Office 365 Vs. Google Apps: Top 10 Enterprise Concerns
June 27, 2011 03:30 PM Is Microsoft Office 365 ready to rumble with the ease of use and lower cost of archrival Google Apps? Consider this point-by-point comparison for enterprises.
Conclusion: Microsoft's Game To Lose
If your business thrives and collaborates online, has no call for advanced Excel and Word capabilities and integrations, and it leans heavily on the latest tablets and smartphones, Google Apps has an edge and a cost advantage. If hybrid deployment scenarios, unified IT management, offline operation, integration with Word and Excel documents, and user familiarity with interfaces and workflows are important--as we think they will be to many enterprises currently using Microsoft products--Office 365 has an attractive combination of capabilities that will keep most existing customers in the Microsoft camp.
The true test for both services over the coming months and years will be ongoing execution. Will uptime, ease of management, and support keep users and IT satisfied? And will these vendors quickly adapt to new ways of working, as social networking, mobility, and the consumerization of IT change user expectations? Enterprise customers will have high expectations on both counts.
RECOMMENDED READING:
Google Apps Vs. Office 365: Prepare For Battle
Microsoft's New Cloud Chief Dismisses Sales Scare Talk
Wyoming Completes Google Apps Migration
Feisty Ballmer Talks Cloud, Office 365, And Big Data
Microsoft Office 365 Signals Huge Cloud Shift
Skype Deal: Collaboration Is Microsoft's Game To Lose
Global CIO: Enterprise Apps Not Among Products Google's REALLY Excited About









