Choosing Google Workspace: 9 Factors to Consider
Should your organization move to Google Workspace? Maybe. The answer to that question should be based on an evaluation of multiple factors specific to how you do business. It’s not an easy yes or no. What is easy is how you’re going to get there: MigrationWiz.
More than mail and calendars, Google Workspace boosts cloud collaboration with tools for messaging and meetings; multiple options for creating, storing, and sharing your work; and ways to unleash your team’s creativity with presentations and collaborative whiteboards. While Microsoft 365 has long held major mind space when it comes to business productivity platforms, Google Workspace is a favorite solution for many organizations.
How to Choose
There’s no definitive answer when it comes to deciding which platform is right for your business. The choice should be based on a thoughtful analysis of the current and future needs of your organization. It can be tempting to simply compare Google Workspace pricing and cloud storage with what you get from Microsoft. But don’t stop there. Consider these questions in your analysis:
What fits the size of your organization? Don’t buy a solution that’s outsized for your needs, but don’t think too small if you’re a growing organization. It probably won’t make sense to use a free version long-term, especially because it doesn’t come with human support.
How do your people work? Are they more solitary, or is daily collaboration fundamental to your business success? If collaboration is a must, be sure the platform you choose provides lots of options to interact, brainstorm, share, and document ideas.
Where are your people located? A cloud solution like Google Workspace makes remote teamwork easy, even across time zones and geographies.
What is your team used to? A productivity platform that’s intuitive and easy to adopt saves time and frustration. You may find that many of your employees use Google tools in their personal lives, or became familiar with them in school.
Are certain features important to your business model? For example, if your team needs to easily conduct webinars, multimedia presentations, or interactive brainstorming sessions, these will become decision drivers. On the other hand, look carefully at features that only seem “nice to have.”
Do you need to integrate third-party tools? While Google Workspace includes an impressive array of tools, most organizations have a few specialized applications as well. Be sure to choose the platform that plays well with third-party integrations.
What do your clients or vendors use? While this shouldn’t be the top reason for choosing Google versus Microsoft, having compatible platforms can remove friction in client and vendor relationships.
Why are you changing platforms? Some IT environments have evolved into a patchwork of tools over time. Others have divisions using different platforms after a merger or acquisition. It may be tempting to choose the platform that’s been around the longest, or the one used at headquarters, but it’s worth doing a deeper analysis to match the platform with today’s needs.
Do you have any “dealbreakers”? Put your organization’s must-haves at the top of the list and research how your preferred solutions does on those items. This will save you a lot of headaches (and complaints) in the long run.
Do Your Analysis, then Make Your Move.
Take time to compare the benefits each productivity platform in your consideration set. With Google Workspace you can add a lot of checks in the “yes” column. Just be sure you’re matching those features with your current and future needs. It may take a little more time to complete a thorough analysis, but your migration will happen quickly when you use MigrationWiz.
MigrationWiz makes cross-platform migrations easy, whether you’re moving to the cloud or between cloud tenants. Learn more about migrating to Google Workspace or contact BitTitan for help setting up your migration project. If you’re ready to migrate, find the licenses you need here.
