bad press regarding the gmail issues in the last few months. The new SLA initiative by Google promises premium customers at least 99.9% availability in any calendar month.

Any service failure that drops the availability time to under 99.9% will see a credit of days back at the customers request. The number of days is based on a sliding scale depending on the amount of downtime.

This is a positive move by Google and further shows the inevitable move to cloud based services. Microsoft has realised the future for business and home users will likely exist in cloud based applications. Microsoft is not willing to give up its traditional focus of applications but rather trying to add internet components.

Microsoft will continue to be a strong player in business services for some time to come but will start fading as the current generation of CIO’s and CEO’s retire to be replaced with more radical and flexibility focused users.

System administrators should really take note of the developments of cloud based applications and services. I for one will be. I can really see the death of the traditional IT technical staff roles.