Lately, we have been hearing a lot of news about large corporate groups that are getting on Google Apps and its cloud. Companies like BBVA, Lan, OSDE, Nextel, Roche Group, Goodwill or Randstad are some examples. But why the change? How has Google Apps improved the daily life of these companies?
Here are some case studies:
Roche Group
Roche is one of the world leaders in pharmaceutical research and a pioneer in the search for innovative solutions for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases for more than a century.
They had been looking for a solution that would allow the team to work collaboratively for some time. Employees were using third-party platforms on their own, so the Executive Committee decided to use Google Apps as a solution to unify internal communications.
"When we evaluated new cloud-based alternatives, the Executive Committee was impressed with the exceptional and innovative service offered by Google Apps," says Alan Hippe, CIO of Roche. Says Alan Hippe, CIO of Roche "Our employees communicate and collaborate in a wide variety of ways, and they are spread across more than 140 different countries. The way in which Google Apps enables collaboration through integrated, socially-oriented tools is very appealing, and we expect that this will not only bring us closer together, but also provide a strategic advantage for the company."
BBVA
BBVA, one of the largest financial institutions in the world, and one of the most important in our country was in the news more than a year ago when it decided to change Microsoft Exchange and Office for Google Apps.
"At BBVA we see technology as the key to a sustainable competitive advantage, and staying at the forefront of technology is the key to our success," said José Olalla, CIO of BBVA. BBVA not only sought to increase efficiency through advanced communication and collaboration tools, but also to introduce a new way of working in which employees would have access to all the information they needed anywhere and at any time. Throughout 2012, BBVA migrated some 110,000 workers to the cloud in stages.
Goodwill Industries
The North American NGO Goodwill Indutries has been one of the latest to switch to Google Apps. Goodwill Indistries, present in more than 14 countries, is dedicated to training and offering job placement programs for people with disabilities, as well as providing other community services for the underprivileged. In the words of Jeff Ton, CIO of Goodwill Industries of Indiana, "Our mission is to give people an opportunity in life that they might not otherwise have, such as a job or a better education (...) so we have to operate as efficiently as possible to serve our more than 3,000 employees spread across more than 29 states well."
Just a couple of months ago Goodwill Industries said goodbye to Microsoft Exchange 2003 and adopted Google Apps. Since then it has streamlined its infrastructure, improved its business capabilities and saved thousands of dollars in server maintenance. Google Drive Forms and Sheets are now the primary tool for conducting research and analyzing subsequent results, and Google+ Hangouts have replaced travel to meetings.
These are just a few examples, but there are many more and it is increasing. Cost is really an added value but, as you can see, it is by far not the only reason to migrate to Google Apps. Collaboration, communication, the thousands of Google Apps integrated in the suite, ease of use and many other factors have been more than enough reasons to take the step.
