After offering free G Suite applications through their legacy service since 2012, Google announced earlier this year that their free edition will no longer be available for businesses.
This came into effect on June 27th, meaning that any businesses that were still using the service past this date will be automatically transitioned to a paid subscription for Google Workspace – the service’s successor.
If your business chooses not to sign up for the subscription to Workspace, you will lose your account indefinitely, along with access to your crucial data, from 1st August.
The announcement has faced backlash from many businesses that have relied on Google’s cloud productivity apps since as early as 2006, and are now forced to either pay for Google Workspace or migrate their data over to one of Google’s competitors, such as Microsoft.
While the deadline for finding an alternative is drawing closer, you might still be trying to decide on what is the best solution for your business.
In this article, our experts explore the best alternative service options; is it worth you upgrading to Google Workspace, or should you migrate over to Microsoft 365?
Upgrade to Google Workspace
The sudden introduction of a payment might prove a sore spot, with many businesses feeling that Google have left them high and dry. For that reason, you may be reluctant to continue using their services.
However, don’t write them off just yet.
While the trust is gone, it’s true that transferring to a paid plan for Google Workspace will cause little disruption to your business.
Not only are you already familiar with Google’s features, but it also means you don’t have to go to the trouble of transferring your data to another service.
Google Workspace has now replaced G Suite Legacy, and all of the applications that were once freely available to you can now be found there.
Just as with any subscription service, there are multiple plans to choose from and the suite features such as cloud storage and user capacity increasing incrementally with the cost of the plan.
The Business plan starts at as little as £4.60 a month, but the range extends to Business Standard, Business Plus and Enterprise. Unfortunately, if you want the full suite, as you had access to before, you’ll need to pay full price.
Cloud service optimisation
If you’re now having to pay for a subscription to Google Workspace, you want to know you’re getting your money’s worth.
While Google’s suite of applications might significantly improve your business’ processes there’s always a way to tweak & streamline them to make them work better for you.
Our team of IT specialists at Nebula can help to maximise the potential of Google Workspace by optimising your current cloud processes, making sure you’re getting bang for your buck at all times.
What alternatives are there to Google Workspace?
We completely understand if you feel a little put out following Google’s abrupt decision. Many businesses no longer want to rely on their services and are searching for alternatives.
Migrating over to Google Workspace is always an option, but it’s not necessarily the best choice.
Microsoft 365 goes above and beyond the functionality of Google Workspace, and may well be the perfect choice for your organisation.
Why Microsoft 365?
Microsoft 365 is a perfect alternative cloud-based suite to switch to. It offers an innovative range of productivity apps, from Word to PowerPoint, with everything you need to support your organisation’s processes and collaborations.
The bundle of services also includes Windows 10 Enterprise, the perfect operating system for any modern organisation.
Similar to Google Workspace, Microsoft offer a variety of business plans, with the cheapest, the Business Basic plan costing just £4.50 a month and their Business Premium costing £16.60 a month. Each plan comes with a free two-month trial so you don’t need to commit to a particular package before you decide that it’s the right fit for your business.
Microsoft 365 allows you to:
- Access your files anywhere using the cloud
- Rest assured knowing your storage is secure
- Enjoy improved communication across the board
- Budget effectively, as spend is consistent
- Automate your updates, helping to keep your data safe
- Keep using Word, Excel and all of the other Microsoft programs you’re familiar with
After the major upheaval Google have caused businesses this year, we wouldn’t be surprised if you’re looking to migrate to a different service.
The most difficult part of the migration process is the data transfer. That’s where Nebula come in.
Cloud Migration & IT Support with Nebula IT
At Nebula, we understand that Google’s announcement has thrown a major spanner in the works, but fear not — we’re here to help.
A transfer from one cloud-based service to another has the potential to cause relatively major disruptions to your business. There’s a lot that requires expert consideration, from file management to crucial data security.
Not only will our team assist your business with cloud migration, but we can also help to optimise the value of the applications you use, tweaking and setting them up to suit your specific needs.
Whether you decide to continue with Google Workspace, or you want to migrate over to Microsoft 365, we’re here to make sure the process is as professional and as seamless as possible.
If you have any further questions, or need some specialist advice, don’t hesitate to get in touch with one of our experts today.