SharePoint Vs. Google Drive – What’s The Difference?

SharePoint Vs. Google Drive –  The Debate!

SharePoint Vs. Google Drive: It seems every day new features and functionality come on the market. Between Microsoft, Google, Apple, and others, it can be difficult for organizations to know where’s the best place to invest technology dollars. Working with a consulting firm like eSoftware can help you understand your requirements, especially when it comes to picking the right service provider. Below are a few main differences between two document management services: Google Drive and SharePoint.

1) Google Drive is a commercial solution for document management provided as a cloud-based service by Google. SharePoint is Microsoft’s long-term content management software and now, cloud-based solution. Both products offer integration with Outlook, Word, Excel, and more. Both provide users with an easy-to-understand interface which can be accessed from the desktop or web. But SharePoint provides a few extra features that Google Drive does not, and, depending on your business requirements, that could be the deciding factor of which provider you go with.

2)The main difference in the SharePoint Vs. Google Drive debate is the Microsoft ecosystem. Although Google Docs does allow users to store and open from the web, SharePoint actually has the capability for simultaneous editing with Microsoft Word. Google Drive does as well, but only when using Google Docs (the Microsoft Word equivalent). For businesses invested in the Microsoft product, switching back and forth between Google Docs and Word can be inefficient.

3)Beyond simple usability, SharePoint inherently has more features than Google Docs, including the ability to create lists and workflows. A list is simply that—a container that holds bits of data. A list can be as simple as an Excel file with columns or rows, or it can be complex, managing business expenses and exporting tax reports based on variables. A list can be used to track project tasks, supply data to business intelligence dashboards and reports, manage contacts and clients, and more.

4)A workflow is an automated process triggered by a specific process or action. SharePoint comes out of the box with workflows for content feedback (tasking individuals to review and provide comments on a document), approval, and more. With a bit of knowledge, SharePoint power users can create even more complex workflows to manage training, create new sites, and complete forms.

VIDEO: SharePoint VS Google Drive from eSoftware Associates Inc

5)SharePoint also links into the suite of Microsoft cloud functions like Azure, plus the other features and functionality that are coming on the Microsoft Roadmap. Azure is a software-as-a-service cloud computing service where users can integrate their SQL databases and other information repositories, using SharePoint to display the data.

While some businesses may need a place to store and house their documents, Microsoft SharePoint surpasses Google Docs in the realm of additional features like workflows, integration, and cloud computing.