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Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365

With the workplace being redefined over the past couple of years, due to the COVID-19 epidemic and the Great Resignation of 2021, the need for productivity apps that allow organisations to work collaboratively and communicate seamlessly has been paramount.

Google commissioned Quadrant Strategies to examine and compare the experiences of organisations using either Google Workspace or Microsoft 365.

Here are a few key takeaways from that report:

 

GWS vs MS

Source: Quadrant Strategies Report.

  1. Google Workspace creates a culture of collaboration

  • The report shows that 82% of people who use Google Workspace say they’ve become more innovative, able to share their ideas with colleagues and able to come up with new ones. This is compared to 47% of Microsoft users.
  • Real time collaboration and ease of sharing documents using Google Workspace outperformed that of Microsoft 365 with the average number of collaborators on each document doubling that of Microsoft’s.

 

  1. The Network Effect

  • People reported being able to communicate with their colleagues easier with Google Workspace no matter the size of the business. This in turn lead to greater team productivity which ultimately resulted in increased revenue especially in large enterprises.

 

  1. Proof in the Switch

  • Google Workspace users were happier with the effects the switch to Workspace had on their collaboration compared to Microsoft 365 switchers.
  • Those who had recently switched to Workspace were even happier than those who were current Workspace users. Possibly due to them being able to compare their experiences and place more value in how much the switch improved their organisation’s collaboration and communication.

 

  1. Mobile Work

  • The report states that as remote or hybrid work models were adopted, there arose a need to be able to work from devices other than a computer. When working remotely, 52% of Google Workspace users reported that their teams work “very productively,” compared to 44% of Microsoft 365 users.
  • The report adds that Google Workspace users were significantly more mobile than Microsoft 365 users.

 

  1. Engages Employees

  • Google Workspace appears to have a greater impact on younger employees aged 18 – 34 years old although it does impact on productivity and innovation across all age groups.
  • Switchers to Google Workspace report saving more time since they switched.

 

  1. Use leads to preference

  • The more tools a person uses the greater their preference for the solution. The report shows that a Google Workspace user who used only 1 app preferred to use Google Workspace at work 41% of the time, compared to a user who used 4 Workspace apps who preferred to use Google Workspace 68% of the time.
  • The report discovered that Google Workspace is easier to adopt and integrates smoothly with existing software programmes. 48% of Google Workspace users reported that the Workspace apps integrate well with other software programmes, compared to 25% of Microsoft users.
  • The report also stated that 50% of Google switchers felt comfortable using Google Workspace in less than a month, compared to 37% of Microsoft switchers.

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So, it is clear that Google Workspace is an easy to adopt productivity suite that caters to the day-to-day needs of most organisations. With a steep learning curve, you can easily switch to Google Workspace and experience more collaboration, greater innovation, less downtime and more productivity.

You can read the full report HERE