Nine factors to consider when choosing Google Workspace

Should an organisation move to Google Workspace? Maybe. The answer should be based on an evaluation of multiple factors specific to how the organisation does business. It's not an easy yes or no.

What is easy is how to get there, and the answer is via a dedicated migration app.

More than mail and calendars, Google Workspace boosts cloud collaboration with tools for messaging and meetings; multiple options for creating, storing and sharing work; and ways to unleash a team's creativity with presentations and collaborative whiteboards.

While Microsoft 365 has long held major mind space when it comes to business productivity platforms, Google Workspace is a favourite solution for many organisations.

So how do you choose?

There's no definitive answer when it comes to deciding which platform is right for any business. The choice should be based on a thoughtful analysis of the current and future needs of your organisation.

It can be tempting to simply compare Google Workspace pricing and cloud storage with what Microsoft offers. But don't stop there. Consider the following questions in the analysis:

What fits the size of an organization? Don't buy a solution that's outsized for its needs, but don't think too small if it's a growing organisation. It probably won't make sense to use a free version long-term, especially because it doesn't come with human support.

How do the people work? Are they more solitary, or is daily collaboration fundamental to business success? If collaboration is a must, be sure the chosen platform provides lots of options to interact, brainstorm, share and document ideas.

Where are the people located? A cloud solution like Google Workspace makes remote teamwork easy, even across time zones and geographies.

What is the team used to? A productivity platform that's intuitive and easy to adopt saves time and frustration. An organisation may find that many of its employees use Google tools in their personal lives, or became familiar with them in school.

Are certain features important to the business model? For example, if a team needs to conduct webinars, multimedia presentations, or interactive brainstorming sessions easily, these will become decision drivers. On the other hand, look carefully at features that only seem 'nice to have'.

Do you need to integrate third-party tools? While Google Workspace includes an impressive array of tools, most organisations have a few specialised applications as well. Be sure to choose the platform that plays well with third-party integrations.

What do the clients or vendors use? While this shouldn't be the top reason for choosing Google versus Microsoft, having compatible platforms can remove friction in client and vendor relationships.

Why are you changing platforms? Some IT environments have evolved into a patchwork of tools over time. Others have divisions using different platforms after a merger or acquisition.

It may be tempting to choose the platform that's been around the longest, or the one used at headquarters, but it's worth doing a deeper analysis to match the platform with today's needs.

Are there any dealbreakers? Put the organisation's must-haves at the top of the list and research how their preferred solutions do on those items. This will save a lot of headaches (and complaints) in the long run.

So, do the analysis, then make the move. Take time to compare the benefits each productivity platform being considered. With Google Workspace, organisations can add a lot of checks in the 'yes' column. Just be sure to match those features with current and future needs.

It may take a little more time to complete a thorough analysis, but your migration will happen quickly when you use a specialist migration app such as my own company's.

Seek a tool that makes cross-platform migrations easy, whether moving to the cloud or between cloud tenants. Learn more about migrating to Google Workspace or contact us for help setting up the migration project. If you're ready to migrate, check the available licences.

As a is a technical pre-sales specialist at BitTitan the author, Nabeel Mukhtar, specialises in data migration across Office 365, Google environments and other platforms.

With a background in managing SaaS tools and native migration solutions, he navigates tenant-to-tenant transitions expertly, ensuring seamless integration for clients. BitTitan applies deep knowledge in technical sales and enterprise solution delivery to support customer adoption of new technologies and drive successful migration strategies.