Google Apps v Microsoft 365, does it a benefit the team?

You now have a number of companies offering cloud computing services. The services offered by each company vary although they are all services generally used in the business environment to make the productivity of the company more efficient. These companies make all of these services available from within their cloud on the internet. The products they offer from their clouds can be delivered in different ways.

If your business relies heavily on colleague collaboration then being part of a team is necessary; this is further complicated when they do not work in the same location on a daily basis so you really need services that allow for collaboration in real time that mimics the office working environment. These circumstances are what cloud computing is designed for.

A simple scenario
You want 3 colleagues to work on a business plan, named BP, today for delivery by 5pm; the plan is part finished and really just needs tweaking. The problem is A is in the office using a colleagues PC, B is working from home on their own PC and C is away on business working from their laptop. How would our main two contenders in cloud computing allow you to work.

First up Microsoft 365
To start with all 3 logon to the companies account within the cloud. They are all online and can chat and send instant messages and agree to start work. They open MSWord each on their own computer and then open the document stored in the 365 cloud.

Unfortunately C has unknowingly clicked on the icon for a copy of BP he downloaded from the cloud last week. They chat there way through the first two paragraphs and C finds what he is reading is not what his colleagues are reading and after a short conversation they discover what C has done; A then explains to B and C he was working on the document yesterday and updated it online. C now opens the correct BP and they start work again.

After a few hours they agree on all changes and delegate which one of them is dealing with which alteration, they agree to meet online again in 2 hours. 2 hours passes and they all login again. A and C send their alterations to B who incorporates them into one document and saves the new BP to the cloud, they all re-open the document each checking their contribution is correct.

Then they work through the document again. Some animosity creeps in when A says that B’s alterations do not convey what they had agreed. After a discussion they agree the wording B retypes that part of the document and saves it to the cloud, they all then re-open BP and finally agree it is correct.

The final document is saved again and at 4.30pm an email is sent to the MD informing him it has been completed, luckily he is pleased with their efforts and accepts it as it is. Just imagine what would have happened if at this point the MD wanted certain alterations made and for A, B and C to review it again; yes go back to the beginning and start reading again.

The Google Apps team enters
A, B and C working with Google Apps do the same thing as the 365 team did and logon. They all then open Google Docs and likewise open BP which is stored only in the Google Apps cloud so avoiding any mix up with wrong files.
Their word processing package is retained in the cloud so they do not have to open 3 different applications of Google Docs which ensures they are working with the most up to date version of the application.

They nominate A as the scribe and using Discussion (another application) they then work through the BP document. They need to change paragraph 3 so after agreeing the alterations A starts making the alterations as B and C simultaneously watch the alterations being made on their own screens in real time. They steadily work their way through the BP document making alterations on the fly and other than some light hearted jokes about A’s spelling finalise and finish BP by 1pm.

They send an email to the MD to let him know it is completed; although they know he has been reviewing the alterations on his own PC as they have gone along.

So which work experience was more of a team effort?
It appears the Google Apps team worked with more real time collaboration and had a better work experience than the Microsoft 365 team and there was no wasted time and a relaxed atmosphere.


For more information about Google Apps Uk or Google Docs visit Ancoris who are are an authorised Google Apps Reseller.