Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) is an all-in-one service dedicated to businesses of any size and at every stage of development. This suite of office productivity applications is a popular choice among entrepreneurs who value flexibility, productivity, and cost-efficiency. But how exactly can Google apps influence the way your company operates? We present three areas which can be significantly improved by implementing this cloud-based SaaS toolkit.
Google Workspace streamlines internal communication
Better communication is the first and most apparent advantage of equipping your employees with business Gmail accounts. Professional addresses with the company’s domain will serve as a hallmark of your business on the outside, during contact with clients and contractors. Still, there are also many ways in which Google Workspace can boost the effectiveness of dialogue within the ranks of your team. But first, let’s take a look at the communication apps that are included in this service and how are they different from free variants dedicated to private Google account users:
- Gmail – thanks to Google Workspace, you can forget about ads and spam in your mailbox. Gmail is known for having the most effective antispam filters on the market, so your employees will be out of reach of annoying salespeople, scammers or phishing experts. The lack of such distractions will make their daily correspondence management routine both safer and more productive. But that’s not the only feature that makes Gmail the main channel for internal communication in thousands of companies worldwide. Business Gmail gained its popularity thanks to precise search functions, the possibility of setting advanced filters, aliases, and Smart Compose – AI-supported text suggestions that speed up the process of email creation. Plus, it’s by design firmly integrated with other Google apps, like Calendar, Meet, Chat, and Drive. You can complete most of your daily tasks without leaving a single browser window – the one with Gmail.
- Google Groups – this app is used for mass email communication. A group has one email address that redirects messages to the mailboxes of all group members. For example, a group address sales@businessname.com might be posted publicly on your website so that every person in your sales department will receive all the inbound messages from new potential clients.
- Google Chat – you can use the full functionality of this app directly in Gmail or in a separate browser window. It’s a tool for the synchronous exchange of information, gifs, emojis, and multimedia with users in the company’s domain. It is also possible to add users from outside – a yellow ‘external’ tag distinguishes them to minimize the risk of accidentally sharing confidential information with unauthorized people. Chat is divided into regular chatrooms and more advanced Spaces for teams.
- Google Meet – a video conferencing solution from Google is known for its simplicity, reliability, and security. An intuitive interface allows users to present a screen, create polls, raise hands, divide participants into smaller groups, create whiteboards, or change the video background in the middle of the call. Rooms can hold up to 500 active participants, and conferences can be recorded, so it’s easy to create review materials for absentees.
Google Workspace facilitates remote or hybrid collaboration
The second business challenge that your company can overcome with ease, thanks to Google Workspace, is remote work. Communication tools, especially the Google Meet app, can easily replace physical conference rooms and the usual banter in the office. Texting or joining a call becomes so easy that no one feels out of the loop, no matter how far away from their team.
Communication in Google Workspace occurs not only in dedicated chatting apps but also in every single file – a document, PDF, spreadsheet or slideshow – that you store on Google Drive. Thanks to the features like comments, suggestions, Smart Chips, and mentions, Google file editing apps have become a forum for free collaboration within teams and between departments. You can safely share the file with chosen people and watch them make changes in real-time. Don’t worry if someone makes a mistake – progress is automatically saved in the file history so you can restore previous content with just a few clicks.
Google Workspace ensures transparency and security
The user-facing features of Google apps sure are impressive, but the real magic in the cloud happens behind the scenes – in the Google Admin console. Unlike private Gmail, Google Workspace has administrators responsible for configuring users’ accounts and security settings. What exactly could you control in the admin panel? Here are a few examples.
As a Google Workspace admin, you can, among others:
- Create and delete accounts, change email addresses, manage domains, and create aliases for users;
- Set rules for password strength and two-step verification for all the users in the company’s domain;
- Manage mobile devices that access the company’s data – you could even remotely powerwash a phone that was stolen from an employee;
- Install company-wide add-ons or create a blocklist of extensions from Google Workspace Marketplace that won’t be available to employees;
- Get custom alerts if there’s suspicious activity or a threat of data leakage;
- Add resources, like the company’s cars or conference rooms in the office that employees can reserve in Google Calendar;
- Configure data retention policies in Google Vault to safely store emails and files long-term even if a user deleted them. Archiving is especially helpful when you want to ensure compliance and transparency 犀利士
in case of eDiscovery proceedings.
Google Workspace will boost teamwork, ease the burden on your IT administrators and, at the same time, won’t strain your budget. An official Google Cloud partner in the UK and CEE markets – FOTC – can offer you discounts not available directly at Google. Plus, you can count on an extended trial period and guidance in the process of data migration and service configuration.
