For startups and small SMBs, the basic version of Google Workspace is an attractive solution for business applications, primarily due to its free price. However, it doesn’t take long for your organization to grow beyond the capabilities of the free version of Google Workspace. Some frequent technical problems and disasters trigger change.
Most organizations we come across will consider moving to Microsoft products as they grow, so we’ll summarize why users Migrate from Google Workspace to Office 365 and why you should consider it sooner or later.
The Limitation of Google Workspace
Microsoft Office 365 is chosen by multiple as the most suitable tool for business. Most people are familiar with it, which reduces the time and effort required to train employees, making it significantly more cost-effective.
Google Workspace is largely based on Office 365, but multiple users will find it basic and featureless. Being a primarily web-based product is furthermore an obstacle. Sending files to external contacts can yield compatibility issues. And even editing a record can be a complex process that requires it to be uploaded to Google Drive first.
Also, while Office 365 is generally a good choice for managing accounts and email in a central tenant, many startups don’t set up Google Workspace that way.
This can lead to awkward situations later. It has also been heard from employees who have access to all sensitive files (HR, payroll, etc.) that employees can leave the firm and still have access to all business email if their account is linked to their personal email.
Advantages of Microsoft 365
Desktop-friendly
If most of your employees use desktop computers, Office 365 puts Google Workspace to shame. The included desktop app is really helpful. But Office 365 is on-the-go and you can sign in virtually on your Cloud Hosted Desktop and access your data files from anywhere.
Great Collaboration
Both platforms deliver digital collaboration solutions, but even in this Microsoft is better. Microsoft Teams is years ahead of Google Hangouts in terms of various features. SharePoint has become a much more advanced solution than Google Drive when it comes to data sharing, collaboration, and controlling access to files.
Scalability
Every business needs a scalable platform. As the business grows, the platform should evolve with them and meet their requirements. Microsoft 365 offers enterprise-level solutions and beyond. And all new solutions (whether SharePoint, Azure, or Dynamics 365) will fit seamlessly into your current Microsoft 365 setup without creating any redundancy.
Comparison of Microsoft Office 365 and Google Workspace
When choosing cloud-based productivity and collaboration applications for your business, there are several factors to consider. When it comes to Microsoft Office 365 and Google Workspace, the choice can come down to cost, ease of use, feature set and security.
Cost: The cost for either Microsoft Office 365 or Google Workspace depends on the different packages available from each provider. For comparable features, Google tends to be less expensive than Microsoft Office 365 as it offers many of its features free in the base tier while they need to be purchased with Microsoft.
Ease of Use: Microsoft Office 365 has a longer learning curve with its more robust feature set but many users find that it’s easier to learn because it is more familiar. On the other hand, Google Workspace is quick and easy for users who are already familiar with other Google products or services like Gmail or Chrome OS.
Feature Set: Microsoft Office 365 provides its users with a full suite of applications and services including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneDrive storage amongst others. The basic version of Google Workspace includes Gmail hosting service but most add-ons need to be purchased separately such as Calendar and Docs/Sheets/Slides (Google’s version of Word/Excel/PowerPoint). However what makes up for this is that some features like video conferencing hosted by Hangouts Meet are built into their service while they must be purchased additionally in other office suites.
Security: Both Microsoft Office 365 and Google Workspace use industry standard technologies like two factor authentication making them both very secure platforms when used correctly by administrators. Both providers also offer varied levels of data loss prevention (DLP) options which help protect sensitive data from unauthorized access or sharing. Additionally each platform also allows for encryption at rest which helps protect stored data from hacking attempts in transit or when stored on a system.
Migration Process from Google Workspace to Microsoft Office 365
Migrating to Microsoft Office 365 can provide businesses with advantages that are difficult or impossible to replicate with Google Workspace. Microsoft Office 365 delivers a cloud platform of productivity applications and services that keep on improving as the years pass by. For instance, each month Microsoft offers more than 400 new capabilities, an ease of control system, secure infrastructure and IT tools enabling businesses to stay at the leading edge of technology development. Furthermore, these services provide organizations with a range of cost-saving options. Businesses don’t have to invest in physical infrastructure or hire specialists for its maintenance and upkeep.
The migration process from Google Workspace (G Suite) to Microsoft Office 365 involves various factors such as writing down your existing G Suite environment, planning how you want it duplicated in Office 365, determining what components need moving over such as users’ profiles, emails and documents etc., preserving data such as file systems & databases etc., setting up Office 365 and preparing users for their new experience if they already had prior experience with G Suite. Utilizing third-party tools can also be used to take some of the workload off internal IT resources and ensure a smooth migration process between these two services.
Conclusion
Switching to a new platform can be a stressful and time-consuming process, but with the help of Apps4rent, Migration can be smoother and more successful. These providers also specialize in various migration and hosting services such as QuickBooks Desktop Cloud Hosting which allows users to access their data from anywhere with greater security and reliability.
