Using software can be a great way to create files for your business. Whether you want to draft letters to clients or prepare a monthly budget, you may find it easy to use tools specifically designed to craft those documents.
Microsoft is a company that many businesses know and trust. Although Microsoft as a company was formed in 1975, it was only in 1990 that Office products were created and distributed to the public.
Advancements in technology have led to the Microsoft 365 packages that are available today. These allow you to use traditional Windows applications, such as Word or Excel, on your business or personal computers, as well as smartphones, allowing you to access your work documents wherever you are.
Google is another name that is easy to recognise. While this company was first known for its search engine functionality, this quickly grew to encompass email and productivity tools. Google used to offer these services as part of G-Suite. However, in 2020 this was rebranded as Google Workspace. Users could choose from Business Family, for smaller businesses, or Enterprise Family, more suited for larger corporations.
Your employees may have preferences regarding the use of web or desktop-based applications. Listening to these suggestions could help to boost employee morale and decrease staff turnover. In doing so, you may find it easier to choose the tools you use.
Microsoft 365 is the most flexible of the two, offering both web-based usage and desktop apps. This allows your team to work online, if they so choose, within their web browser of choice. Alternatively, you can give your team permission to install the apps on their devices. The use of desktop apps may be more useful for remote workers where you cannot control their internet capabilities. Desktop apps will enable individuals to locally save their files, and then upload them onto a cloud system if they so choose.
On the other hand, your team may prefer to use browser apps that they access by going to a website and logging in with their business credentials. Using Google Workspace enables your team to get on with their tasks at the click of a button. However, it is worth noting that, should their network fail, some work may be lost. This is where bespoke IT support could be of use, keeping you up and running and minimising the likelihood of data loss.
Being able to use your services on mobile can also be crucial, especially if your work sees you travelling or commuting frequently.
Smartphone apps exist for both Google Workspace and Microsoft 365, meaning you can still get on with tasks using your phone if required. This can give you some peace of mind that information won’t be lost or forgotten between when it is received and when you next have access to a work computer.
Instead, you can simply open the app and input the data or information. When saving, this will synchronise with the existing file, meaning those changes will appear when you next use the computer version.
When it comes to mobile capability, the choice really comes down to whether you prefer using Google or Microsoft products.
Another factor which may affect your decision can be the cost involved with using each service. This would need to be factored into your existing budget. The price for this can quickly add up, as both services offer per-user pricing.
Google Workspace keeps the figures fairly simple. Their most basic package with 30GB of data is offered at £5 per user, with a minimum 12-month contract. Business Starter, Standard, and Plus plans can have a maximum of 300 employees enrolled. Should you have more than this, or wish for everything that Google has to offer, you would need to contact their dedicated sales team for a quote specific to your business.
Alternatively, Microsoft 365 also offers some great deals for businesses at a reasonable cost per user. Their lowest package, Business Basic, comes with web-based and mobile apps for business use. If you have decided that desktop apps are also crucial for your business, you may want to think about opting for Business Standard or Premium, as these allow for desktop, web, and mobile apps.
Some of your documents may be used frequently, such as invoices, letterheads, or even budget trackers. Rather than needing to spend time recreating these items for each task or occasion, you may want to streamline the process through the use of custom templates. Free versions of Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 may not allow you to use custom templates. However, the business versions may come with this as standard.
With Microsoft 365, you may find that custom templates for Microsoft Word significantly cut down the type it takes to craft professional documents including your logo and details. These could be for your own use or shared with other employees to reduce wasted time.
Those who prefer Google products will be pleased to know that custom templates are also available for Google Docs. This means that your web-based documentation can easily be created and edited with set features already in place.
Having adequate security in place is vital for data protection and GDPR purposes. There are risks to both online and offline apps that you might want to consider. The security features offered by Microsoft and Google may make you feel more secure.
The Basic and Standard versions of Microsoft 365 offer security features, with Windows Defender available as an add-on. The Premium version includes Windows Defender, giving wraparound security for your business.
These protect against spam and malware, as well as encourage users to regularly change passwords to consider their own level of accountability when it comes to security. You can also set access limits, so that users only have access to view and edit the files they need and keep other data confidential.
Google Workspace may have a wider variety of features included within its packages when it comes to security.
Their Business Starter package includes two-step verification to reduce the chance of unauthorised access, as well as fundamental endpoint management.
Should you make the jump to Business Plus, you would find the Vault included as well as advanced endpoint management.
Opting for the Enterprise package can give you the most security benefits, including a security centre, data loss prevention, S/MIME encryption, and access transparency to name a few.
Therefore, if security is of importance, you may want to consider Google Workspace.
Hybrid and remote working feature prominently in a number of businesses. Due to this, you may not be able to liaise with your colleagues in person. Therefore, being able to work on a document concurrently may be important, especially when deadlines are close.
Waiting around for an individual to do their part and then send the file to the next person can be very time-consuming and result in poor efficiency.
Both Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace allow for collaboration within their apps. Others could open the file themselves if they have access to a shared folder it is stored in. Otherwise, you can simply invite specific individuals to edit alongside you, meaning only those invited can view or change the document.
Keeping your employees productive can be vital to be able to get the tasks done and ensure any salaries you pay are well-earned. Due to this, you might want to check that employees are making the most of their time.
Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 can both be used in conjunction with employee monitoring software. These may already be present on your employees’ business devices. To some degree, you may also be able to use these tools to see what work has been conducted on personal devices by viewing changes made in a document’s version history.
Getting the most out of your working day can allow you to stay ahead of tasks and meet those important deadlines. Choosing between Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 can help you to put a system into place that will make the creation and editing of documents that much simpler.
If you feel that Microsoft 365 is just what your business needs, then talk to Syn-Star. We specialise in Microsoft 365 licences as well as bespoke IT support, meaning you can reap tomorrow’s productivity today!
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Team Productivity:
You and your team are able to see where they are using their time and how productive they are actually being. Also they are able to clock in and out, so really good for flexi-working.
Team Monitoring:
If you would like to know what your team is doing and how productive they are being, we are able to monitor them and create screenshots of what they are working on. This can be run in normal or stealth mode.
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We proactively seek opportunities to support good causes for our community.
From sponsoring local community football teams, to engaging with charity fundraiser days, we believe it’s important to continually strive to do good for the better of others.
We have members who volunteer with youth organisations, are engaged with the Round Table, run marathons and volunteer at events where we may be needed. Every charity receives a discounted IT and Telecoms service too.
Protecting your digital data is crucial for every business and this can start with the industry-leading security we offer. The Syn-Star specialists can help with identifying any vulnerabilities within your IT systems and act accordingly to ensure cyber-attacks and data breaches are mitigated.
Your business will never fall behind with its technology when you work with Syn-Star.
We understand IT and Telecoms for your business is an investment, but it’s important to use the best resources available to enable the growth of your business. Our IT Consultancy and Virtual IT Director Services are available to support you with how you use your business technology for years to come.
Syn-Star can conduct quick and easy phishing exercises to identify people within your team who need to improve on their knowledge around fraudulent emails and how they can be alerted to these threats.
At Syn-Star, our experts can proactively work to understand exactly what software you need to support with the business operations. Whether you need a listening ear on what software to choose, or would like to seek some specialist knowledge, we’re here to help where we can.
At Syn-Star, we keep Telecoms simple. There’s so much available to help UK companies with their communications. VoIP systems, fixed landline, cloud phone systems, SIP trunking and more. Contact us for further details.
Desk phones, cordless phones or conference phones, Syn-Star can provide you with whatever you need.
From conference calling facilities to the headsets which work best for your team, we’re able to provide all the equipment you need and complete any telecoms job from start to finish.
There is no need to be in the office to make and receive phone calls from your company’s number. Our market-leading Telecoms platform gives you the flexibility of desk phones, soft phones and mobile apps as standard.
Whether your team works remotely, or perhaps staff are on a business trip anywhere in the world, calls can still be made, and people are reachable via phone wherever they go.
With a range of products, our team can support you by installing exactly what you need for internet connectivity. We work with the very best products to provide speedy bandwidths which play a part in the increased productivity of your team.
