If your business isn’t already in the cloud, it’s likely that you’re considering making the switch. As the cloud becomes more common among businesses, the need for your employees to have mobile access to their information grows. While there are many cloud options, there is one cloud service provider that offers not only authority, but also improved communication and collaboration solutions.
Google Apps Ring
Google first entered the cloud computing scene in 2006. Since then, it has developed four cloud computing platforms, one of which – Google Apps for Business – is dedicated entirely to businesses of all sizes. When your business operates on the Google cloud, you are entrusting your information with both a secure (Google Apps is verified in SAS 70 Type II audit) and reliable (Google Apps operates on a 99.9% uptime guarantee) network.
While Google Apps boasts impressive security and reliability, equally as impressive are its communication and collaboration tools. After your business undergoes a Google Apps migration to move your data from your legacy system to the Google cloud, you will have a number of applications at your fingertips that are designed to improve communication and collaboration. Some of these tools, like Gmail, may be more familiar to your employees than others, like Google Sites, but all of the tools on Google Apps operate rather intuitively.
Tools like Gmail and chat are excellent for facilitating communication within the workplace and with customers. Your business can utilize Google Groups to created a group of specific people to which you can send emails, which eliminates the need to type each name individually. Additionally, features like Google Sites allow you to create a company intranet to keep the flow of communication strong.
With applications like Google Documents and Google Sites, collaboration will be better than ever before. Google Docs allows users to create files and share them with others, who can then work together on the same document in real-time, leave comments for others, and view the revision history. You can also use Google Sites to create a website for team projects which provides team members with a central point where they can post updates, deadlines, and reminders.
The opportunities for collaboration on Google Apps are endless, and in order to make sure your business is taking full advantage of these features, you may want to enlist the help of a Google partner. If you’re look for collaborative solutions, you can have a Google partner help you determine how your business can best take advantage of Google Apps.
One popular solution is for companies that are already running on Google Apps. In this case, a Google partner can construct a collaboration plan that is specific to your business. A group of experts will assess your company and make a list of possible opportunities and goals for collaboration. The collaboration experts will come to your office, hold meetings in which you outline your collaboration objectives, and begin to help you choose specific solutions. Subsequently, they will devise a plan just for your company and train your employees in how to make the plan a reality. The plan created by the Google partner will improve how your business utilizes Google Apps’ collaboration tools and thus increase the benefits your business receives.
Another possible collaborative solution is for businesses that are still considering switching to Google’s cloud service. In this case, your business can have a Google partner facilitate a pilot of the collaboration features available through Google Apps. This specific solution centers around Google Sites, Google Docs, and Google Cloud Connect. Testing Google Apps with the help of a Google partner should allow you to determine when your business can best use Google Apps, how you can implement the switch, and what Google Apps training your employees will need. This pilot should help you better grasp the ways in which Google Apps can benefit your business and can help you introduce the Google cloud platform to your employees.
With the right collaboration tools, your business can significantly improve day-to-day operations and reach higher levels of success. While switching your business to a new network may seem daunting, the Google Apps for Business platform offers unmatched authority and communication and collaboration tools that are guaranteed to improve your business.
Cloud Sherpas is a leading cloud service provider and was named the “Google Enterprise 2011 Partner of the Year.” As one of the first Google Enterprise partners, Cloud Sherpas has migrated over one million users across a variety of industries from legacy, on-premise messaging systems to Google Apps, helping organizations adopt cloud computing to innovate and dramatically reduce their IT expenses. A Google Apps Reseller in Atlanta, GA, Cloud Sherpas has regional offices in locations including San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Austin and Sydney, and has more Google Apps Certified Deployment Specialists than any other partner in the world.
