I was talking to a web client of mine who’s computer was completely fried. Totally toasted. They have now been without a computer for three weeks, and it’s looking as though they lost all of their data.
All. Of. It.
Contacts, files, email – everything! Although they should have had a decent backup plan in place, few of us do a very good job of doing this regularly. Besides, even if you have a computer disaster, there are a lot of hours involved in restoring your data. Honestly, I have no idea how my client has been able to continue doing business without their computer!
This is one of the reasons I have increased my use of cloud based apps. My computer could die, today, and all of my files, emails, tasks, notes, and contacts could be accessed from another computer.
I recently scythed Microsoft’s Office 365, so what’s a good office solution?
Google Apps
Until, now, Google Apps has been standing alone. There really hasn’t been heavy competition with cloud-based office apps. Although late on the scene, Microsoft has introduced their own.
So, how does Google Apps compare to Office 365?
Teams
Goolge Apps is founded on collaboration.
With Apps you can work with multiple people in the same document. There’s no need to
worry about whether or not it’s possible to share a spreadsheet, or co-edit a presentation. You can see people type in real time, and share a file in just two clicks.
No matter the document, I can easily share and collaborate!
Office 365 is more of an add-on to your desktop office suite. It isn’t integrated and nearly as easy to collaborate as with Google Apps.
Anywhere
Office 365 is optimized for Windows-based PCs and devices. I don’t care what the statistics are about how many people use Mac vs PC, narrowing it to one OS is lame.
Google Apps was built to work on one platform and one platform only: The web.
Start on your tablet, finish on your desktop, and make last minute changes on your smartphone.
Simple Pricing
One of the failings of Office 365 is the number of plans they offer:
11 different plans, three editions and two tiers.
Who came up with this? #FAIL
Check-out this comparison chart:
[Click for Larger View]
If you need 10 or less users, you don’t even have to subscribe to Google Apps for Business.
Here are the Google App subscription options:
[Click for Larger View]
If you are a U.S. nonprofit organization of over 3,000 users, you are now eligible for Google Apps for Business at a 40% discount ($30/user/year). If your organization is under 3,000 users, you can apply for the free Google Apps for Education through the Google for Nonprofits site. Apply here.
500 Reasons
Google asked their Google App users to submit reasons to consider using Google Apps. In just 24hrs, they received 500 reasons!
Google took those 500 reasons and created this word cloud:
[Click for Larger View]
If you use Google Apps, why do you like it?
Would you consider using Office 365?
[via Google Enterprise Blog]
Ben Terry says
I’m the IT guy for Sojourn Church in Louisville and we use Google Apps mainly because it frees up our servers, its cheaper, and since we are a multisite church it allows us to be able to easily share and collaborate on documents with staff that are not located in our central offices.
Graham says
Same here man! I implemented Google Apps for my church a couple years ago fir the same reasons. Mainly it got that critical data off our servers and into a more stable environment. Some of the staff aren’t that good at understanding the cloud vs. The server… But we’re getting there. 😉
Eric Dye says
Some may never understand :-\
Eric Dye says
Sweet! Spoken like the Pro that you are! Thanks for weighing in, Ben.
Dave Shrein says
We’ve been running Google Apps and love it. Google takes care of everything and it’s cheap. We aren’t locked into anything and can use it in our all mac, occasional PC, office. The only downer is when Google goes down, everything goes down… but then again, they’ll be better at restoring services than I would using our own solution.
Microsoft, just another example of not “getting it.”
Eric Dye says
Well said:
Microsoft, just another example of not “getting it.”
I’ve thought about the “going down” issue before, and it’s something we just have to move past, I guess.
Greg says
In my opinion, Microsoft still hasn’t gotten the memo that people and organizations are looking for more functionality available across multiple platforms with a simple pricing structure. In the time it takes to decipher the cost to benefit of each Microsoft tier/package, it makes more sense to go with Google Apps.
As you pointed out, the big advantage is that Google Apps is a product unto itself, not an extension of a product that has to be loaded onto a physical machine.
Eric Dye says
Right, again.
Microsoft just doesn’t get it.
Paul Stohler says
I Have been using Google Apps for a while now. The best part, it is free! That helps a lot for a small church budget. We have the Education plan and the even just increased the email limit to 25 gigs. Still free! Love the collaboration and the mobile apps as well. It just keeps getting better. I now prepare all my sermons in Docs and can edit on any computer, even my iPhone. Apps has really revolutionalized church work IMHO.
I contacted Microsoft last week just to see If they had a non-prof free version. They didn’t. There’s my answer 😉
Eric Dye says
Word.
Thanks for sharing man! Love hearing from those in the tech trenches.
Gangai Victor says
Google apps wins…hands down.
Eric Dye says
😀 – Yup!
Jon says
I’m a little confused. I keep hearing that Google Apps is free. But under the non-profit eligibility guidelines (http://www.google.com/nonprofits/eligibility.html) it says that churches are restricted from participating. The two specific restrictions listed are:
+ Religious content or proselytizing on website as well as organizations that use religion or sexual orientation as factor in hiring or populations served
and
+ Places or institutions of worship (e.g., churches, ministries, temples, synagogues)
Am I missing something?
Dave Shrein says
Interesting. I had never see that before.
My thought would be that they have the right to reject any group they want and that gives them the ability to take action of they want to. I do know that we had to provide some information to be reviewed and approved and would imagine that google is allowed to break their own rules.
We were approved 3 years ago and have never heard anything from them since. Maybe we are so low profile they don’t care? Not sure. But very interesting.
Eric Dye says
Google Apps is free for personal use. You can share documents with up to ten different people. If you want to share with more than that, you have to subscribe. I would do what Dave suggests, and go forward and try to get approved. If anything weird happens, or there’s some weird verbage with the terms, contact us.
Jon says
Based on the fact that I’d be registering a church which is clearly restricted I’m not sure I could register in good conscience.
Eric Dye says
Is it restricted as registering under the business class? If you pay, what do they care?
Jon says
Sorry when you said “try to get approved” I assumed you meant register as a non-profit. My bad.
Eric Dye says
Dude. No worries. I do find their verbage in the non-profit terms very bothersome. I would think following the IRS 501C(3) would be good enough. It sounds like they’re playing some politics?
Brian says
I think they have since removed the verbiage On churches under eligibility, we just got approved for non-profit under 501c3 eligibility. Just thought I’d post this in case some is scanning the blogs/comments.
Eric Dye says
Thanks, Brian!
Joshua Jones says
I do feel Microsoft has spent significant effort towards streamlining their products….that said they have a long way to go. Not trying to make any kind of political or theological statement here…but we’re dealing with church technology so here’s where I’m at. I feel a bit stuck because of google’s anti-discrimination clause highlighted here: http://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/googlefornonprofits-discuss/GeQnslqcv7M
Can anyone help me develop an answer for this? Further context, I’m dealing with a staff of 125….so we do need some office software suite in place. Do you all feel google apps is really a 1 for 1 trade on Microsoft Office?
Joshua Jones says
Just saw that the later article Eric posted here: https://churchm.ag/office-365/
Thanks man. Beyond that, any input is helpful.
Eric Dye says
That’s a great question, Joshua, and I have heard two schools of thought:
1) Don’t use Google Apps, because your church will not hire those with a LGBTQ sexual orientation.
2) Use Google Apps, because you will not discriminate against those with a LGBTQ sexual orientation.
Most churches already have moral conduct guides in place which is applied to all employees regardless of orientation. Publicly or privately understanding ones sexual orientation is not a sin. It’s the follow-through of acting on your desires that becomes the issue. One’s ongoing struggles with sin are typically shared privately with a spiritual guide not publically with an employer.
Jim Piazza says
I agree Google has done a good job with integrating their apps, however I don’t like their interface and the word and sheet apps are not 100% compatible with Office.
However…
Today Office365 has improved in functionality 10x from a few years ago. The mail is on Exchange which works better than IMAP on Google.
As far as having programs for non profits – MS has that as well. I introduced Office365 for my church a few years ago and its going fantastic. Access to MS Office is a fraction of what it is to the public. Of course there still is the web versions as well.
Its worth taking another look at Office365 – for people that are stuck on Google, I don’t see them making a change because that’s what they are used to. However for someone that hasn’t made a move, its worth looking at. Are you a Ford or Chevy truck person? They are both good, its just a matter of opinion. Google Apps and Office365 pretty much goes the same way.