Why Current and Future Companies Need Google Workspace
An overused term and ever-growing company, Google is basically our default option in school, at home and, no more or less, in our work environment.
What started as a search engine has now grown into several group-oriented applications. One of these, called Google Workspace (formerly G Suite), is a suite containing 14 apps and 4 subscription plans, and makes starting and running a business easier.
The Workspace apps range from Gmail to Jamboard and its plans are listed as Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, and Enterprise; the most popular being Business Standard.
Prices currently range from $6 to $18 per month. For Enterprise, contact with their sales department is needed for pricing, as there are options such as Premium Support or as much Cloud storage as needed, for an additional price.
Mousing through these apps, I delved into the ones lesser-known to me, and perhaps many others. They are Currents, Jamboard, Sites, Keep, and Forms.
Starting with Currents, Google has created its own Facebook-like social media platform for the business world. Users can connect over similar values and goals and thus share ideas for discussion. Content and comments can also be saved and used for future conversations.
This transitions into Jamboard, which takes things a step further by adding visual collaboration (with an optional 55-inch LCD touch screen from Google for in-person display.) Users can save and share their drawn ideas or “Jams”, and add images, notes and documents from the web, all while using this digital whiteboard, their phone, or computer.
Keep allows you to make, save, and share reminders and inspiration with your team, in an Instagram-like fashion. This can be done by creating and sharing notes, lists, photos, audio and drawings and they can even be filtered by category, all with a focus on teammate collaboration.
Forms allows users to create both online forms and surveys with no additional fees, then analyze the results in Google Sheets with responses appearing in real time. This is mainly on a company-to-customer basis, though it can also be used internally with your staff. Like creating a document, content (as in various question and answer types) can be organized “as easily as pasting a list.”
Sites, just as the name suggests, allows users to create a team website focusing on collaboration, sharing results, and teamwork with access to their Google Drive, Docs, and Calendar. Simplicity in design and layout is a priority with the concept of “click, drag and drop.” This, along with other features, can be used for a “team, project or event,” with no need for prior experience or IT for security, as users manage sharing permissions.
With a comprehensive list of products to utilize, Google will continue to revolutionize the in-person and online marketplaces as a whole. To claim that we all need what Google offers is an understatement as this conglomerate has already made its way into the personal and professional lives of practically everyone. We have all become team members in our own right, and each of these products will undoubtedly help individuals and groups alike both lead and follow. Implementing these tools at even a basic level will help an individual or company grow substantially and brings to mind the Scout motto: “Be Prepared.”
Written by Blog Contributor: Amber Chisholm
