4 Google apps to start using now

Did you know that Google offers more than just Gmail, Maps and YouTube? Although indispensable to the lives of smartphone users the world over, these apps aren’t everything the search engine giant has to offer. A quick browse through Google Play will introduce you up to a host of apps that can make your life easier. “Window-shopping” at the Google store, however, means inundation from a slew of fluff and productivity-destroying entertainment apps, and you might not have time for that. But we do, so make room on your device for these four useful Google tools.

Chrome Remote Desktop

This cross-platform app provides a tremendous benefit in terms of support. If you need remote assistance, you can grant someone temporary access to your desktop and revoke access once the issue has been resolved. The other benefit is being able to access your own desktop from any of your mobile devices (smartphone, tablet, Chromebook) to work on files or use programs. Simply install the Google Chrome extension, assign a pin for remote access, and start sharing.

Trusted Contacts

It’s a dangerous world out there, which is why location-sharing apps such as Trusted Contacts are heaven sent. With Trusted Contacts, you can request a location from, or share yours with, a contact who's also using the app. Location sharing has long been part of most apps with a GPS functionality, but what sets Trusted Contacts apart is its ability to send a person’s location even when offline. In instances when a person’s location is requested and there’s no answer within 5 minutes, the app automatically sends the contact’s last known location.

Google Handwriting Input

Typing on smartphones isn't easy for everyone, and that’s why enhancements such as Swype are a welcome feature to touchscreen keyboards. Google Handwriting Input works like Swype, but is more flexible and doesn’t require precise strokes. You can ‘handwrite’ your IMs and text messages, perform searches, and even create emojis, using your finger or a stylus. This app may not seem like much, but it can be quite useful for those who communicate in languages with special characters.

Google Trips

Organizing business or leisure travel is taxing, and having to use multiple apps just adds to the chaos. Google Trips reduces your travel hassles by putting all data -- such as itinerary, hotel location, available transportation, and other trip-related info -- into one app and letting you access it online or offline. It also provides recommendations on popular attractions, day trips, and things to do based on the itineraries and other travel-related information you’ve stored in your Gmail.

The answer to some of your business’s most pressing needs may be hidden in plain sight in the App Store. We’re constantly on the lookout for process-enhancing apps and tools, so we know which solutions are best for you. Contact us today for advice.

Office 365 and G Suite

Google’s G Suite or Microsoft’s Office 365? That’s the question. One that many business owners ask themselves but often put aside because weighing the individual functionality seems like a monumental task! We’re here to help end that indecisiveness, so let’s take a look at what each has to offer.

Cost and commitment G Suite offers two pricing plans: $5 and $10 per user per month. The $5 plan offers company email addresses, video and voice calls, integrated online calendars, online documents, presentations and spreadsheets and more.

The $10 plan offers all the features of the $5 plan plus unlimited storage or 1TB per user for less than 5 members, advanced admin control panel for Google Drive, and audit and reporting insights for Drive content and sharing, to name a few.

• Office 365 offers a number of pricing plans, including:
• Office 365 Business Essentials ($5.00 per user per month)
• Office 365 Business ($8.25 per user per month)
• Office 365 Business Premium ($12.50 per user per month)
• Office 365 ProPlus ($12.00 per user per month)
• Office 365 Enterprise E1 ($8.00 per user per month)
• Office 365 Enterprise E3 ($20.00 per user per month)
• Office 365 Enterprise E5 ($35.00 per user per month)

We’ll compare two plans from Office 365 with the same pricing as G Suite below; you can find more details about Office 365’s other plans here.

• Office 365 Business Essentials will cost $5 per user per month with annual subscription. Monthly subscription will cost $6 per user per month, meaning you’ll save $1 user per month with G Suite.
• Office 365 Enterprise E1 will cost $2 less than G Suite’s $10 plan

Applications

Google Apps are designed for cloud-based collaboration. For instance, Google Docs lets you make permanent changes in the file or provide feedback using “suggestion” mode. Other advanced features in G Suite include machine intelligence in Google Calendar (which helps you find a time when invitees are free), Dynamic layout suggestions in Google Slides, and better file management and granular content ownership.

Microsoft apps, on the other hand, are designed based on desktop versions of their products with enhanced cloud capability -- you’ll be able to use cloud versions of Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook and more while still being able to work offline. More advanced integration with Microsoft’s cloud solutions like SharePoint, Dynamic CRM, and Azure are also available.

Security

G Suite leverages machine learning capabilities to detect suspicious logins and block most advanced types of spam. It automatically scans every email attachment before you download it to prevent the spread of viruses.

Office 365 utilizes Exchange Online Advanced Threat Protection (ATP), a new email filtering service that targets specific advanced threats like unknown malware and viruses in real time to protect against malicious URLs.

Email

While both Office 365 and G Suite offer a clean interface, the difference lies in the way emails are organized. Gmail lets you apply multiple labels to an email and offers 30GB of storage space across Gmail and Drive.

Office 365 uses classical folder structure to categorize emails and offers a 50-GB inbox in addition to 1-TB storage space. Unlimited storage is also available in its Enterprise E3 $20 per user per month plan.

Third-party integration

G Suite’s integration with CRM, productivity and customer service software gives you plenty of options. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said about Office 365, as Microsoft hasn’t been adopting a developer integration approach when compared with Google.

Support

Both G Suite and Office 365 offer 24/7 phone and email support. However, G Suite also offers live chat support and forums to seek clarification, give feedback and request additional functionality.

To sum up, G Suite is a better solution if you need native integration with third-party apps and support for various operating systems and devices. Despite that, Office 365 makes sense if you prefer a number of options when it comes to your pricing plans or need integration with other Microsoft cloud solutions. No matter the solution, maximizing productivity is imperative to stay ahead of competitors. If you need help finding the right solutions to enhance efficiency, just give us a call; we’re happy to help.

Our 4 favorite web browsers

Internet browsers are a unique type of software. No two browsers share the same list of features and functions, and almost all of them are free. That means you have a lot of options when choosing which is right for you, and that decision isn’t always clear cut. Read on for our take on the pros and cons of the five most popular web browsers.

Google Chrome

By just about any metric, Google Chrome has been the browser of choice for most internet users over the last couple years. It’s easy to use and its graphics interface has a low profile. However, if you want to customize Chrome with extensions and apps, there are more than enough options. The bottom line is: this is the best browser for users who spend a lot of time in G-Suite documents, or want the security benefits of frequent patches and updates.

Apple Safari

We might as well start off with the one, glaring drawback of Safari: It’s available only to Apple users. However, if you are working on a macOS or iOS device, Safari has a lot going for it. Ad blocking is built right into the browser, as well as RSS support for aggregating lots of information in one place. And because tabs can be automatically synced across all your Apple devices, we highly recommend Safari for anyone in a Mac environment.

Microsoft Edge

Note that Edge is a different browser than Internet Explorer. The latter still exists, but we’ve decided to skip it for various reasons. Although Edge works only on Windows 10 systems, it has two things going for it. First, Microsoft has announced a feature that will incorporate virtualization into Edge to quarantine downloads for testing before they’re opened on your computer. Second, the Windows 10 browser comes with some fantastic Office 365 integrations. We highly recommend Edge for users working in a business enterprise environment.

Opera

We’ve saved the most controversial for last. The Opera browser isn’t one of the most popular browsers available, but it does deserve consideration. Although it requires more customization and under-the-hood-work than its competitors, its privacy settings are unmatched. With a built-in virtual private network feature and some of the most robust ad blocking on the market, Opera is a great way to take a break from cookies and targeted advertisements.

Choosing a web browser may seem like such an inconsequential thing, but just think about the rate of cloud adoption. If you plan on utilizing more software-as-a-service solutions in the coming years, one tiny feature in a browser could make all the difference. Contact us today about planning your cloud deployment over the coming years.