Introduction – Google Workplace
Google Workspace is Alphabet’s enterprise software suite, formerly known as G Suite. Over two billion monthly active users rely on Google Workspace, making it a common choice for businesses large and small. Migrating from Google to Office 365 is a straightforward process, but there are a few points your organization will need to consider when doing so.
#1. Why Switch to Office 365?
Office 365 is part of the larger Microsoft 365 ecosystem, which has a strong baseline offering that makes it an easy choice for smaller organizations. Microsoft 365 Business Basic includes 1 TB of OneDrive storage compared to Workspace’s 30 GB, along with a lower monthly cost per user.
Microsoft Teams also offers support for meetings and video calls with up to 300 participants, compared to Google Meet’s 100 participant maximum, offering greater flexibility as you grow. This support for smaller organizations pairs well with Microsoft 365’s ability to scale and robustly support larger organizations, with 80% of companies with over $10 billion in annual revenue relying on the platform.
#2. How to Make the Switch
Successfully migrating from Google to Office 365 is a crucial step to ensure your switch to Office 365 is as seamless as possible. Your organization will need to migrate its email addresses from Gmail to Exchange, configure Microsoft Teams to take the place of Google Meet and Chat, and more.
ShareGate Desktop is a tool that can power migrations to Office 365, including migrations from Google Drive to SharePoint. ShareGate’s Import from Google Drive feature can migrate all your Google Drive content to SharePoint while maintaining metadata and converting files to Office 365 formats based on their content type.
Content migrations are a human activity as much as they are a technical one. Your organization will need to assist users adapting to the tools available in Microsoft 365, making sure to educate users on how to take full advantage of the suite. Total Solutions has years of experience working with ShareGate, and our team can provide expert guidance on both the file migration to SharePoint, along with the additional steps needed beyond a file migration.
#3. Making the Most of Office 365
Microsoft Teams replaces the multiple collaboration offerings in Google Workspace with a single tool that integrates with Office 365 and the rest of the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. Using Teams makes it easy to switch seamlessly between accessing files on SharePoint, team meetings with video, and 1-on-1 or group chats with your teammates. This versatility reduces the friction that comes with relying on multiple tools by putting all those tools under one roof.
Microsoft 365 Business Standard and Premium licenses include desktop versions of the Microsoft Office 365 suite. These desktop apps enable you to more freely move between devices and user experiences to suit your needs, unlike Google Workspace and its web-only interface. These apps pair well with OneDrive and SharePoint’s existing ability to seamlessly sync and access data across PC, Mac, and mobile.
Conclusion
There are often quite a few conversations and meetings that accompany rolling out Office 365 in an organization. The considerations listed in this article should give you the tools to begin your plan with users and stakeholders alike. If you are struggling with your migration or you have questions for our team, please reach out and we’d be happy to help you take the next step towards Office 365.
