Setting Up Google Apps for Pearl

Pearl has some new features that allow integration with external services such as email and calendars. Google Apps is well suited to provide an integrated service for business using your own domain name.

How do I sign up for Google Apps?

Go here: http://www.google.com/apps/intl/en/business/index.html
Google have just introduced a Launch Guide here

Which Version should I choose?

Pearl recommends the premier edition (£33/user/year), but the free version works well too. Google’s terms state that businesses must use the premier edition.
Free 1 month Trial of Premier Edition

Standard Edition

What do I need to tell Pearl?

Google Apps requires that you verify you domain name and set up the DNS for email to work correctly. Please go to your Support Portal and raise a ticket requesting Google Apps setup.

You’ll need to tell us the CNAME verification code that Google provide in their “Verify Domain Ownership” setup page. We’ll configure your domain’s DNS records accordingly.

I have more than one domain name – what do I do?

Google Apps allows for additional domain names to be added as aliases (Manage This Domain > Domain Settings > Domain Names > Add Domain Alias).

Just let us know on a ticket (see What do I need to tell Pearl).

How do I import existing email into Google Apps?

Google have documented most of the relevant info here.
For existing Pearl email accounts:

  1. Enter anything as the email address
  2. enter your actual email address as the username
  3. enter your password - if you don't know it, ask us to reset it for you
  4. enter smtp.thisispearl.com as the mailserver

Google will then download your existing mail into your new google apps email account at a rate of 200 messages every 1/2 hour.

What do I need to do to configure my Dropbox?

A dropbox is an email account that your Pearl System polls every 10 minutes or so for new email.
It then pulls the communications into the relevant contact's time-line.

NOTE: The following steps are now outdated as each Pearl account now comes with its own dropbox.
Read more about email piping with the new integrated Pearl Dropbox here.

  1. Set up a Dropbox email account
    • Call the email account dropbox@mydomain.com
    • In the account's settings, go to "Forwarding and POP/IMAP" and enable IMAP
  2. Forward incoming mail to the dropbox
    • For each of your email accounts in Google Apps (apart from the dropbox), forward all incoming mail to the dropbox.
    • Go to: Settings >  Forwarding and POP/IMAP and enter dropbox@mydomain.com as the email address to forward incoming mail to.
    • If you don't wish to forward all emails, you can use filters instead.
    • Click Settings > Filters > Create Filter
    • In the 'Has the words' field, enter:
      -from:{
      *@myDomain.com
      *@anotherDomain.com
      bob@yetAnotherDomain.com}
    • Click Next Step
      then enter "dropbox@mydomain.com" in the "forward to" field.
  3. Configure the Dropbox in Pearl
    • Go to: Setup > Email > Drop Box Details
    • IMAP Mailbox: {imap.gmail.com:993/imap/ssl}[Google Mail]/All Mail
    • IMAP Username: dropbox@mydomain.com
    • IMAP password: what ever you chose for the dropbox.