"Cloud Sherpas was absolutely essential in helping us make the move to Google Apps. We’ve cut our IT budget in half over the past three years. We attribute much of that to using cloud-based applications to run our business, and using Cloud Sherpas and Okta for adoption and management."

Google Apps FAQ

The vast world of Google Apps is full of terms and definitions that are new to many people. Some terms are relevant to cloud computing in general, and some more specifically to Google Apps.

Cloud Sherpas has put together the following FAQ to help define some of the more common Google Apps terms. We’re constantly building more descriptive definitions and explanations on dedicated pages, so if a term is linked, click through for a more detailed explanation.

Google Apps General Information

What is Google Apps?

What is Google Apps? Google Apps is essentially Google email for businesses and other organizations. The Google Apps product suite is Google’s email and messaging solution for businesses, government agencies, non-profits, and academic institutions. The Google Apps platform contains apps such as: Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs, Google Video, Cloud Connect, Google Groups, and Google Sites. Google Apps also comes with the ability to add additional security, archiving, and encryption options with Google Message Security, Google Message Discovery, and Google Message Encryption.

Google Apps is the go-to solution for companies in the small to medium-sized market as well as for large enterprises. Although not a distinct product in itself, Google Apps for small businesses is the cost-efficient, simple answer for a growing small business with limited resources. Large businesses can also use the Google Apps platform to increase team collaboration and stay organized.

What are the different editions of Google Apps available to my organization?

Google Apps is available to organizations and companies in a variety of sectors. The four editions of Google Apps are:

Each edition has been developed specifically to serve employees working in these sectors. Some of the distinctions include:

Free licenses for Google Apps for Education users
Free licenses for organizations on Google Apps for Non-Profit with less than 3,000 users. Discounted licenses for organizations over 3,000 users
All data stored in the United States for Google Apps for Government users

What is the difference between Google Apps and Google Apps for Business?

When comparing Google business email options, an overview of Google Apps Standard vs. Google Apps for Business shows that Google Apps Standard is a free service provided for organizations with 10 users or fewer. Google Apps for Business is a paid service that provides messaging and collaboration solutions to organizations of any size. Users on Google Apps Standard receive 7GB of mailbox space, whereas Google Apps for Business users receive 25GB. Both allow for customization of user accounts, Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Sites and other applications. Organizations that use Google Apps for Business will benefit from 99.9% uptime guarantee and 24/7 support.

Taking Your Organization to Google Apps

What are the benefits of switching to Google Apps?

Why use Google Apps? Google Apps was created and designed to enhance employee productivity in an organization on an individual and team level. Some of the benefits of using Google Apps in your organization include:

Improving collaboration with real-time editing of Docs, Spreadsheets, and Presentations
Protection of data and intellectual property stored on Google servers
Increasing productivity with mobile access on any web-enabled mobile device
Saving your organization money with a cost-efficient pricing plan
Reducing IT headache with automatic system improvements, no need for your IT team to perform manual upgrades

What is a Google Apps migration?

A Google Apps migration is the process in which all of the data stored in your email system including contacts, calendars, and documents are transferred to Google Apps. The same concept applies for a Gmail migration as well. This migration is the first step in moving your organization to Google Apps. Migrations for individuals can be independently performed by the user, or for added support, can be carried out by a Google Apps reseller or consultant. Read more on cloud migrations for small, medium or large businesses:

What are the main legacy systems from which you can migrate?

You can migrate from any legacy platform to Google Apps. The three most common legacy platforms are listed below:

How much is this going to cost me?

The cost of Google Apps requires an annual $50 per user per year renewal for businesses on the Google Apps suite. Non-profit organizations with over 3,000 users can buy google apps for a discounted rate of $3 per user per month, or $30 per user per year. Educational institutions can receive Google Apps for free, as can non-profits with under 3,000 users.

Is it easy to set up Google Apps?

Individual Google Apps accounts are simple to start up, however, when it comes to migrating information and messages from legacy systems, the process itself is much more complicated. When it comes to planning a Google Apps setup, it is highly recommended that you go through a certified Google Apps reseller, or a Google Apps consultant in order to ensure the correct measures are taken. This way, you can receive Google Apps support services for training and issues even after you are finished migrating. To get started, check out How to Sign Up for Google Apps.

What is a Google Apps reseller?

A Google Apps reseller is an individual or company that has gone through the proper channels and requirements in order to prove to Google that they are qualified to sell Google Apps. They also help migrate and support users from legacy systems to the Google Apps platform.

What is a Google Apps consultant?

A Google Apps consultant is someone, like the people at Cloud Sherpas, who assists you and your organization with your migration from a legacy system to the Google Apps platform. Their assistance could range from hands-on training, webinars, or eLearning programs to simple email correspondence. Their expertise will help your organization get the most out of Google Apps.

Using the Apps

What is Google Docs?

Google Docs is the word processor in the Google Apps suite. It allows for easy collaboration between users in your organization. You are able to share or hide any documents while you work on them. In addition to our guide on How to Use Google Apps, we also have a guide on How to Use Google Docs and How to Share Google Docs.

What is Google Sites?

Google Sites is a tool for creating simple web pages hosted by Google. They can be published internally or publicly, and are great for project management, client communication, and intranets.

Getting More from Your License

What are my security and archiving options with Google Apps?

Google Message products, powered by Postini, are Google’s solution to keeping your email secure and compliant. The following briefly discusses each of the email security and email archiving solutions in the Google Message suite:

Google Message Security is a secure, hosted service that provides enterprise-grade spam and virus protection and email content filtering, delivering cost effective email management.
Google Message Discovery is the solution offered to protect email as well as store all messages in a centralized repository for easy discovery. The system is easily customizable by admins, thus allowing a more secure atmosphere for all your enterprise’s messages.
Google Message Encryption is the email encryption service that prevents unwanted parties from accessing important and sensitive company information. Admins set up their preferences for the organization’s security protocol in order to adhere more to the organization’s needs.

Are there helpful tools to learn how to use Google Apps?

Yes! We have a simple and easy to use guide that helps you learn how to use Google Apps. This guide lays out every part of the suite, then simplifies them so they are easier to comprehend.

Cloud Computing

What is SaaS email?

SaaS, or software-as-a-service, is a software delivery model that differs from the traditional software license pricing structure. Instead of providers charging an up-front fee for a perpetual license, SaaS vendors use a subscription model, which allows for users to pay either a monthly or annual fee. The software and all data is hosted in the cloud and usually accessed through a browser. SaaS email can also be considered cloud email.

What are Chromebooks?

Chromebooks are fast, reliable, secure laptops that have nothing but a Google Chrome browser installed. Chromebooks for Business and Chromebooks for Education are Google’s solution for businesses and academic institutions, respectively.