As most people would say, the best investment to achieve success is in the tools you’re using. Providing the right tools enables people to become their best. But of course, we must not forget that it is also essential to use the right tools in the right way. Let’s talk about Google Workspace services – the right tools that enable people to become their best.
Google Workspace was initially released as Google Apps for your Domain in 2006. It was later rebranded as G Suite back in 2016. Then, in October of 2020, G Suite was rebranded as Google Workspace. After years of being in service, how does Google Workspace hold up in 2022? How does it compare to other cloud computing collaboration tools?
In this article, Onsite Helper reviews Google Workspace services from top to bottom. We will give you a comprehensive look at the different tools that Google Workspace is known for. Whether you’re a beginner or a professional, trying to improve collaboration, organisation, and communication, we’ll know if Google Workspace is for you.
Is 2022 the year you’ll start using Google Workspace for personal or business use?
Let’s find out.
What is Google Workspace?
Whether you’ve known it as Google Apps for your Domain, G Suite, or Google Workspace, right from the start, this has been Google’s collection of tools and apps that focus on real-time collaboration and organised communication.
For a monthly fee, your business will be able to access and utilise Google’s collaboration tools that have been years in the making (and it’s still being constantly updated!). With that said, you’ve probably heard of the more common Google Apps such as Gmail, Google Docs, and Google Drive.
Google Workspace takes these free Google apps that everyone can enjoy and takes it to a whole new level. This particular upgrade combines these tools and modifies them to work really well in helping businesses.
Whether you’re a solo freelancer, running a startup, or managing a large company, Google guarantees that Google Workspace has got something to offer you.
And when you want to amplify your productivity, Onsite Helper offers you Google Workspace Management. As part of our commitment to the Google Workspace ecosystem, we will provide businesses in Melbourne and all over Australia with proper Google Workspace training. On top of that, we’ll also provide an IT roadmap to implement productive measures and proper Google Workspace security.
What do you get out of a Google Workspace subscription?
A Google Workspace subscription comes in tiers. Basically, you’ll get to enjoy Google Apps from the Google Workspace for a monthly fee. If you’re willing to pay more, you’ll enjoy more features and better services. Which Google Apps can you use for a basic Google Workspace subscription?
Gmail
Almost anyone has a Gmail account these days – from personal emails, freelance use, and even small businesses, you’ll see @gmail.com anywhere.
With Google Workspace services, you’ll be able to make it so that you’re sending emails from your domain. This means that your recipient will receive an email from @yourdomain.com which makes you and your business look a lot more professional.
Google Meet
Google Meet is a video conferencing tool that offers more than just video calling. With Meet, you can share your screen and presentations for better workplace communication. If you get a higher tier of Google Workspace subscription, you unlock the ability to easily record meetings and automatically save them to your drive for later use or review.
Video meetings have become critical since most of us have had to work from home. If you’re using other video meeting software then it might be a good idea to switch over to Google Meet for better integrations and features.
Google Calendar
Google Calendar is highly customizable. It works seamlessly with other Google Apps such as Google Meet and Google Chat. You can easily schedule meetings, have a link for the conference ready, and so much more.
The calendar is highly optimised for business use. Admins and managers can have access to their employees’ calendars, set meetings, schedule tasks and appointments, and easily see who’s on leave.
Google Drive, Docs, Slides, and Sheets
The version of Google Docs, Slides, and Sheets that you get with Google Workspace is the same as the free version. The big difference is that it works with additional security features as Drive Labels. These Google Workspace security features ensure that the risk of sensitive information reaching unintended users are marginal.
With Drive, you can also set up a shared drive. Google Drive makes collaboration within the team really easy and transparent. It’s a data cloud storage platform that features up-to-date security measures to prevent any unwanted leakage and data spills. These apps are also available offline, just in case you need to be on the go and you won’t have access to the internet.
Other Google Apps and Better Support
Other Google Apps such as Google Chat, Currents, Jamboard, and Google Keep also come with the Google Workspace subscription. With all of these tools at your disposal, Google also makes sure that you won’t be overwhelmed and left guessing how this and that works.
With a Google Workspace subscription, you also get to enjoy a better customer service experience. The Google Workspace subscription comes with 24/7 Google Workspace support that’s available via phone, email, or online chat. Customer support to this degree is hard to come by, this makes the use of Google Workspace much simpler and not as intimidating for businesses.
The Google support is basic. They will guide you towards how the tool is meant to be operated the “Google way”. However, in our experience, most businesses don’t only use Google software or hardware, they almost always have a mix of different software such as using MS Office & hardware such as Windows PC’s or Apple Mac. Also, businesses have their own unique way of working which often isn’t the “Google best practice” way but it works for them. Therefore, Google support can be difficult to meet the hybrid or custom environment of the business.
This is where businesses get much more value with working with a Google partner like Onsite Helper, that not only is an expert with Google Workspace, but also is highly knowledgeable with all the other software/hardware and most importantly has a relationship with the business and knows how they uniquely operate. Therefore, the support provided is highly tuned for their environment and they get a far better result. More info about the benefits of a google partner here.
On top of the great Google Workspace support that you’re getting, you’re also going to enjoy a lot of security benefits from the Google Workspace Management and Admin Console.
Onsite Helper has helped numerous businesses in Melbourne and all over Australia with their Google Workspace management. Throughout all those years, we can tell that the Google Workspace support that Onsite Helper provides in Australia is second to none. Contact Onsite Helper and we’ll manage your Google Workspace for maximum productivity and efficiency!
Is Google Workspace good for small to large businesses?
Without a doubt, yes.
Google Workspace services offer a lot of flexibility when it comes to tailoring its services from small to large businesses. It is for this reason that when you first sign up for Google Workspace, Google will ask you about the number of employees that you have. Options range from being Just You to catering to more than 300 employees.
Don’t worry about what you first pick here, however. You can always tweak that number later on.
How much does Google Workspace cost?
There are 4 different plans available. All of these plans include a custom and secure business email, Google Workspace security and management control, standard support, and cloud storage per user. In a nutshell, here are the major difference in the subscription plans:
- Starter Plan – 100 participants in video meetings, 30 GB cloud storage per user
- Business Standard – 150 participants in video meetings with a recording feature, 2 TB of cloud storage per user
- Business Plus – 250 participants in video meetings, recording feature, attendance tracking, 5 TB of cloud storage, enhanced security, and more.
- Enterprise – custom pricing for 250 participants in video meetings, recording, attendance tracking, noise cancellation, in-domain live streaming, as much storage as you need, and so much more.
For a more in-depth analysis on Google Workspace prices, and a detailed comparison between Office 365 and Google Workspace, read our article on Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365 (2022): Which Is the Better Cloud Office System?
Our Verdict
Is Google Workspace any good in 2022?
Google Workspace has been an amazing productivity tool that has helped businesses of varying sizes improve their operations and scale-up. We’ve seen this happen to a lot of businesses in Melbourne and all over Australia. This has been the case and this is still the case in 2022. And with the number of updates that Google is doing, we can expect Google Workspace to perform better and improve in the years to come.
If you value cooperation, coordination, and an organised work environment, Google Workspace services is definitely for you.
So, if you’re thinking of making a move to Google Workspace and wanting to have a seamless utilization of it, contact Onsite Helper today. We specialise in Google Workspace migration and support, managed IT systems and solutions, and so much more! Our team of specialists are always ready to assist you!
