With an attempt to get ahead of Microsoft Corporation, Google announced that the corporate Gmail users will have more work tools. The corporate Gmail customers can no edit documents and other files without having to leave the email service.
The end-goal is to lure more customers from Microsoft by integrating more work tools in Gmail. Google announced it during its cloud unit’s annual customer and partner conference. It was a virtual conference for several weeks because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
To date, Microsoft had the sole authority over the global market for corporate email and document-editing tools. Google has been looking to catch up with the features of Microsoft Office for more than a decade.
Being a business owner everyone constantly looks for ways to save money and enhance productivity. For a lot of years, Microsoft Office has become the most popular option for email marketing and other activities.
Over the years, Google too has done a commendable job on developing their set of applications suite, aka the G-suite. The cloud-based platform offers Gmail’s powerful email client for business. Gmail is now the most preferred email client all over the globe.
A lot of people are switching from Outlook to Gmail because of the ease of use. Now, is shifting from Microsoft Outlook to Google a good idea? This is what we are going to share in this blog today.
Google’s attempt to cross over Microsoft – A clash of the Titans
According to Google, it has developed a competitive edge over Microsoft Corp. Gmail will become the single hub for work to have access to text chats, new documents, and video calls. On the other hand, Microsoft offers limited integrations between email, chat tools, outlook, and teams.
Both companies have added video-calling features and more collaborative tools. This has helped them in attracting new business from different companies operating from home amidst this pandemic.
Javier Soltero, a Google vice-president, and an ex-employee of Microsoft stated in an interview, “Microsoft is still telling you there are two separate places to check, two different habits, two inboxes to look at. They are not incentivized to do a deep integration between Teams and Outlook.”
Consumers, who are using the free version of Gmail, might also have access to the new and integrated work tools in the future. There have been no comments from Microsoft as of yet. Google has introduced some options that already exist on Microsoft Teams.
These features include the ability for the chat users to list an “out of office” notice. You can also “pin” conversations so that you can find them later.
Who bags the trophy? Gmail or Microsoft 365 Outlook
Both Gmail and Outlook offer similar email services and features, but there are a few differences as well. Let us have a detailed look at the features of Gmail and Outlook.
Features of Gmail:
- Unlimited storage plans
- Modern Interface
- Available in desktop and mobile applications in all plans
- Offline accessibility
- Scheduling emails
- Send & request money through email
- In-built follow-up reminders
- Smart compose feature with suggestions and words
- Missing attachment notification
- In-built language translators
- Separate confidential mode to set an expiration date for emails
Features of Outlook
- Available in mobile and desktop version
- In-built appointment booking tool (standard & premium plans)
- Offline accessibility
- Customization feature to suit the user’s preference
- Sorting options to find emails by date, size, and sender
- No-attachment notification
- Ignore conversations feature to put email threads in trash
- Share & delegate multiple calendars
Gmail is a better option for businesses to save time and increase productivity. For instance, you can send & receive money through email, translate emails from a foreign language, and set expiration dates on emails.
Outlook is the better option for traditional companies with a large number of staff members who manage other’s inboxes and calendars.
When should you choose Gmail?
Gmail comes with tools included for collaboration and productivity in all monthly plans, with a user-friendly interface. It is better for startups. International businesses can use Gmail because of its translation facility. This makes it easy to send and receive emails in multiple languages. You can also send and receive money via Gmail.
When to Choose Microsoft Outlook?
Microsoft 365 outlook is the right tool to choose if you are seeking the best value for an entry-level plan. It costs less than Gmail and offers more storage. It is a great option for companies that require productivity tools. With Microsoft Outlook, you can easily manage other user’s inboxes, calendars, meetings, and schedule appointments.
Gmail’s weaknesses
- It is a bit more expensive than Outlook.
- Gmail doesn’t offer in-built appointment scheduling tools.
- There are no secretarial features like the capability to easily manage multiple calendars.
Outlook’s weaknesses
- Lesser time-saving and productivity tool than Gmail.
- The advertised prices require an annual commitment.
- It doesn’t with plans for unlimited storage.
Microsoft 365 Outlook offers more productivity solutions to hierarchical companies. It is suitable where a significant number of staff members in administration needs tools to help in managing others.
Most of the companies either use Gmail or Microsoft Outlook because of the cloud office suite that offers calendars, collaboration, spreadsheets, and documents. Gmail has already set the bar high. Microsoft, with its 2016 update, is now much more equipped to compete with Google.
G-suite email creative is a better option for modern and creative businesses. Microsoft 365 is a better option for traditional companies. The primary reason is G-suite offers a wide range of collaborative tools that serve teams in a better way.
For the majority of the business owners, the best option is to use Gmail as a part of G-suite. It is much more cost-effective, collaborative, and functional. It also offers better synchronization options. The best part is it has the most-preferred search engines in the world.
