I've previously mentioned Cemaphore's MailShadow Exchange server continuity software. Today, Cemaphore's announced a MailShadow Google Edition that bidirectionally syncs data from an Exchange mailbox to Google's Gmail and Calendar. The sync is complete enough to allow cross-platform appointment booking and to keep read/unread state so your Exchange mailbox will reflect that you read Big Jim's message on Gmail. As e-mail is now the universal mission-critical application, organizations with low user/server ratios like small businesses and widely distributed organizations have struggled with how to provide Exchange continuity at a price they can afford. Now with MailShadowG, Google is a low-cost alternative to MessageOne.

As I sat down to write this entry, I noticed that our intrepid Google blogger Eric Zeman saw MailshadowG as a way to use Outlook to access Gmail as an alternative to Exchange. Interesting how he sees it as a Google application extension and how I, being an Exchange guy (and InformationWeek's Backup Boy), see it as an Exchange continuity solution.

Just think, seconds after the Cylons blow up your office you'll have access to all your data on Google. No DR site, no backup server, no many thousands of dollars spent.

Because it runs in the Outlook client, MailShadowG won't let you use Gmail to replace Outlook Web access for remote access unless you leave a PC in the office to sync your mailboxes. Now I want a server version.