Google API eases enterprise license management

Google has a new API that IT administrators can use to simplify and automate the management of end user licenses for Google Drive and Maps Coordinate.

The API (application programming interface), called Enterprise License Manager, is aimed at IT administrators with hundreds or thousands of end user licenses for the Drive online storage service and the Maps Coordinate application for managing field crews.

IT administrators can manage the provisioning of Drive licenses using the Google Apps management console, or the Maps Coordinate management console for that application's users. However, tapping into the Enterprise License Manager API lets them automate management functions, such as bulk provisioning and other tasks.

In the case of Google Drive, all Apps end users get 5G bytes of storage, but administrators can purchase licenses to give some or all of their users more capacity.

The API can be accessed via a command line interface or via custom applications that organisations can build in-house. The API can also be used by Google Apps resellers on behalf of their customers.

"The API offers a simple and faster way to access the functionality of the License Manager user interface. It can be used to programmatically assign, unassign and reassign Google Drive storage or Google Maps Coordinate licenses to users in your domain," Google officials wrote in a blog post.

Tools that automate and streamline IT administration tasks are becoming increasingly necessary for Google as usage of its enterprise products grows. For example, there are Google Apps deployments with more than 100,000 end users. While the Apps suite is cloud-based, there are tasks that IT administrators need to do for their user domains, including establishing user policies, updating directories, configuring application preferences and managing email security and compliance.