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Learn: The TAO Blog

Writer's pictureMichaela Willi Hooper

What's Google Workspace and Do You Need It?

Updated: Sep 5, 2022

At Tao Websites, we provide Online Services Audits to help customers identify redundant software applications (apps) they might be paying for. When you make informed decisions about the tools you use, you will also be more efficient. Why is choosing tech tools so confusing? Because there are several leading companies in the market, and they each offer large bundles of apps. Often you can use the basic features of a bundle for free, and pay for advanced features or more storage.

Smiling person with longer gray hair, a phone, and a laptop.
You use technology all day. Optimize it for your business!

You've likely heard of Google, the most popular search engine. You may also have experience with Gmail (email), Google Drive (cloud storage), or Ge Meet (videoconferencing). Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) is the name of Google's bundle for businesses.


What Do You Get with Google?

Google is constantly launching new apps. It's easy to get overwhelmed because most businesses don't need all these tools! Here are some common types of tech tools business owners do need, what Google provides, and who the main competitors are:


Type of Tool

Why You Use It

Google Product

Competitor

Email

To communicate

Calendar

To plan and coordinate

Word processor

To make documents

Spreadsheet app

To analyze data

Presentation app

To impress clients

Cloud storage

To backup and share files

Videoconferencing

To talk remotely

Forms

To gather info

Task management

To organize work

Phone

To text and call

*Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides are within Google Drive


Is Google Better than Microsoft 365 or Zoho?


Google and Microsoft both allow you to sync files on your computer with files that live online ("the Cloud"). You can also collaborate on an online document or spreadsheet at the same time as people you're sharing it with. Here's a video of how that works in Google Docs. Zoho is a newcomer that offers similar tools to Google and Microsoft for a more affordable price.


Here at Tao Websites, we have experienced Google, Microsoft, and Zoho. Each has strengths and weaknesses (see table below) but all provide the basic tool types listed above.

​

Strength

Weakness

Plans start at...

Minimalist interface. Popular in schools and colleges.

Documents and spreadsheets not as robust as Microsoft.

Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are still industry standards.

Syncing is not always as fast as Google.

Innovative, improving fast.

A few bugs in standard tools like email.


How Do I Get Started with Google?


You can start using most of Google's tools for free by signing up for a Gmail account. Once you're logged into your account, look for the square made of nine dots between your profile picture and the settings wheel, in the upper right hand corner of the screen.


Arrows pointing to nine dots arranged in a square between the setting wheel and the profile picture.
From Gmail, click here to get to all your Google apps

As mentioned earlier, there are lots of apps! You may need to scroll past some to get to the one you want. Overwhelmed by all the choices? Not sure what productivity suite will best meet your needs? Contact us to audit your current tools. We will give you customized recommendations and instructions. We have saved our clients up to $4000/year each!



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