Sarbox an issue for Google apps adoption?

There is little doubt that the Google Apps Premier Edition has made a minor splash in the IT world. The software-as-a-service model is still hot, and that seems to be at play. It's doubtful that the software will make a dent in Microsoft's Office market share, but it is exciting. And the touted benefits are eye-catchers: Reduced costs, streamlined data center footprints and a less complex licensing process, according to the Burton Group. However, there are many reasons to wait on this. Let's face it, you likely have a huge investment in Office. And the functionality needs to develop--Google is wisely avoiding a stridently 'Office-killer' marketing tack. Another issue to ponder is compliance. One barrier to adoption of online application services is the risk involved in having mission critical (I can't believe I used that term) data stored by a third party. This is something Google will have to address, as information stored on Google's servers apparently is not encrypted. There needs to be some assurance related to hacking and rogue administrators. This is a broad issue that the software-as-a-service industry is addressing.

For more:
- here's The Burton Group's opinion
- here's an article from eWeek