At first glance, there seems to be little difference between the various cloud services, so for many, the financial aspect is the most important when it comes to selecting the best cloud services. This is an important evaluation criterion, but not the only one to consider when talking about the best cloud solution for your business. As with other web services, factors such as usability or data security are also relevant. For businesses, in particular, it is also crucial to know what collaboration features each cloud computing service offers. Finally, it is also worth checking the reliability and level of support by different providers that offer these cloud services.
Below, we bring you two of the best cloud services that provide your business with all the tools needed to stay efficient and competitive in the market.
Google Drive
Google Drive is Google's file hosting system that allows you to save all your documents in the cloud and thanks to this, share and access them from anywhere, which makes it perfect for remote collaborative work.
Google Drives' business version extends beyond online storage and office suite, through the G Suite service. It also serves to manage email (Gmail), maintains text, audio, and voice communications (Hangouts), organizes meetings and events (Calendar), and even launch your own website (Sites), all under the same platform. In addition, as it is a paid service, advice and personal support via telephone or email is included.
The cost of the Enterprise version of Google Drive varies depending on the users who are registered and the storage of each user, thus adapting to the number of employees or co-workers that you have and the amount of storage that you need.
Main benefits for your business
Improves teamwork:
The true power of Google Drive is in its collaborative use (Teams). There are three types of files (besides images, of course) that are most used in a work environment; these are text files, spreadsheets, and slide shows. Google Drive features three tools that allow you to work precisely in these three formats: Google Words, Google Spreadsheet, and Google Presentation. The interesting thing is that it enables a paradigm in which, for example, several people are working on the same text document; or on the same spreadsheet, or in the same slide show, all at once, with its intuitive annotations and its chatbot and video calling options.
Advanced file sharing:
Understand Google Drive as a kind of virtual closet in which you not only store your files but compartmentalize them. You can have a folder with accounting files, another for sales, and even one for external clients. And the interesting thing is, at the end of the day, every time you upload a file to the cloud you can add or remove edit privileges so that it is only accessible to those people you want. This basically means that you can make the accounting folder only accessible to the accounting team… And so on to infinity and beyond. There are multiple possibilities once you start exploring them.
Find work files quicker:
Searches are powered by machine learning that uses artificial intelligence. This allows it to understand what users are looking for and offer content much faster. This quick searchability with AI further translates to an automated organization.
Protect and control your data:
You can analyze and transfer large amounts of data to Google Drive Enterprise with ease and quickly, thanks to smart migration tools. The integration of Google Drive Enterprise features instant connection to Salesforce and Slack. Also, security is another key benefit, as all company data is protected by advanced privacy controls and Google's secure infrastructure.
With Google Drive you can:
- Manage business affairs from any location in the world.
- Always be connected and update information in real-time.
- Improve work efficiency and save valuable time when working.
- Control the work of your collaborators in a better way.
- Reduce the costs of your company.
- Increase the productivity and efficiency of your work team.
Google Drive offers a wide variety of subscription types for businesses which include the Business plan (Starter, Standard, Plus) and the Enterprise plan.
Microsoft Office 365
Office 365 is beyond the Office of a lifetime since it allows you to work from anywhere, at any time, and on any type of device. This is the best tool for email hosting and has the best office suite, which you can use locally. It doesn't matter where you work, as Office 365 for business offers you a wide variety of well-known and high-quality productivity tools, accessible from any location and on any device.
The well-known Office applications such as Word, Excel, Outlook, or Powerpoint now allow you to create, edit and share with any user or coworker in real-time from Windows, Mac, Android, or IOS.
Office 365 has been a true revolution and has radically changed the way companies work. The communication tools between teams, the ability to access, edit, and share data from anywhere, and its seamless integration with all types of devices, represent a huge competitive advantage.
By subscribing to the business premium plan, you can enjoy hosted email and web, while being able to access Microsoft Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Skype, OneNote, Sharepoint, and OneDrive through your desktop or smartphone. In addition to this, you will also have access to more advanced and recent work tools like Teams (chat, meetings & video conferencing, content collaboration), Yammer (a social networking tool), and Microsoft Planner (for project scheduling and team task management).
Main features and benefits it brings to your business
Business email and calendar:
With Office 365, you have access to shared email, contacts, and calendars from anywhere. This tool allows you to work remotely with any Windows, Mac, Android, or IOS device.
Teamwork hub:
View chat content and history at any time in a team or private chat. Schedule small team meetings or post an email in the conversation to keep the team informed.
Business Voice:
Use Office 365 as your only phone system, with the ability to call colleagues, Skype users, and phone numbers around the world.
Online meetings:
Meet anywhere and never miss a meeting. Send an instant message or choose online audio and HD video between multiple participants to work together face-to-face, from anywhere.
File storage and sharing:
Store, sync, and share your files so everyone can have access to the latest. Get access anytime, anywhere from your favorite devices.
Task management:
End the chaos of organizing teamwork and be more productive. Create plans, organize and assign tasks, share files, chat about work, and keep up with progress very easily.
Intranet and team sites:
Inform and engage people across the organization with a smart, mobile intranet. Connect team members with content shared with team sites.
Business social network:
It empowers employees to connect, share, and work better together. Microsoft Yammer, for instance, is an internal social app that allows open engagement and connection across the company. Improve processes and boost innovation. Get access to the collective knowledge of the company
Microsoft offers a wide variety of subscription types. The most widely used, which covers most needs are: Office 365 Business Essentials, Office 365 Business Premium, and Exchange Online Plan 1.
Which cloud service is the best?