A cloud-based solution to improving all aspects of a company’s operations, Google Apps for Work is a cost-effective, secure and dependable tool for increasing employee productivity and creativity. Millions of global businesses are moving to Google Apps for Work because of its versatility and comprehensive offerings, including hundreds of useful applications provided by the Google Apps Marketplace. In addition, employers do not need to purchase or maintain servers, which immediately reduces the rising expenses of supporting an IT department. Also, since Google Apps for Work is cloud-based, updating software entails nothing more than refreshing the web browser.
What Tools Are Included With Google Apps for Work?
- Gmail — Accessible from any Internet-connected mobile device, Gmail offers 30GB of storage, integrated video chat and Priority Inbox.
- Google Docs — Employees can collaborate in real time on documents supporting tables, images, equations, etc.
- Google Drive — Store all documents and videos on Google Drive and access them with any device. Share folders, files, images and PDFs with project team members while controlling who gets to edit, comment or view files.
- Google Calendar — Employees easily organize, share and update calendars for individual and group use with Google Calendar. Avoid event conflicts by overlaying multiple future calendars to make and compare appointments.
- Google Sheets — This spreadsheet editor lets project teams consolidate data in real-time, analyze information, share lists and compare results as a unit.
- Google Sites — Work teams can develop and share intranet pages or websites without technical support or knowledge of programming concepts.
- Google Slides — Teams can collaborate on the creation of presentations using animations, slide transitions and embedded videos. Google Slides also supports importation of .pptx and .ppt formats.
- Google+ — Enabling colleagues and customers to connect with each other, share important information and utilize Google’s Hangout feature, Google+ is considered the sophisticated alternative to Facebook for social and networking purposes.
- Google Apps Marketplace — Offering several hundred third-party applications designed to extend Apps for Work for accounting, project management, finance and CRM, the Marketplace also provides marketing and sales tools easily integrated with Google Apps. You may also opt for single sign-on access.
With Google Apps for Work, users can also send lead generation and marketing emails with MailChimp, track and manage email responses with Zoho CRM and close sales using eSign.
How Do Companies Benefit From Google Apps for Work?
In 2015, Google hired Forrester Consulting to initiate a Total Economic Impact research study regarding the value of Google Apps for Work. Here’s what Forrester found:
- Over a three-year period, “Google Apps for Work generated a risk-adjusted $17.1 million in benefits, outweighing the total costs of $4.2 million and resulting in a risk-adjusted ROI of 304 percent.”
- By facilitating collaboration among employees, Google Apps saved employees two hours each week over three years, which added up to $8 million in company savings.
- With the ability to engage in remote meetings and work from virtually anywhere, Google Apps for Work saved organizations over $5 million in three years. In addition, the decommissioning of phone systems, software and legacy servers saved employers another $4 million.
How Hard Is It to Set up Google Apps for Work?
After activating your Google Apps for Work account, deploying apps to your employees begins with choosing one of two deployments: enterprise deployment or small/medium business deployment. Enterprise deployment is recommended for businesses with multiple domains, large amounts of data to import, advanced/SSO authentication or when 750+ users are expected to use the apps. For businesses with a single domain, fewer than 250 users, no advanced authentication/SSO and small amounts of data to import, Google recommends implementing small/medium business deployment. Google also provides a Technical Transition Guide with detailed instructions about setting up and deploying Google Apps for Work.
Can You Use Single Sign-On and Multi-Factor Authentication to Access Google Apps for Work?
Yes. SSO not only enables you to access all Google Apps for Work using one-time sign-in authentication but allows administrators to SSO to the console and gain access to apps as well. If other users try to sign in on an administrator’s console when SSO is established, they are immediately redirected to the single sign-on page. Securing Google Apps for Work also means you will have complete control over who can access applications, be able to activate or deactivate users in real time and add multiple factors of authentication when necessary. The OptimalCloud offers multi-factor cloud-based authentication for those situations or applications that require additional security. Most importantly, the OptimalCloud allows you to conifugre two-factor authentication when accessing an application such as Google Apps for Work off of the corporate network. One option for two-factor authentication supported out of the box by The OptimalCloud is Time-based One-Time Password (TOTP). TOTP is an algorithm that generates a one-time password based on a shared secret key and current time stamp that is the foundation of OATH. The Optimal TOTP service available through The OptimalCloud, includes granular administrative control, SMS for non-smartphone users and email options in addition to the TOTP functionality. Most importantly, it works with any TOTP compliant authentication application including those available from Google, such as Google Apps for Work.
Leave Your Competition in the Dust With Google Apps for Work
A leading provider of innovative business solutions involving all types of identity management software, Optimal IdM can assist your company in making a seamless transition to cloud-based Google Apps for Work. If you are ready to take your business to the next level and beyond, contact us today to learn more about the many, long-term benefits of utilizing Google Apps for Work.
