Reasons to Integrate Your Business with Google Apps

Google is one of the most powerful companies in the world and the search engine of choice for the majority of users on the web. However, not only does Google provide helpful services for individual consumers looking for websites, it also boasts a range of apps that can help users organize their lives and keep track of their movements.

These apps can be integrated with many of your business’s everyday practices to ensure they run smoothly. Below are some of the best features of Google apps and how they can be connected with your business, both internal to Google and from their external Marketplace.

Gmail

Google’s mail service is not only available for individuals. In fact, you can configure your Gmail account with your web domain to act as the email center of your entire operations.

One of the biggest benefits of Google’s service is that it runs on cloud computing (more info on cloud computing if you’re curious). This means that rather than having all of your data stored on a hard drive in your office, the information is saved on Google’s own servers, allowing you to download it from any location you want, and not have to rely on saving it to external storage hardware and take it around with you. You can also use the chat feature to talk instantly with colleagues and clients who are online at the same time.

Google Docs

Google Docs are a range of applications and programs that can be used to create various business presentations and graphs, such as a PowerPoint reel or a spreadsheet. The data is stored completely online, meaning that it can be accessed anywhere. You can also allow a number of users to edit the document from wherever they are, meaning that if someone in your company who works remotely has some important information that is valuable to your business, they can update any documents with it easily and in a timely manner.

Calendar

The calendar that Google offers boasts a range of benefits for your business. Google calendar can again be edited by a number of people, so if you have a meeting booked and someone suddenly can’t show up for it, they can let everybody know. You can also create an event with the calendar that is then sent directly to the Gmail accounts of your colleagues so that if they have not checked the calendar they will still be aware that the event is taking place as it will show up in their inbox.

The calendar can also be color coded to allow users to see which colleague has edited particular parts.

External compatibility

Google’s apps not only work with Google’s products, but can be aligned with apps from other businesses that you are using as well. For example, if your business uses the electronic signature services from Echosign you can configure the app to work in sync with Google’s additional services – meaning you won’t have to worry about migrating all of your existing systems to work solely on Google’s applications.

There are other business apps, such as SmartSheet that do the same. You can look through Google Apps’s Marketplace Directory to see if other apps you use integrate as well.

Google’s apps can be a vital addition to your business practices by allowing you to collaborate with your colleagues online. Which apps will you use?