The days of simply walking over to a co-worker for quick spontaneous discussions are over.
The post-Covid world looks set to be one where remote working is not just the norm, but expected. While this may at first seem like a drawback, it also makes meetings with external parties, clients and vendors so much more efficient. Forget about the commute and welcome to working life where things get done without wasting hours on travel.
It has shown that businesses can run and even remain profitable while most of its employees are apart. Thankfully, there’s a host of online solutions that support this new way of working. Two of the biggest names in fact are widely used: Google Workspace and Microsoft 365.
Both have its fans, and while its services are similar in many ways, there’s plenty more that isn’t. So what works better for your business? We break it down for you.
Let’s Begin With The Similarities
The two productivity suites do not differ much. In fact, the biggest difference is not in whether a feature exists, but how it’s implemented. These functionalities are the backbone of any organisation that now needs to be run remotely. Both services have the ability to hold online meetings and collaborate on shared documents. Users can also manage their own calendars which can be viewed and shared to manage meetings, send messages and of course, have a business email address.
Google Workspace Was Designed To Operate On The Cloud
Let’s take email for example. Google’s email service, Gmail operates via web browser (works best with its native browser, Chrome) while Microsoft’s service is optimised for use with its desktop client, Outlook.
Microsoft 365 allows users to keep its non-cloud workflows as it comes with desktop-bound software like Excel. While this might seem counter-intuitive to remote working, it has one big benefit: security. Not every document, particularly the ones which contain extremely confidential information should be available on the cloud. Being able to work offline, and on a single desktop in this case, is crucial.
Is Simplicity King?
For new businesses, Google Workspace might be the solution as it allows for a quick start with all the productivity software on the cloud. While this means that you will not get the desktop equivalent of Microsoft’s Word, Powerpoint and Excel, it also unshackles you from having to work from the same laptop or desktop.
But simplicity has its drawbacks. For larger, more established businesses that require large spreadsheets and advanced formulas that need robust computing of a desktop, Microsoft 365 will have an edge.
What’s Best For Your Business?
Bottomline, your choice of productivity suite depends on your organisational needs. Small businesses can benefit from the portability of Google Workspace while larger organisations will require the power of Microsoft 365. Given that both offer similar features, either choice will not do you wrong.
