Best Google Workspace Service Provider

Google Workspace (formerly G Suite, formerly Google Apps) is a collection of cloud computing, productivity and collaboration tools, software and products developed and marketed by Google. It consists of Gmail, Contacts, Calendar, Meet and Chat for communication; Drive for storage; and the Google Docs Editors suite for content creation. An Admin Panel is provided for managing users and services. Depending on edition Google Workspace may also include the digital interactive whiteboard Jamboard and an option to purchase add-ons such as the telephony service Voice.

The education edition adds a learning platform Google Classroom and today has the name Workspace for Education. It previously included Google Currents for employee engagement.

While most of these services are individually available at no cost to consumers who use their free Google (Gmail) accounts, Google Workspace adds enterprise features such as custom email addresses at a domain (e.g. @your), an option for unlimited Drive storage, administrative tools and advanced settings, as well as 24/7 phone and email support.

The suite was first launched in February 2006 as Gmail for Your Domain, before being expanded into Google Apps for Your Domain in the same year, later rebranded as G Suite in 2016, then rebranded again in 2020 as Google Workspace.

As of October 2021, Google Workplace had 9 million paying businesses.The number of Education users in Google Workplace surpassed 170 million.

History of Google Workspace

From February 10, 2006, Google started testing a version of the service at San Jose City College, hosting Gmail accounts with SJCC domain addresses and admin tools for account management. On August 28, 2006, Google launched Google Apps for Your Domain, a set of apps for organizations. Available for free as a beta service, it included Gmail, Talk, Calendar, and the Page Creator, which was later replaced with Sites. Dave Girouard, then Google’s vice president and general manager for enterprise, outlined its benefits for business customers: “Organizations can let Google be the experts in delivering high quality email, messaging, and other web-based services while they focus on the needs of their users and their day-to-day business”. Google announced an edition for schools, then known as Google Apps for Education, on October 10, 2006.

On February 22, 2007, Google introduced Google Apps Premier Edition, which differed from the free version by offering more storage (10 GB per user), APIs for business integration, 99.9% uptime for Gmail, and 24/7 phone support. It cost $50 per user account per year. According to Google, early adopters of Google Apps Premier Edition included Procter & Gamble, San Francisco Bay Pediatrics, and Salesforce. Additionally, all editions of Google Apps were then able to use Documents and Spreadsheets, users could access Gmail on BlackBerry mobile devices, and administrators gained more application control.[14] Further enhancements came, on June 25, 2007, when Google added a number of features to Google Apps, including mail migration from external IMAP servers, shared address books, a visual overhaul of Google Docs and Google Sheets, and increased Gmail attachment size. A ZDNet article noted that Google Apps now offered a tool for switching from the popular Exchange Server and Domino, positioning Google as an alternative to Microsoft and IBM. On October 3, 2007, a month after acquiring Postini, Google announced that the startup’s email security and compliance options had been added to Google Apps Premier Edition. Customers now had the ability to better configure their spam and virus filtering, implement retention policies, restore deleted messages, and give administrators access to all emails.

Google introduced Sites on February 28, 2008. Google Sites provided a simple new Google Apps tool for creating intranets and team websites.

On June 9, 2009, Google launched Google Apps Sync for Outlook, a plugin that allows customers to synchronize their email, calendar, and contacts data between Outlook and Google Apps. Less than a month later, on July 7, 2009, Google announced that the services included in Google Apps—Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs, and Google Talk—were out of beta.

Google opened the Workspace Marketplace, on March 9, 2010, which is an online store for third-party business applications that integrate with Google Apps, to make it easier for users and software to do business in the cloud. Participating vendors included Intuit, Appirio, and Atlassian. On July 26, 2010, Google introduced an edition for governments, then-known as Google Apps for Government, which was designed to meet the public sector’s unique policy and security needs. It was also announced that Google Apps had become the first suite of cloud applications to receive Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) certification and accreditation.

Nearly five years after the launch of Google Apps, on April 26, 2011, Google announced that organizations with more than 10 users were no longer eligible for the free edition of Google Apps. They would have to sign up for the paid version, now known as Google Apps for Business. A flexible billing plan was also introduced, giving customers the option of paying $5 per user per month with no contractual commitment.

On March 28, 2012, Google launched Google Vault, an optional electronic discovery and archiving service for Google Apps for Business customers. And then, on April 24, 2012, Google introduced Google Drive, a platform for storing and sharing files. Each Google Apps for Business user was given 5GB of Drive storage, with the option to purchase more. Later that year, Google announced that the free version of Google Apps would no longer be available to new customers.

Google unified the storage between Drive and Gmail, on May 13, 2013, giving Google Apps customers 30GB total that are shared across the apps.

On March 10, 2014, Google launched the Google Apps Referral Program, which offers participating individuals a $15 referral bonus for each new Google Apps user they refer. Google, on June 25, 2014, announced Drive for Work, a new Google Apps offering featuring unlimited file storage, advanced audit reporting, and new security controls for $10 per user per month.

Google Enterprise, the company’s business product division, was officially renamed Google for Work on September 2, 2014. Eric Schmidt, then Google’s executive chairman said, “we never set out to create a traditional ‘enterprise’ business—we wanted to create a new way of doing work (…) so the time has come for our name to catch up with our ambition”.

Google announced that Google Apps would be rebranded as G Suite on September 29, 2016. Then, on October 25, 2016, Google launched the first hardware product for G Suite, the Jamboard; a 55-inch digital whiteboard connected to the cloud.

Google announced that G Suite would be rebranded as Google Workspace on October 6, 2020, and that Workspace would emphasize increased integration between the apps, such as the ability to create Docs from within Chats, or start a Meet call from within a presentation. As part of the rebranding, the iconic logos for Gmail, Google Drive, Google Docs, Google Calendar, Google Meet, and other products in Google Workspace were changed. These new logos corresponded to the similar changes which happened in Maps and Photos. The logo redesigns were met with mixed reactions by end users.

On June 14, 2021, Google announced that Google Workspace would be available to consumers with an account, along with the ability for users to fully switch from Hangouts to Chat, the rebranding of the “Rooms” feature in Gmail to “Spaces”, a new “Google Workspace Individual” tier, a progressive web app for Workspace applications, and more.

On January 19, 2022, Google announced any “G Suite legacy free edition” accounts must be upgraded to a paid tier by May 1, 2022, or the account will be automatically upgraded. If a user does not manually upgrade to a paid tier and if no payment information is entered in the account admin page, the account will be suspended starting July 1, 2022. The free tier of accounts were available for users to sign up for from 2007 until 2012 at which point they were changed to a legacy status. This will not affect access to other Google Services, including YouTube, Google Photos, and Google Play, nor paid content, including YouTube and Play Store purchases. On May 17, 2022, Google announced they would offer “G Suite legacy free edition” accounts the option to self-identify they are using these accounts for non-business use. This would then give them the chance to keep using this service for “Free”. They did say that business features might be removed at a later date, without giving indication what those features might be.

In March 2023, Google brought generative AI capabilities to Google Workspace (initially to a limited set of trusted testers).

Products of Google Workspace

Google Workspace comprises Gmail, Chat, Meet, Calendar, Drive for storage; Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, Keep for notes, Sites for collaboration, Apps Script for building low-code/no-code business applications; and an Admin panel and Vault for managing users and the services.

Optional add-ons include Google Voice, AppSheet and Meet hardware.

All Workspace Business and Enterprise plans include access to Gemini for Workspace without the need to purchase an additional add-on. 

The Starter plan includes email addresses with custom domains (@yourcompany.com), video and voice calls, calendars, 30GB storage, collaborative documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and sites, controls for security and privacy, and 24/7 phone and email support. The Business Plus plan enables many additional custom features, including advanced admin controls for Drive, 5TB storage on Drive, audit and reporting insights for Drive content and sharing, custom message retention policies, and more. Enterprise-level customers receive S/MIME encryption, noise cancellation in Meet, and as much storage as they need.

Gmail

Gmail is a web-based email service, launched in a limited beta release on April 1, 2004. With over 1 billion active consumer users worldwide in February 2016, it has become popular for giving users large amounts of storage space,[ and for having threaded conversations and robust search capabilities.

As part of Google Workspace, Gmail comes with additional features designed for business use, including:

  • Email addresses with the customer’s domain name (@yourcompany.com)
  • 99.9% guaranteed uptime with zero scheduled downtime for maintenance
  • 30GB of storage space
  • 24/7 phone and email support
  • Synchronization compatibility with Microsoft Outlook and other email providers
  • Support for add-ons that integrate third-party apps purchased from the Google Workspace Marketplace with Gmail

Google Drive

Google Drive is a file storage and synchronization service, launched on April 24, 2012. The official announcement described Drive as “a place where you can create, share, collaborate, and keep all of your stuff”.

With Google Drive, users can upload any type of file to the cloud, share them with others, and access them from any computer, tablet, or smartphone. Users can sync files between their device and the cloud with apps for Microsoft Windows and Apple macOS computers, and Android and iOS smartphones and tablets.

As part of Google Workspace, Google Drive comes with additional features designed for business use, including:

  • Either 30GB, 2TB, 5TB per user, or unlimited storage, depending on the plan
  • Advanced admin controls, depending on the plan
  • Audit and reporting insights for Drive content and sharing, depending on the plan

Google Docs, Sheets and Slides

Google Docs, Google Sheets and Google Slides are a word processor, a spreadsheet and a presentation program respectively. The three programs originate from company acquisitions in 2006, and are today integrated into Google Drive as part of the Google Docs suite. They all serve as collaborative software that allow users to view and edit documents, spreadsheets and presentations together in real-time through a web browser or mobile device. Changes are saved automatically, with a revision history keeping track of changes. There is also the capability to set user permission levels to designate who can view, comment or edit the document as well as permissions to download the specific document. Google Forms, meanwhile, is a tool that allows collecting information from users via a personalized survey or quiz. The information is then collected and automatically connected to a spreadsheet. The spreadsheet is populated with the survey and quiz responses.

In June 2014, Google introduced Office support in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides without the need for file conversion. Writing for TechCrunch, Frederic Lardinois wrote that “Google is clearly positioning its apps as a more affordable solutions for companies that need to occasionally edit Office files”.

As part of Google Workspace, Google Docs and Slides come with additional features designed for business use, including unlimited revision history. Google Workspace also has garnered a strong following in education, with over 70 million users by 2017.

Google Forms

Google Forms is a survey application. Forms features all of the collaboration and sharing features found in Docs, Sheets, and Slides. It can also be used to create quizzes, including some specialized functions that are of use in educational settings.

Google Sites

Google Sites is a creation tool that allows multiple people to create and edit websites, without requiring coding knowledge or other web design skills. It was introduced in February 2008 in an effort to help customers “quickly gather a variety of information in one place – including videos, calendars, presentations, attachments, and text – and easily share it for viewing or editing with a small group, their entire organization, or the world.”

Google Vids

Google Vids is a tool to make demonstrative videos for workplaces and other types of videos. Users can create their own videos from scratch or prompt Google’s Gemini AI model to generate a first draft.

Google Calendar

Google Calendar is an online calendar intended to help keep track of time and schedules. It was launched in April 2006, and integrates with Gmail for users to easily add events from email messages directly to the calendar.

As part of Google Workspace, Google Calendar comes with additional features designed for business use, including:

  • Smart scheduling of meetings, where the service finds available times and appropriate locations based on coworkers’ schedules
  • Public calendars for consumers to see a business’s upcoming events
  • Calendar integration with Google Sites
  • Easy migration from Exchange, Outlook or iCal, or from .ics and .csv files
  • Ability to see what meeting rooms and shared resources are available

Google Tasks

Google Tasks lets users capture and manage to-dos anywhere in Google Workspace or using iOS and Android apps. It began as a feature of Gmail and Calendar before launching as a standalone app in June 2018. It integrates directly with Google Calendar, and tasks can be created from emails in Gmail.

Google Chat

Google Chat is a communication software developed by Google built for teams that provides direct messages and team chat rooms, similar to competitors Slack and Microsoft Teams, along with a group messaging function that allows G Drive content sharing (Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides).

It is one of two apps that constitute the replacement for Google Hangouts, the other being Google Meet. Although Google Hangouts remained part of Google Workspace, Google shut down Google Hangouts on November 1, 2022, and has since migrated all its users to Google Chat.

Google Meet

Google Meet is a standards-based Video Conferencing application, using proprietary protocols for video, audio and data transcoding. Google has partnered with Pexip to provide interoperability between the Google protocol and standards-based SIP/H.323 protocols to enable communications between Hangouts Meet and other Video Conferencing equipment and software.

Google Currents

Google Currents was a software application developed by Google for internal enterprise communication. Currents is a modified successor of Google+, which was shut down for consumers and brands on April 2, 2019.

As part of Google Workspace, Google Currents comes with additional features designed for business use, including enhanced privacy controls and restricted communities.

Google announced shutting down Google Currents on July 5, 2023, for business and education. Some content could be migrated to Google Chat.

Google Keep

Google Keep is a note-taking service with a variety of tools for notes, including text, lists, voice, and images.

Google Keep became part of Google Workspace in February 2017, and as part of Google Workspace, Google Keep comes with additional features designed for business use, including integration with Google Docs to easily access Keep notes while on Docs on the web.

Google Vault

Google Vault, an archiving and electronic discovery service exclusively available to Google Workspace customers, was announced on March 28, 2012.

Vault gives users “an easy-to-use and cost-effective solution for managing information critical to your business and preserving important data”, with Google stating that it can “reduce the costs of Lawsuit, regulatory investigation and compliance actions” by saving and managing Gmail messages and chat logs with the ability to search and manage data based on filters, such as terms, dates, senders, recipients, and labels.

An update in June 2014 let Vault customers search, preview, copy, and export files in Google Drive.

Jamboard

In October 2016, Google announced Jamboard, the first hardware product designed for Google Workspace. Jamboard is a digital interactive whiteboard that enables collaborative meetings and brainstorming. The Jamboard is connected to the cloud, and enables people in different locations to work together in real-time through multiple Jamboards or connected remotely through a smartphone companion app. The Jamboard recognizes different touch inputs, such as using a stylus to sketch or eraser to start over, and does not require batteries or pairing. The Jamboard is a 55-inch 4K display with a built-in HD camera, speakers and Wi-Fi.

In October 2023, Google announced that Jamboard would be sunsetted at the end of 2024 as Google works to integrate third-party whiteboard tools including Figjam by Figma, Miro, and Lucidspark.

Google Workspace Marketplace

Google Workspace Marketplace (formerly Google Apps Marketplace and then G Suite Marketplace), launched in 2010,[89][90] is an online store with business-oriented cloud applications that augment G Suite functionality. The Marketplace lets administrators browse for, purchase, and deploy integrated cloud applications.[91] It comprises the Business Tools, Productivity, Education, Communication, and Utilities categories.

In September 2014, Google released a blog post saying that employees would be able to install third-party apps from the Marketplace without involving administrators.

Other functionality

Introduced in February 2017, Google Cloud Search enables a “unified search experience” in Google Workspace. Cloud Search lets users search for information across the entire G Suite product lineup. Users can also search for contacts, with results including the person’s contact details, as well as events and files in common. The Cloud Search mobile app features “assist cards”, described by Google as “a new way to help you find the right information at the right time. Using Google’s machine intelligence technology, these cards can help you prepare for an upcoming meeting or even suggest files that need your attention”. Google states that Cloud Search respects file-sharing permissions, meaning that users will only see results for files they have access to. The initial global roll-out of Cloud Search introduced the functionality for G Suite Business and Enterprise customers, with Google stating that more functionality will be added over time, including support for third-party applications.

Introduced in July 2017, Hire by Google was a job applications and management tool developed by Google to be used in combination with G Suite. The tool lets employers track job candidates’ contact information, as well as résumés, calendar invitations, and allows for business partners to share feedback on candidates. Job applicants can choose what information to share with potential employers. The tool is designed for businesses based in the United States with fewer than 1,000 employees, and integrates with Google services, such as Gmail for sending messages, Google Calendar for tracking schedules, Google Sheets for overview of all candidates, and Google Hangouts for initial conversations. Google introduced Work Insights in September 2018 for administrators to see how departments are using Google products. In August 2019, Google announced that it would be shutting down Hire in September 2020, instead choosing to focus on “other products in the Google Cloud portfolio”.

Benefits of Employing Cybersecurity Companies in Bangalore

Outsourcing cybersecurity to specialized companies in Bengaluru brings numerous benefits for businesses, including:

  • Access to Advanced Security Technologies and Expertise: Cybersecurity firms in Bengaluru are equipped with state-of-the-art technologies and skilled professionals to combat modern cyber threats. Leveraging their expertise allows businesses to strengthen their security posture and stay ahead of potential risks.
  • Cost-Effectiveness: Outsourcing cybersecurity can be more economical than building and maintaining an in-house security team. Bengaluru-based cybersecurity companies often offer flexible pricing options, enabling businesses to tailor their security investments to their specific needs and budgets.
  • Scalability: As businesses grow and the threat landscape evolves, cybersecurity requirements change. Partnering with specialized firms in Bengaluru provides the flexibility to scale security measures without significant investments in additional infrastructure or staffing.
  • Focus on Core Business Functions: Delegating cybersecurity responsibilities to external experts allows businesses to concentrate on their primary operations. This focus ensures optimal resource allocation and supports business growth without distractions from security concerns.

Collaborating with cybersecurity companies in Bengaluru enables organizations to enhance their defenses and effectively mitigate cyber risks. With services tailored to their unique needs, these companies represent invaluable partners in safeguarding against evolving digital threats.

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Cybersecurity Best Practices for Businesses

Implementing cybersecurity best practices is crucial for safeguarding digital assets and maintaining a secure environment. These practices include regular security assessments, employee training programs, multi-factor authentication, encryption, and proactive threat detection. By incorporating these measures, businesses can fortify their defenses against evolving cyber threats.

Some key cybersecurity best practices include:

  • Regular Security Assessments: Routine security assessments are essential for identifying vulnerabilities and weaknesses in IT systems. Addressing these issues proactively reduces the likelihood of cyber attacks and strengthens the organization’s overall security posture.
  • Employee Training and Awareness Programs: Educating employees on cybersecurity threats and safe practices is vital. Training programs help employees recognize risks like phishing attacks and understand their responsibilities in maintaining a secure work environment.
  • Multi-Factor Authentication: Adding an extra layer of security through multi-factor authentication ensures that users must verify their identity using multiple forms of authentication. This measure protects sensitive systems and data, even if login credentials are compromised.
  • Encryption: Encrypting sensitive data, both at rest and in transit, safeguards it from unauthorized access. Encryption ensures intercepted data remains unreadable without the correct decryption key, enhancing data security.
  • Proactive Threat Detection: Actively searching for potential cyber threats within the network allows businesses to identify and mitigate risks before they escalate into significant issues. This proactive approach helps stay ahead of constantly evolving threats.

Adopting these cybersecurity best practices enables businesses to build a robust defense system that protects their digital assets and ensures a secure operational environment. These measures are essential for staying resilient against the ever-changing cyber threat landscape.

Conclusion

In conclusion, cybersecurity is a critical aspect of any business, and investing in the right cybersecurity solutions is paramount. Bangalore hosts numerous cybersecurity companies, and the firms highlighted above are among the top 10 in the city.

When selecting a cybersecurity service provider, it’s important to evaluate factors such as expertise, experience, and cost. Partnering with one of these top 10 cybersecurity companies in Bangalore enables businesses to enhance their systems and safeguard against evolving threats.

Moreover, these top 10 cybersecurity companies in Bangalore are at the forefront of protecting businesses from cyber risks. They offer innovative solutions, cutting-edge technology, and expert teams to help organizations of all sizes stay ahead in the ever-changing cybersecurity landscape. By choosing one of these providers, businesses can focus on growth and success with the peace of mind that their digital assets are secure.

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