Google Apps VS Office 365

[Zarathustra]

We have just over 10 users all using Outlook 2010 to POP e-mail from an ISP.

PST folders are getting out of control e.g. One user has a 12Gb file...I probably don't need to explain to anyone what this has done to the workstation's performance.

Archiving doesn't help either.

So, enter Google Apps & Office 365.

- Both store one's data, so technically it isn't yours anymore.
- Both are on servers who knows where.
- Both have similar storage limits - 25Gb

Now putting aside the argument that everything Microsoft does is evil & everything Google does has adverts (which I know can be turned off when purchasing the correct package), which one does one select?!?

I would really appreciate any real world experiences with both so as to make an informed decision.

[MDE]

I would like to know as well, as im interested in converting the office as well.

[rajharie]

There are a lot of comparisons, studies and face-off's done on the web (Google Apps vs Office 365) but they will probably not get you any closer to the answer you need.

I have tried and run both, implemented both but partnered with Google.

Firstly, you need to be comfortable with the fact that email does not sit in your datacentre but in a faceless, multi-tenanted environment. There are issues like privacy, legalities etc that you need to answer and be comfortable with before moving into a public cloud environment. Google and Microsoft have largely overcome this and recently Google achieved ISO certification for Google Apps. Also, one of Spain's largest banks BBVA earlier this year migrated to Google Apps for their user base of 150,000. In other words it is secure.

Email is a critical communication app which should not have to rely on IT to provision internally. You are facing a classic IT problem of storage space, security, privacy, backup, application provisioning and user experience balance. You have to ensure that all these are balanced. I believe that businesses have always had a problem trying to balance these needs and requirements. There is also the push towards BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) and IT consumerisation and the user demanding that they have their business apps available on any device. Google have done a great job in making sure that access to email, calendar, drive / docs is available on any device, on any connection. They have done this through their apps in the various apps stores, OSes and browsers etc. Basically all that is required is a web connection and even when a web connection is not available, offline access is.

I believe that previously we had to follow our email. In other words, if we sent a reply on our phone, that reply would not be on our PC sent items or tablet sent items. We would have to remember where we sent the email from if we ever needed to resend or reference to it. Or CC ourselves on every email. Using a cloud based service, all email is synched across all our devices, especially true with Google Apps. So now email follows us.

I prefer Google Apps because the Admin is intuitive, simple and easy. Users can be provisioned and managed easily.
Google Apps Enterprise Marketplace has many tools and apps that any business can use and integrate into Google Apps desktop.
There is 25Gb email storage.
Each user gets 5Gb Google Drive storage which can be increased and managed from the Admin console for the entire user base.
Access to the apps on almost any platform or via any browser.
Familiar Gmail interface.
SMS Calendar reminders
SMS communication for MTN and 8ta numbers
99.999% SLA
Access to tech support.
Google Apps is cheaper than Office 365
Your users can still use Outlook if they dont want to go web based.


Have a look at these links:
Gartner
Thinking of using Google Apps ebook
Google Apps Features presentation

(cross posted to the other thread too)

[webtailor]

The best thing about cloud email is that you can petrol bomb your servers and everything still running.
I've been using google apps for the last 3 years and no issues at all.

My users all use Outlook and a choice of iphone/ipad or blackberry without any issues.
Webaccess nobody use it, even if the option is there.

The only little problem is that the traffic is much higher as emails inside the office have to go out to the cyberspace and then back to the office (i know you can setup a double environment exchange/google apps to avoid that problem but i didn't want to get a headache).

Outlook Calendar sharing (useful in exchange) is missing, but you can solve it with websharing.

Google apps is still giving 10 users free on the standard version. For more, you have to take the Business Version, but is actually cost effective as is highly reliable and no server hardware required.

[kingrob]

Depending if you want control over the email or not.

I would fire the person with a 12 GB mailbox & put a cap on the other user's mailboxes....well, for POP your limit will be what the service provider allows.

People who run everything out of Outlook, should go on a bloody course to teach them how to work smart.

[caelim]

The best thing about cloud email is that you can petrol bomb your servers and everything still running.
I've been using google apps for the last 3 years and no issues at all.

My users all use Outlook and a choice of iphone/ipad or blackberry without any issues.
Webaccess nobody use it, even if the option is there.

The only little problem is that the traffic is much higher as emails inside the office have to go out to the cyberspace and then back to the office (i know you can setup a double environment exchange/google apps to avoid that problem but i didn't want to get a headache).

Outlook Calendar sharing (useful in exchange) is missing, but you can solve it with websharing.

Google apps is still giving 10 users free on the standard version. For more, you have to take the Business Version, but is actually cost effective as is highly reliable and no server hardware required.

Hi
I am also contemplating moving about 30 users across to Google Apps but my biggest reservation is the high latency due to the mail server being hosted overseas and what effect that has on Outlooks performance which is patchy at the best of times.

I have setup the free trial account but the outlook client frequently hangs and sending of email is painfully slow even on a 2M unshaped account.

What is your overall experience like?

Thanks

[Fudzy]

Is there no way to have a local 'proxy' ?

[caelim]

Apologies for my ignorance but could you elaborate?

Is there no way to have a local 'proxy' ?

[Fudzy]

Apologies for my ignorance but could you elaborate?

Like a local replication of items that have already come down, thus for searching/document retrieval etc, anything that's on 'the cloud' is on the local server.

[caelim]

I have sort of something similar but the users are split across multiple sites..Thanks for the suggestion though

Like a local replication of items that have already come down, thus for searching/document retrieval etc, anything that's on 'the cloud' is on the local server.

[Ipwn 4]

My vote goes to google apps. I really didn't like office 365.

There is also the option of configuring your hosted exchange in a local cloud, not going to be a turnkey solution but it will add a whole lot more assurance know that you/trusted local provider controls the environment. Also, software is rented so no need to pay the R7-8k for an exchange license and more calls on top of that.

Let me know if you need more info on the local options.

[caelim]

My vote goes to google apps. I really didn't like office 365.

There is also the option of configuring your hosted exchange in a local cloud, not going to be a turnkey solution but it will add a whole lot more assurance know that you/trusted local provider controls the environment. Also, software is rented so no need to pay the R7-8k for an exchange license and more calls on top of that.

Let me know if you need more info on the local options.

Most definately..I would love to here what the alternative is!
Thanks

[unskinnybob]

Office365 all the way. SharePoint is a deal maker.

[TokoZAR]

I love Google Apps and use it for all my private jobs but the firm I work for has invested heavily into lync and sharepoint so for us it is Office 365 all the way for our smaller branches.

I wouldn't recommend implementing it for a bigger company.

If you don't plan to use sharepoint(take a look at it before you dismiss it) then I'd easily recommend Google Apps. It really works very very well.

[Sony_3G]

I Have been using google Docs for about 4 years now and wont consider changing to office365. Nothing against office, but "If its not broken - Dont fix it." Google Docs caters for all my needs.