Google Apps and Microsoft Office 365 have both gone through tremendous development and deciding on which of these two cloud-platforms is more suited to your small business of enterprise can be a daunting task. Worker productivity and cost savings are among the main factors that companies consider before choosing an appropriate platform.
BetterCloud has published a survey comparing Google Apps against Microsoft Office 365 for companies of all sizes.
The survey also specifies that larger organisations are more likely to use Office 365, with Office 365-based companies are almost 4 times larger and five years older with 5 times bigger IT teams than the ones using Google Apps.
Enterprises that use Google Apps have experienced increased collaboration (84%) while the number drops to 72% for Office 365 users. Running Google Apps indicate a possibility of better cost savings (41%) for organisations while those using Office 365 only save about 27%.
The deployment strategy for Office 365 companies is the exact opposite of the ones deploying Google Apps. Google Apps have been developed to operate in cloud environment which can be quite daunting for some users. Microsoft on the other hand is made to effectively operate in hybrid mode allowing employees to choose their preferred working style and making it easier for customers to gradually transition to the cloud.
Employee age is also influencing the platform adaptability. Companies with employees in the age group of 18-34 are more likely to use Google apps, while those with older employee base are 19% more likely to adopt Office 365.
Google Apps and Microsoft Office 365 both have clear benefits and neither of the platforms have been able to win hands-down. Companies will need to analyse their requirements and goals before they settle for any one of them.
The data presented in the BetterCloud survey is the current trend and indicates stiff competition between the two widely used cloud-platforms. However, technology as we know is ever-evolving and a lot can change in a matter of 6-8 months.
A lot depends on how Microsoft and Google choose to develop their respective platforms and alter the deployment process will decide the level of adoption in the coming years. We will continue to monitor these platforms closely and talk about the latest developments. If you wish to migrate to Office 365, contact the Empower IT team right away.
