Maybe your company has compared Google Apps and Office 365 and concluded that Office is the best fit for your business, or you're still not sure which productivity suite has the required features and need more information before any kind of migration.
Note: Google Apps has been rebranded to G Suite. These two names refer to the same technology.
In this article, we've shared 6 real reasons why companies are switching from Google Apps to Office 365.
- Use SharePoint to protect files and data
- Improve productivity anytime, anywhere
- Flexible and scalable solutions that adapt to business evolution
- Family industry standards
- Powerful feature set, suitable for advanced users
- Tariff plans tailored to your business
If you decide on switching from Google Apps to Office 365, you can use the most trusted DIY methods to Migrate G Suite to Office 365. It comprises of three most used DIY methods for IT admin to switch to Office 365 seamlessly.
1. Use SharePoint to protect files and data
Each Google Apps user has their own Google Drive storage area, and the ability to share and collaborate on documents is recognized as one of Google Apps' most powerful features. However, Google Drive doesn't provide structured file storage, which puts your business at risk of losing important documents and data, especially when these files are shared with multiple users.
Also, if one of your employees accidentally deletes shared files, Google Apps can't provide in-situ file recovery, so your employees will need a lengthy and time-consuming file recovery process.
Similar to Google Apps, Office 365 users have their own personal storage area provided by OneDrive, but secure storage is provided by SharePoint. SharePoint is a powerful document management system that can help protect shared files, but if a file is accidentally deleted or damaged, Office 365 also provides an in-situ file recovery solution, so there should be no problem getting the files back.
2. Improve productivity anytime, anywhere
Offline support is one of the key differences between Office 365 and Google Apps. You can only access Google Apps applications through a web browser, and Office 365 provides a desktop copy of each of its core cloud-based applications and services.
Some Google Apps applications support offline editing, but this requires you to explicitly make each document available for offline editing before you lose your internet connection. It's easy to find yourself in a situation where you lose your internet connection while processing an important document, only to realize that you are not using the document for offline editing!
If your employees often travel or work in places without a strong and reliable internet connection, they may often have difficulty accessing Google Apps documents and data, which could have a serious and lasting impact on their overall productivity.
If you need to ensure that employees stay productive regardless of whether they're online or offline, your business could benefit from Office 365 desktop applications and offline support.
3. Flexible and scalable solutions that adapt to business evolution
Cloud-based software is designed to be flexible and extensible, especially when compared to traditional on-premises systems. However, Office 365's centralized management center and integrated integration with Azure make it ideal for on-demand expansion.
Whether your business is growing or your needs fluctuate, Office 365 can provide the flexibility and scalability you need to support changing business needs.
4. Family industry standards
Resistance to change is one of the biggest challenges companies face when implementing something new. This resilience and a temporary drop in productivity as employees speed up their work often prevent companies from making changes and benefiting them in the long run.
If you choose to switch from Google Apps to Office 365, some annoying problems will inevitably arise. However, you may find that your employees already have some experience with Office, particularly with core applications like Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, which have long been industry standards and have been used extensively in the workplace and at home.
If your business is based on the Windows operating system, even if your business always has a Google Apps subscription, your employees should already be familiar with some Office 365 applications and services. If Google Apps no longer meets all of your requirements and you're looking for a new cloud-based productivity suite, Office 365 is a professional and powerful alternative with a lower learning curve than you might expect.
5. Powerful feature set, suitable for advanced users
On a higher level, Google Apps is known for being fast and easy to use, while Office 365 is known as an advanced productivity suite with a complex and powerful feature set.
If you need to perform advanced tasks or process large amounts of data, Google Apps may not have the features or capabilities your business needs. For example, many companies report a noticeable slowdown in processing large amounts of data using Google Sheets. In contrast, Microsoft Excel can usually process large amounts of information with zero latency, especially when using a desktop client.
6. Tariff plans tailored to your business
Most cloud service providers offer a range of pricing plans that allow you to freely choose a plan that meets all your business needs while still representing the best value for money.
Google offers three Google Apps pricing plans (Basic, Commercial, and Enterprise), but if you're limited by these options or if they're no longer a good fit for your business, Microsoft offers a wider range of pricing plans.
If you need a license for 300 or fewer employees, you can choose from Business Essentials, Business, Business Premium, or Microsoft 365 Business. If you need more than 300 licenses, you can choose from the following options:
- Microsoft Office 365 Enterprise F1.
- Microsoft Office 365 Enterprise Edition E3.
- Microsoft Office 365 Enterprise Edition E5.
- Microsoft 365 Enterprise F1.
- Microsoft 365 Enterprise Edition E3.
- Microsoft 365 Enterprise Edition E5.
Have you finally decided on Google Apps to Office 365 migration? Then, drop a message to SysTools Cloud experts and we will help your company to switch from Google Apps to Office 365 with our migration tool or service. The choice is yours!