What is Google Workspace?

The range of workplace solutions available today can be mind-boggling. A lot of cloud-based options exist, and one of the most popular is Google Workspace. What is Google Workspace, and how can it benefit your business?
‍

Google Workspace is a suite of cloud-based productivity tools and programs offered by Google. It includes e-mail, word processing, calendar and scheduling services, chat services, and storage, all of which synch with one another across the host of programs. Google Workspace is ideal for businesses with teams and departments but can be used by individual entrepreneurs as well.

Keep reading to learn more about Google Workspace and find out what services and features it can offer you and your professional team.  

What is Google Workspace Used For?

Google Workspace is used to help small, medium- and large sized businesses work as a team more effectively through e-mail, video calls, time management and scheduling tools, presentation software, and on-line storage.

All of these features link and talk to one another seamlessly across the entire interface, allowing for immediate collaboration, follow-ups, updates, and delivery of information from anywhere. A team member working to finish up a financing report on a Friday afternoon can e-mail it to you, as well as check-in with a co-worker to verify that Monday’s meeting is still on.

All of this integration makes communicating and getting things done a lot quicker and more efficient for everybody on your team. No one is left out, and all data is seamlessly presented across a variety of platforms for everyone to view and learn from.

What Tools Make up Google Workspace?

Google Workspace is composed of
‍

• Gmail, Google’s world-famous e-mail service
  ‍
• Calendar which manages scheduling and appointments
  ‍
• Meet which allows for video conferences
  ‍
• Chat which initiates simple text-based messages in real time
  ‍
• Docs which allow for word processing and document sharing
  ‍
• Sheets which create spreadsheets for better data collection and analysis
  ‍
• Slides which let users create and share presentations
  ‍
• and Drive, which helps you store in all in the cloud

All of these productivity tools work together to help your team access and collaborate on a wide range of projects and assignments anywhere, and on any device. This makes Google Workspace ideal for remote workers, as well as off-site communications and project updates.

Google Workspace is Mobile, Too

This means that Google Workspace can go with you no matter where you are. Being an app-based and cloud-based service Google Workspace isn’t limited to use in the office, but can live on your phone, tablet, or Google laptop via apps and synched accounts.

This makes the entire platform ideal for departments working in different locations or collaborating with off-site teams. It also makes it possible to catch up with your workers when they’re not in the office and allows them to send you updates or completed assignments from home.

Google Workspace is great for hybrid work and for international teams for this very reason, and the apps used by this system are available globally through the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. Basically, anywhere you can get on-line, you can use Google Workspace.

Getting on Google Workspace is Easy

So, what do you need to get on board with Google Workspace? You’ll first need to let Google know your full name and an e-mail address where you can be reached.

This sign-up process will give you a unique Workspace e-mail domain that can be used to login to Google Workspace services across the board. This will be distinct from your personal-use Gmail address. 

Select the size of your business, as this will help determine the number of features that you’ll require access to, and how many employees you’ll be integrating.

Educational institutions and non-profits get their own specialized Google Workspace platforms uniquely suited for schools, colleges, and charities.

From the main dashboard, you can update your company’s logo, change your organization's name, and update notification preferences. You’ll also be able to see all of your apps at a glance and communicate with the entire team uniformly. 

As Your Business Grows, So Can Workspace

Google Workspace makes it easy to add or delete users as your employee count shrinks or grows over time. Bringing on new users via the dashboard and fill out a form to invite the user on via e-mail.

They’ll get their own, separate Google Workspace account which they can access to get work done, join meetings, or ask for help or feedback as they complete tasks. They’ll also get real-time updates across apps, to help them stay informed and productive no matter what.

Should you lose team members, they can be easily removed from the system, as well. This will revoke their access to Google Workspace and allow you to either transfer their user information and data to another account or delete it from view entirely. This first option might be helpful if a new team member is stepping into their previous role and would benefit from knowing which projects were being worked on.

Google Workspace is a Paid Service

Many people may wonder if Google Workspace is free. While a free trial is available for 14 days, monthly paid plans are available, starting at $6 per month for a “Business Starter” pack.

Other options include “Business Standard” for $12 per month, and “Business Plus” for $18 per month. An “Enterprise” option also exists, though the price of this service is not publicly displayed by Google.

The different tiers of service reflect how many people can collaborate via video call at once, how much cloud storage you get, and the level of security and encryption available.

All of these options come with custom ad-free business e-mail from Gmail, video conferencing abilities for at least 150 people, storage, and access to documents and presentation software which can be shared by users across the platform. 

Determining which level of service is best for you depends upon your team size, budget, and business and security needs. Smaller businesses may do just fine with the lowest level of service, whereas larger businesses with more data to protect and larger teams may wish to upgrade to a “Business Plus” or “Enterprise” levels of care.

Google Workspace is more than Gmail

While Google workspace includes Gmail in its fleet of apps and services, free Gmail for personal use is distinct from Google Workspace. Gmail accounts being used by businesses for commerce purposes will be integrated into Google Workspaces and charged a fee.
‍

Access to other apps, though, will be charged as part of the entire Google Workspace experience. But if you need a Gmail account for purely personal use, it will still be available to you free. If you’re looking for a personal-use single user business account, Google Workspace can help you out here, too.

Individuals Can Use Google Workspace

What if you’re a lone business owner, and have no one reporting to you? Can you still use and benefit from Google Workspace without a team? Absolutely.

The tools on Google Workspace are useful for any business owner looking to streamline data and manage multiple aspects of his or her business. The tools which help teams of hundreds get work done can help a single business owner and entrepreneur stay on top of things, too.
‍

• Use Sheets to help plan out your budget or manage inventory at a glance
  ‍
• Use Gmail to message your clients, and reach out to new vendors and suppliers
  ‍
• Drive can help you store your business information securely and inexpensively

Google Workspace Business Starter can be used by an individual business owner and is a great option for small businesses.

Google Workspace Is Uniquely Well-Built

The most obvious benefit of using Google Workspace is its flawless ease of use globally, and its simple and intuitive design layout. Google in known for uncomplicated, minimalist software design, which is easy to learn and easy to master, and all of Google’s services integrate well together as a whole.

A number of excellent, intuitive features are also built into the software. For example, Google Docs automatically saves all information as you’re working. This eliminates the need for constant saving of a document manually and helps protect your information from accidental deletion. 

Google Workspace is increasingly being adopted by businesses around the world, and the US Army has even adopted Google Workspace as their platform of choice for productivity. The high level of care and detail that Google puts into its software means that you’ll be getting a top-level user experience with the highest levels of security and protection for your data against third-parties.

Google Workspace Works Well with Other Systems

Google Workspace does a good job at migrating across platforms, and being readable and usable by multiple operating systems, and programs. Integrating well with Microsoft and Zoho, Google Workspace is constantly evolving to optimize cross-platform productivity and usability.
‍

If not everyone on your team has a Google account, your files and documents can still be accessed via a link and are readable on Microsoft as well as iOS. This link-based solution to cross-platform sharing is one of the best aspects of Google Workspace and allows users to collaborate across the world. 

Google has done an excellent job of keeping up with the pace of expanding businesses and rival organizations and allows other collaborators to keep their existing system in place while still benefiting from everything Google Workspace offers. This is a process that is both fair to competition and allows Google to reach more people with its services. 

Google’s Security

One of the other benefits of working with Google is their excellent system of data protection, and their high levels of security. What does this mean for you? Namely, enhanced protection from third-party access, hackers, and corporate espionage. 

Cyber-attacks are increasingly becoming a threat globally. This is especially true for businesses and governments, and making sure that your data, client information, and trade secrets are safe is vital to ensuring the success and future of your business, as well as staying competitive and onboarding new clients. 

The more a potential client trusts your data security, the better chances you have of landing more business. Google Workspaces is among the most secure in the world. As highlighted earlier, their recent partnership with the US Military is a testament to the power and strength of their data security measures, software, and hardware. 

That same level of protection is yours, as well, when using Google Workspaces. The added advantages of data security really cannot be over-sated in today’s world. Just one breach could cost your company millions. Google invests a considerable amount of money in data security measures and passes the savings onto customers with unparalleled safeguards and multi-level authentication measures to make sure that no one but you access corporate data. 

Google’s end-to-end encryption and globally recognized safety and security measures make Workspace a fantastic option for those wishing to keep corporate data and customer information supremely secure, guarded, and out of the hands of malicious third-party actors. 

Conclusion

Google Workspace is a host of cloud-based on-line productivity tools designed for business users to store and access data, create documents, and collaborate with teams. Workspace includes e-mail services, document editing, a calendar, video conferencing, and text-based chat software for small and large businesses.

Google Workspace is well known for its seamless ease of use across its own platform and allowing teams access to information on-the-go. Their data security measures are also worth noting, and are second-to-none, trusted even by the US Army. Google Workspace can be accessed from the office or via mobile apps, making it easy to take with you, or to work from home if need be.

It is a paid service, requiring a monthly fee to access, and offers levels of help ranging from $6-$18 per month and beyond, depending on your storage, security, and business needs. In exchange, you get access to a global leader in productivity, business, data, and information technology, and are plugged into a world leader in productivity tools.