Google Workspace For Better Collaborative Work Experience

 

1.    About Google Workspace

Google Workspace is a smart product for collaborative work activities because it combines a suite of communication and collaboration software in one integrated work platform.  As a set of communication and collaboration apps built for people in organizations, Google Workspace includes communication apps (such as Gmail and Google Meet), and collaboration apps (such as Google Docs, Sheets, Slides and Forms). The collaboration apps have been built from the beginning to allow multiple people to edit a document, spreadsheet or presentation simultaneously.

There is an administrator function that create and manage Google Workspace accounts. This is completely different from the standard free Gmail or Google accounts that an individual may create. The administrator function not only has considerable control over Google Workspace defaults, but also control to security settings and app access.

Different configurations may be applied to different groups of people or different organizational units. This feature also enable Google Workspace to be configured to serve highly sensitive data as well. This could make an administrator may prevent offline storage of Workspace data, such as Drive files, calendar items and email.

2.    Google Workspace Apps

Below are the list of apps that are available for most editions of Google Workspace. Details about each item can be acknowledge by clicking the link name that will lead to the related Google Workspace page.

As speed is one important aspect of Workspace apps, Google offers .new shortcuts, which, when dropped in a modern browser’s URL box, create a new item of the type indicated. Take doc.new shortcut for example, it will creates a new Google doc file when it is clicked.

·         Gmail: Famous and widely used email service

·         Calendar: Scheduling solution (cal.new)

·         Meet/Meet hardware: Group video and audio conferencing (meet.new)

·         Chat/Spaces: Team conversations and project places

·         Drive: Private cloud storage that also allows shared drives and files

·         Docs: Collaborative documents (doc.new)

·         Sheets: Collaborative spreadsheets (sheet.new)

·         Slides: Collaborative presentations (slide.new)

·         Forms: Customizable forms and surveys (form.new)

·         Keep: Collaborative notes (note.new or keep.new)

·         Sites: Collaborative websites (site.new)

The next list below are not prominently featured as core Workspace apps, but are often available, depending on the edition of Google Workspace you choose. Mostly, these require additional purchases.

·         Groups & Groups for Business: Email lists and access management

·         Cloud Search: Search across your Google Workspace

·         Vault: Data retention and eDiscovery

·         Jamboard / Jamboard hardware: Collaborative visual board (jam.new)

·         Voice / Voice hardware: Virtual phone system

·         Apps Script: Business process automation

·         AppSheet: No-code application development

·         Classroom: Structured learning spaces for teachers and students

·         Domains: Domain registration with integrated Google Workspace sign-up and configuration

3.    Google Workspace Accessibilities

A modern browser (Chrome strongly recommended)

Commonly, on desktop platforms that powered by Windows OS and macOS, Google Workspace apps may be accessed with a modern web browser. But In most cases, Google Chrome browser will be the standard browser that is chosen to be used in the organizations that deploy Google Workspace.

Beside gives you access to Workspace apps, when login to your Workspace account using the Chrome browser will also lets you leverage Chrome-only features. For example, you may configure Gmail, Docs, Sheets and Slides to sync locally for offline work in your local computer.

Google Drive for desktop

Google offers Google Drive for Desktop (formerly Google Drive File Stream) for Windows and macOS systems, which lets people browse Drive files and folders with a locally installed app. Navigating items stored on Drive much like navigating the local file system.

Android, iOS and iPadOS apps

For Android users, iOS  users and iPadOS systems users, there are already several Google Workspace apps available at Google Play Store (Android) or the iOS App Store (Apple)that can be installed, including: Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Meet, Chat, and Keep.

Hardware and Chrome Enterprise (Optional)

Mostly, organizations that use Google Workspace also purchase several related items, such as Chromebooks, Google Meet hardware, Jamboard devices or Google Voice phone equipment. All of these devices and their related services should be configured by Workspace administrator after have been connected to your organization’s Workspace account. A Chrome Enterprise controls will help an administrator to manage and deploy Chrome and Chrome devices.

4.    Differentiation and Editions

Workspace editions differentiated by number of accounts, customer organization type and capabilities.

Differentiation by Number of Accounts

Business editions, for organizations that need up to 300 user accounts. And for more than 300 accounts should explore the Enterprise editions. There is also Workspace for a single user, named Google Workspace Individual.

Differentiation by Type of Organization

There are version for profit organization, and version editions that are only available to specific types of organizations, such as nonprofit and educational organizations.

Differentiation by Storage Limits

The Starter Edition has the most smallest storage.
Standard Edition has a larger storage than the Starter Edition.
Plus Edition has the largest storage from all of Workspace Edition.

Storage capacity including: Meet limits (participant numbers and the recording option), management capabilities (security configuration and reports) and access to certain app.

Consideration of Moving From Free Gmail Account to Paid Google Workspace Account

Commonly, there are three basic reasons to move into a paid Google Workspace account, instead of only using a free Gmail account:

Branding: Your workspace environtment can be configured to user your organization’s domain name. Obviously, emails you send are from your domain (e.g., you@exampleorganization.com), rather than using a gmail.com address.

Account management: Workspace allows administrator to centrally manage accounts, user accounts can be added, edited or deleted as employees join or leave the organization.

Security: Security settings can be improved to require longer passwords, two-factor authentication and limit external sharing, among many other optons that reduce the risk of undesired data leaks.