There are certain applications that are a must when you’re creating documents, sharing case files, and juggling appointment scheduling. These include Outlook for email and calendars and Microsoft Word, the most recognized document file format around. [Read more…]
Note: This article is designed to be educational. In full disclosure, ProdigyTeks is a Microsoft 365 Partner.
In the world of business productivity tools, there are two main players that businesses look to for the cloud software needed to create documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and more. These are Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace (formerly called G Suite).
Currently, Google edges out Microsoft, with 50.59% of the office productivity software market share as of October 2020. Microsoft has 41.59%.
Both companies have been competing by adding AI-powered features over the last few years to help with everything from cybersecurity to creating better documents through intuitive suggestions.
There’s also been a drive to add more apps to make each platform more inviting and eliminate the need for third-party applications to fill gaps.
Below, are the core elements that each platform has, along with their app for performing the task. We’ll note each as “G” for Google Workspace and “M” for Microsoft 365:
Some of the specialty applications that you’ll find in each platform are:
Which platform is right for your Chicago area business? We’ll go through several comparisons below to help you decide.
Each company has had a different approach when it comes to introducing their tools.
Microsoft began with software that’s been synonymous with office productivity since the 1990’s. Selling a paid computer-based application suite that was then ported to a cloud environment as “the Cloud” became a thing.
Its main Office software is still a hybrid – it can be used both offline in a software on your computer and in the cloud. This makes many users feel they’re using something familiar rather than only being cloud-based.
Google has a different approach, making its software specifically for cloud use and browser accessibility. It offers many of its tools free – Docs, sheets, Gmail, etc. and then offers more tools and features with the paid versions.
While younger generations that may have been indoctrinated into the cloud may find this more familiar, users that remember when all software was housed on a computer, may feel they’re missing something by having their tools completely cloud based.
Both platforms have tiered pricing for business plans that provide more tools, apps, and security configurationsas you go up in price. Pricing between the two is pretty competitive.
Google Workspace Business Plans:
Microsoft 365 Business Plans:
There is a bit of a difference in the storage space that you receive through each of the applications. This can make a big difference in the potential price if a business has to purchase more cloud storage in addition to the monthly per user subscription price.
With Google Workspace’s lowest business plan for $6/user/month, each user receives 30GB of cloud storage. For Microsoft 365’s lowest tier at $5/user/month, each user gets 1TB of cloud storage.
But, if you’re looking at higher priced plans, M365 stays at 1TB per user, where Google Workspace’s storage space increases with each tier to between 2TB to 5TB per user.
Many documents created in a productivity tool are shared with others outside your organization, such as customers and vendors. This means that you want to ensure you have a file format that can be opened easily by the other party.
Hands down, most people share documents outside their organization in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint. If you don’t use a standard MS format when sending an attachment, there is a good chance the receiving party won’t be able to open it.
That being said, Google Workspace apps can convert their file formats to Microsoft formats and can open Excel, Word, etc. But this does mean a two-format workflow, rather than just staying in the same format for everything.
Google Workspace is great for sharing documents online with others. Since the tools were built for the cloud, online collaboration is easy. Microsoft does also offer an online version of their tools, which also allows online collaboration via browser. Documents can also be opened inside its Teams collaboration app.
Whichever tools are best for your Chicago business, ProdigyTeks can assist you with set up, data migration, and custom configuration to match your needs.
Schedule a free phone consultation today! Call 312-600-8357 or reach us online.
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how most businesses utilize video. It’s gone from a convenience to a necessity for staying connected with the world. [Read more…]
In today’s hybrid environment of both remote and onsite employees, small businesses in Chicago and the rest of the country have had to come up with ways to keep everyone connected and on the same page. [Read more…]
Is there one thing we can count on now with COVID-19? The situation can change in an instant. You may have been confident in your business continuity plans in the past, but the pandemic has shaken us all up. It’s a solid reminder to review our plans to get back to business quickly and seamlessly.
A good business continuity plan ensures maintained operations before and during unexpected disruptions. Generally, decision-makers strategize in advance to ride out:
These could impact a system or network or prevent you from accessing your location to get to your computers and important data.
Now, we also know that we should prepare for the effects of an international health pandemic!
Such business-centric planning considers all necessary elements of staying on track. You’ll look at physical premises and staffing, and hardware and software requirements.
Preparing for the Unexpected
A business continuity plan tries to anticipate the worst that could happen. The problem is that we can never know what the next bad thing might be.
You may not ever need to use your plan, but taking a “these things happen to other businesses” point of view could leave you in a serious lurch.
The COVID-19 crisis has also made things real for many businesses. Governments required organizations across industries, regardless of size, to migrate to remote work. Companies with business continuity plans in place responded with greater agility, whereas others were left scrambling.
Now, many countries are beginning to slowly reopen for business. Sure, there are constraints, but the idea is to get the global economy up and running. While you’re adapting, take some time to revise your business continuity plan.
It’s better to get your decision-makers around a table (or in a virtual meeting) now, while things are calmer. Most people think more clearly when not in the midst of a crisis. So, be proactive. Plan now for the worst. You can weigh up options at leisure, pursuing many different what-ifs to determine the best plan of attack.
Look back at what worked and what didn’t during the COVID-19-related disruptions. This review can provide real insight into opportunities, and you’ll be even better prepared in the future.
Planning with an MSP Partner
Business continuity plans lay out how the business will move forward amidst disruption. Work with a managed services provider (MSP) to ensure your planning is comprehensive. Our IT experts can help enable remote work, set up data protection, and develop a backup setup.
Send us a message at help@prodigyteks.com. Put a business continuity plan in place, and be more confident you’re ready for whatever happens next.
Working from home is a big change in an already tumultuous time. Yet there’s a bright side. The quarantine could be your opportunity to reinvent how you work — for the better. Migrating to Microsoft Office 365 has benefits now. Plus, when you’re back to business as usual.
Office 365 is the cloud-based version of Microsoft Office. With a subscription, you get both the desktop and online versions of apps you already know. This includes Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, SharePoint, Teams, Yammer, and more.
Office 365 enables collaboration in many ways, on desktops, tablets, and smartphones. For example:
Remote Work with Teams
Microsoft teams at its core is a chat program. But it does so much more. On all your devices, both iOS and Android, Teams allows “channels”. You can have company-wide or small task group channels. Or use a separate channel to instant messaging to a single person.
You can also invite clients or customers into channels to join the discussion. Additionally, you can set up security features that filter what they can access. You don’t want them to know the ingredients to your secret sauce!
Within Teams channels, users can share documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. Teams also integrates with other software. The options include Zendesk customer support, Asana project management, or Zoom video conferencing.
Using Teams in Office 365 creates a streamlined platform for remote work.
Remote Work with OneDrive
Working in the office, your users always had access to the business file server. OneDrive is the cloud equivalent. Yet, since it’s online, it’s always accessible. Microsoft’s hosts the file storage to let you access and share work files from all your devices.
Employees can even work offline. Any changes or edits to files automatically upload when you next connect.
Share OneDrive folders or files with external partners as well. Again, you can secure access with limits on who can see what and specifying what actions they can take. You can even set up automatic revoke access after a set time limit.
Office 365 & Business Security
An Office 365 subscription protects from viruses and cybercrime. It also offers ways to recover your files from malicious attacks.
Office 365 apps update with security patches without any effort on your part. Plus, Outlook scans email attachments and checks links for viruses or phishing scams.
OneDrive helps you restore files, so they’re not held captive in a ransomware attack. Office 365 also lets users encrypt email, prevent forwarding, and secure sensitive files.
Office 365 lets your business communicate and collaborate in real-time. Work on any device, anywhere, at any time. Enjoy business agility and flexibility with internal and external users.
Migrating to the cloud isn’t as simple as pressing the “start” button. Still, our tech experts can get you up and running quickly and with ease. Let us help you go online and get back to business as usual, even working remotely. Call us today 312-600-8357.
The Coronavirus is spreading as fast as feared. Businesses must be ready for the worst. One priority? Protecting the health of employees. Preparing the way for remote working is one top recommendation.
News of the virus, which the WHO is now calling COVID-19, has prompted urgent interest in remote work. Business collaboration software, virtual desktops, and private networks can all help. This tech helps the business continue as usual, even with quarantined employees.
It’s difficult to imagine you aren’t aware of the looming health pandemic. Trying to limit the contagion, we’ve already seen big business take major measures. These include:
Other businesses are weighing up the options. Furloughs? Changes to sick leave? Or encouraging work from home. The last option appeals, but how do employees work remotely? How can they continue collaborating with people they used to sit beside, meet in the office, or travel to see? Technological solutions.
The Right Technology for Remote Work
Remote workers want a centralized platform with a simplified (yet secure) login process. Business collaboration software is a great enabler of mobile, flexible work. Replace in-person meetings with voice or video conferencing. Streamline chat, voice, and video in one software platform. Tools such as Microsoft Teams, Google’s G-suite, or Slack, allow a business to create team channels.
Business collaboration tools also simplify access to email, calendars, documents, and file sharing. Employees can use a single sign-on to access business tools and data. This supports improved efficiency and increased transparency.
Providing a virtual desktop can provide access to important business applications, as well. Virtual desktops in the cloud allow users to work separately from their personal computers. The software virtualizes the user’s unique desktop environment at any workstation. All the data and applications are stored on a central server. Users access apps, folders, and toolbars from anywhere, with a consistent, secure experience.
Using a cloud-based solution also provides peace of mind. While remote workers access the corporate network, sensitive data isn’t stored locally. So, the business needn’t worry about the loss or theft of sensitive data. Plus, cloud-based virtual desktops are easy to rapidly install outside a quarantined area.
Worried about securing those remote connections? Another option is a virtual private network (VPN). A VPN connects computers, smartphones, or tablets to a shared or public network as if connecting to a private network. These encrypted connections to the internet secure data and protect employees’ mobile activities.
Mobile Work Helps Every Day
You can hope that your employees stay healthy and your business remains unaffected, but why take that risk? Empowering remote work benefits business, even without the threat of a fatal flu.
Remote teams enjoy greater work-life balance. The workers spend less time commuting and are more productive. Empowered, they also feel trusted and more engaged.
Meanwhile, a business can save money on physical space and hardware investments. Additionally, the hiring pool of qualified personnel expands with remote work, and the business can offer its services more globally and flexibly. All that’s true whether the coronavirus becomes an issue for your business or not.
Enabling a remote workforce takes technology. Need help installing and connecting your employees? We can help. Contact us today at 312-600-8357 or help@prodigyteks.com
The message is clear: email is king. Many clients and customers choose to communicate primarily by email and as you know, it gives a fantastic return on investment in your marketing strategy…unless you’re using a free email like Hotmail, Gmail, or even your internet provider. If that’s the case, you’re losing business each and every day.
It looks unprofessional: Imagine if banks used free email accounts – you’d never feel comfortable giving them your personal details let alone any money. How people perceive your business is what makes your business. Without that professional touch, you’ll appear temporary and fly-by-night. It puts your credibility into question and sends the message that you’re not serious about doing business – or worse – that you’re prepared to cut corners.
It erases your experience: Newer, fledgling businesses often start out with a free email address. The address clearly communicates that they are new and have little experience, and are perhaps testing the waters in a new direction. They’re not even remotely proven yet and are firmly within the hobby zone. Continuing to use the free address once your business moves into the professional arena means you’ll struggle to build momentum and any experience will be negated.
It’s forgettable or inappropriate: Your business success hinges on being memorable enough to gain referral custom and results from your advertising. Unfortunately, free email addresses are by default filled with hard to remember clutter, for example – joesplumbing_1985@hotmail.com or milkshakes_mybabby@gmail.com.
Neither of these rolls off the tongue is appropriate for business or can be remembered without a high likelihood of typos and bounce back. Branded email addresses such as joe@joesplumbing.com make running a profitable business much easier.
It’s not permanent or safe: When you use a free email address you are at the mercy of the email provider. They may close down operations or cancel your account for any reason. These types of accounts are also often hacked and leaked on a global scale. When a better internet or email deal comes along, you’re still stuck using the old address because it’s printed on your business cards, car lettering, and flyers.
Some will agree to keep the address open for a fee, but you’ll lose the control and flexibility you need to grow your business. With your own domain name, you own it and can move it to a new business-grade email service easily. You’ll also have complete master control over the addresses within your domain, resetting passwords and creating/closing accounts at will.
Give us a call at 312-600-8357 to set up your branded business email.
