Google Video for Google Apps; YouTube in a Suit

Google didn’t intend to launch Google Chrome today–honestly, the news leaked and so it was forced to bring forward the launch. This leaves Google’s planned launched of Google Video for Google Apps sitting in the shadows.

If, like me, you’re a Google Apps Premier Edition user, you can today enable Google Video sharing for your organization. What’s it for?

• share videos with individuals, groups, or the entire organization
• add descriptions and tags
• embed videos in any internal web page, including Google Sites

Users across your Google Apps group will enjoy features such as:

• search for any video to which they have access
• view high-quality video from popular browsers (including Safari on iPhone)
• submit ratings, comments and additional tags
• optionally download videos for viewing offline or on portable devices

If my enthusiasm seems a little weak, well, it’s because it is. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate Google providing an extra service without additional charge, I just wished Google Video did more. How about letting me host a video conference with the slide-deck coming from Google Docs and a dial-in conference number from GrandCentral?

It’s a start and I’m just a one-person Google Apps organization. If you’re using Google Apps at a large company–and drooling over this announcement–drop me a comment and let me know.