An alternative to Office 365: How Google is positioning itself with G Suite Enterprise

Serious office alternatives

Everyday more and more organizations are moving their businesses into the cloud. They're moving their enterprise applications and even large parts of their IT infrastructure from their own hardware-based data centers to web-based environments.

Companies want flexibility, they want their software to respond more quickly to changes in their requirements, and, of course, they want cost savings. They don't want to worry about when, how, and why their services work - they just want them to work, every time.

Organizations want software that is easy to use. They want all of their employees to have seamless access to the software and to experience increased productivity through cross-device availability and synchronization.

Unfortunately, when it comes to choosing a modern cloud-based office suite, many companies don't look at the big picture. Many who used MS Office in the past transitioned into Microsoft's cloud suite Office 365 without evaluating it any further - or considering alternatives.

If you take a closer look at the available cloud based office solutions, you'll come up with some interesting and valuable findings. When considering which cloud based office solution is best for you and your team, it's a good idea to rethink things, to specify what your requirements are, and then to identify objective weaknesses in your current office solution. There are viable alternatives to Office 365: most notably Google G Suite.

In 2016, Google rebranded its existing collection of office tools as G Suite. Under the new G Suite umbrella, Google combined their existing business apps into a top-down redesign. Since then, Google teams have invested heavily in bringing the G Suite solution to the enterprise level.

Functionality for productive collaborative work

The biggest concern, of course, is how the solution works for the end user. Each individual user in your company should be able to work productively, and their cloud based office solution should assist them in their workflow. After all, it's the individual users who make or break a software suite - by working with it and discovering how best to use it for more effective and efficient (collaborative) work.

In previous blog posts we've compared the functionality of G Suite and Office 365 in detail: A comparison between Google Docs and Word Online shows that G Suite is more flexible and efficient for end users, giving them better features and doing a better job of meeting their functional requirements.

G Suite thrives from its cloud-based approach. You can't help but notice its seamless portability across end devices, as well as the reliability of its automatic synchronization. Even when you have a poor internet connection, for example when you're working on the train, you can work offline, checking emails and creating content. As soon as you reconnect, your content is automatically synchronized.

Check out these articles which give a comprehensive overview of the functional possibilities of G Suite:

Interview - Modern office systems for companies

Can you compare Google G Suite and Microsoft Office 365?

Comparing Office 365 and G Suite - Microsoft Excel vs. Google Sheets

Implementation strategies

Many enterprise-level companies require a software solution to not only support flexible and efficient implementation strategies, but to also be able to roll out implementation on a large scale.

G Suite Migrate is a great tool for helping project teams plan and execute data migration projects. You can transfer large amounts of data from existing systems directly into G Suite. Administrators and rollout teams can now perform large data migrations automatically - from Microsoft Exchange, SharePoint, file shares, or Box - all into G Suite. This makes the transition to G Suite much smoother for everyone on your team.

Quick note: integrating files created in MS Office is remarkably convenient. Not only can you seamlessly import and edit MS Office files with G Suite tools, but you can also save them in their original MS Office file format.

With G Suite you avoid feeling locked in, and it's even flexible enough to function as part of a two-pronged strategy: you can easily introduce G Suite to only part of your company at first, while the rest are still working with classic Microsoft Office.

AI, ML, BI

G Suite now uses machine learning. The functional scope of G Suite now includes machine learning technologies which support you when you process emails or when you need to retrieve and organize content in your corporate instance. Google has announced that they will continue to invest heavily in this area and will deliver numerous other machine learning features in the coming months and years.

Another powerful feature available in G Suite enterprise is Google Cloud Search, which brings the power of Google's unrivaled web browser-based search engine to enterprise. When you're dealing with complex, hybrid environments with large amounts of data in many different formats, this function can really help you to streamline your search and consolidation process.

G Suite even comes with some sophisticated Business Intelligence (BI) functions out of the box. Google Data Studio enables you to dynamically visualize large sets of data as accessible, transparent presentations. In this way, you can graphically and dynamically display your structured data bases and evaluate them statistically.

Data protection and compliance

When it comes to software, large companies prioritize security and compliance aspects above all else. With G Suite you get not only a sophisticated spam and threat detection system for emails, but also AI-supported security functions that detect suspicious activity and situations in your stored and shared files.

Last but not least, Google takes privacy and audit security very seriously. If you're interested in learning more about Google's privacy and audit security, check out these articles:

Google Cloud meets the German Federal Office for Information Security requirements - BSI C5

Google joins the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield

Results from the first EU-U.S. Privacy Shield review: Positive, but there is room for improvement

G Suite vs. Office 365 – Which offers the best privacy features?

Customization

Google Cloud Platform opens up expanded opportunities for your company. Development tools such as Apps Scripts and App Maker are especially valuable for users who want to customize their G Suite instance.

With these technologies, you can securely implement and deliver your own apps for G Suite, add-ons for existing G Suite applications, automation, or business development projects without too much effort.

From loose tools to integrated enterprise package

With G Suite, Google has taken what was once a loose collection of office tools and has redesigned it into a comprehensive enterprise solution. Not only has it long since penetrated the enterprise sector, but it has now firmly established itself as a viable office alternative already used enthusiastically by large companies and global corporations; all while remaining cost effective, especially when compared to the competition.

If you're part of a team that evaluates modern cloud-based office solutions for your organization and if you're committed to open-ended, objective analysis, you should definitely test out Google G Suite. And when you do, we'll be there to help!

Your Partner for G Suite and Google Cloud Solutions

Are you interested in modern business collaboration with Google software as an office alternative? Contact us if you have any questions or would like to know more: We are an official Google Cloud Partner and would be happy to advise you on the introduction, licensing and productive use of Google G Suite!

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Further information

Why large companies and organizations are choosing Google G Suite
Teamwork using Google G Suite for businesses and freelancers
New prices for Google G Suite from 2 April 2019: What has changed and why?
Can you compare Google G Suite and Microsoft Office 365?