If you’ve been online for the past decade, you likely know about Google Drive, the file storage and sharing service offered by Google. Initially a free tool for Gmail users, Google Drive has grown into an essential tool for businesses and individuals.
The business edition of Google Drive is part of every Google Workspace subscription and is a popular tool, outperforming competitors like Dropbox and Microsoft OneDrive, as reported by Statista in January 2023.
Seeking details on Google Drive’s business edition? Learn how this version can enhance your professional efficiency, security, and data storage, along with its key features and pricing distinctions.
What does Google Drive refer to?
Google Drive is a platform for storing, editing, and sharing files that enables easy access and collaboration on various types of files online.
Google Drive is currently competing with Microsoft, particularly in office program suites and cloud storage services, challenging Microsoft’s Office package and OneDrive respectively.
It is important to note that Microsoft files like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint can be edited on Google Drive while maintaining their original format. This means that files created in Office can be edited on Google Drive and then reopened and edited using Microsoft Office programs.
How does Google Drive function for businesses?
Google Drive for businesses operates in two main ways: through the web browser or integrated into the user’s operating system, such as Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. This allows users to access the service on any device with internet connectivity.
You can use the browser to make and modify documents that work with Google Drive, such as texts, spreadsheets, presentations, and forms, as well as files from Microsoft Office programs. By enabling integration with the operating system, Google Drive can function like an extra hard drive on the user’s computer, syncing any added files to the Google cloud for access on all linked devices.
Google Drive for businesses is a crucial component of Google Workspace, which is a suite of tools tailored for companies and professionals. To access Google Drive for business, one must subscribe to a plan within Google Workspace. If you’re considering subscribing, you can find a discount coupon here for the first year.
Google Workspace provides a variety of features beyond Drive, such as professional email with custom domain and Gmail technology, video calls with Meet lasting up to 24 hours per call, and security and management control.
I suggest reading a review of Google Workspace to learn more about the service’s features, plans, and how to use it professionally.
10 reasons to utilize Google Workspace (for professionals and businesses)
Distinguishing features of Free Google Drive versus its Professional version
Google Drive’s free version is geared towards personal use and offers features for storing, editing, and syncing files across different devices. In comparison, the enterprise version of Google Drive and Gmail Professional have distinct differences.
The main distinction lies in the amount of storage space available. The free Google Drive provides 15 GB, whereas the business version begins with 30 GB per user and can go up to 5 TB per user or even unlimited for the highest tier.
In free mode, a file can be shared with authorized individuals. In Google Drive for businesses, account administrators can establish sharing rules for external users and monitor file sharing activity. This feature is valuable for safeguarding sensitive information.
Explore: 10 Gmail Professional features for boosting productivity
In the higher Google Workspace plans, there is a feature named Vault that enables users to search and preserve various types of communication, such as documents, emails, chat conversations, and messages, for a set duration determined by the administrator. This tool, known as Vault, is audit-focused and can be particularly beneficial in certain scenarios.
The professional version of Google Drive offers a unique feature known as Team Drives, designed for efficient file sharing among company members. By creating a Team Drive, users can be assigned access, allowing for collaborative efforts without the need to share individual folder access within a user’s Drive.
The company’s version includes a Marketplace where users can connect various add-ons to Google Drive. One useful integration is Docusign, enabling digital document signing. Explore more integrations in the Google Workspace Marketplace.
Google Drive provides technical support for companies, which is not available in the free version. Administrators can receive assistance in Portuguese around the clock through chat or phone.
Resources on Google Drive for businesses
Google Drive offers numerous features that cannot all be covered in a single article, but we will discuss some of the key ones.
Cloud storage allows users to store files in any format without using storage space on their computer.
Files can be saved in any format on Google Drive, regardless of compatibility with the program suite’s native files. The primary function of the service is storage, allowing users to store any type of file by uploading it via the browser or placing it in the Drive folder on the installed version.
Google Drive functions as an additional storage space for computers, allowing easy access to files across various devices.
Google Drive installed on computers allows users to access all their existing files through file explorer without taking up space on the hard drive.
This feature is particularly useful for users looking to conserve hard drive space. However, a drawback is that an internet connection is required for loading files. This limitation can be overcome by specifying that the file or folder should also be stored on the computer.
Learn how to enable and utilize Google Workspace’s artificial intelligence by referring to the Duet AI feature.
File editing and collaborating in real time
The real-time editing feature enables multiple users to edit a file together at the same time, allowing them to see each other’s changes and additions instantly. This capability revolutionized the way traditional office programs are used, eliminating the need to send multiple copies of a document via email for collaboration.
Google Drive ensures that all users are working on the same document, with changes being automatically saved. Users can easily track changes made by each person and undo or restore previous versions if needed.
Google Drive is considered one of the most comprehensive collaboration platforms available due to its editing, suggesting changes, and commenting features.
Editing real-time files in Google Drive is an innovative feature that was later adopted by competitors like Microsoft Office (now Microsoft 365).
Advantages of upgrading from free Gmail to a professional version should also be considered.
Sharing directories and documents from an account within your organization’s domain.
When a file or folder is shared on Google Drive within a corporate setting, the sender’s email will always be from the company’s domain. This helps enhance credibility and strengthen the company’s brand image, particularly when interacting with external parties such as customers or suppliers.
In the unpaid version of Google Drive, the sender’s email will be from a Gmail address, like beltrano1234@gmail.com. For independent professionals or businesses of any scale, using their own domain can appear more trustworthy to others.
To utilize Google Drive for businesses, it is essential to subscribe to one of Google Workspace’s plans, requiring a personalized domain.
Discover the top domain registration companies in Brazil for information on where to register a domain.
Document research utilizing artificial intelligence
Google has always excelled in delivering search results, which has contributed to its rise as one of the world’s leading technology companies. Therefore, high expectations should be set for the search feature in Google Drive.
Google Drive utilizes artificial intelligence to quickly search and provide accurate results for documents and folders, continuously improving its search capabilities with each query. The search function also scans for text within various types of files, such as PDFs.
The service continues to show document suggestions based on user behavior in both mobile and browser versions.
Users who are not meticulous about organizing folders and files can relax as the Google Drive search system captures everything. 😉
Accessing files is possible on any device or operating system.
Google Drive users can view or modify files on Drive with any device or operating system. Below is a list of primary operating systems and types of access available.
- Windows computer allows access to a browser or an installed program that is integrated with Windows Explorer.
- Computer running MacOS: browser access or installed software (integrated with Finder).
- Computer running on Linux can either use a browser for access or have non-official programs installed, which are developed and supported by the community.
- Access can be gained via a browser or app on an Android smartphone or tablet.
- Access to the browser or app is available on iOS smartphones or tablets.
Programs installed on computers such as Windows and Mac offer the capability to synchronize any folder within them. Google Drive generates a virtual directory by default, acting as an external hard drive. However, users have the flexibility to select any other folder on their computer to sync with Google Drive. This includes folders like Windows Documents, Photos, and Videos, in addition to the default Google Drive directory. These folders can be found under the “Computers” tab in the web version of Google Drive.
You can edit Google Drive files such as text documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and websites made with Google Sites, as well as Microsoft Office formats, using the browser or mobile app.
It is possible to edit files without an internet connection by enabling the offline editing function. Edits will be synchronized to the cloud once an internet connection is reestablished.
Team Drives – Group Folders
The Standard plan allows for the creation of Team Drives or shared Drives, enabling company teams to collaborate on files in a shared space without the requirement to share individual folders or files.
Files and folders in a Team Drive are owned by the team rather than a specific person. Adding or removing access is done by adding or removing users from the Team Drive. An advantage of this system is that files remain in the Drive even if a team user is removed, unlike in a traditional shared folder where files are deleted along with the user who created the folder.
In Team Drives, like in regular Google Drive, a specific file can be shared with individuals outside the organization by granting access through the team drive administrator.
Similarly to Drive, Team Drives allow for controlling user access levels, such as read-only or editing permissions, for different users.
What is the pricing for Google Drive for businesses?
Google Drive for businesses is bundled with Google Workspace and cannot be purchased independently. As a result, its pricing is dependent on the Google Workspace plans.
There are four Google Workspace plans, with prices starting at R$ 28/month per user for the Starter plan. The highest-tier plan, Enterprise, is recommended for large companies and its price is not publicly available, requiring contact with the sales team. Get a coupon before subscribing to any plan for a 10% discount in the first year.
Below is a comparison of the key features of the top 3 Google Workspace plans.
| Google Workspace | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans | Starter | Standard | Plus |
| Space/user | 30 GB | 2 TB | 5 TB |
| Professional Gmail | Yeah. | Yeah. | Yeah. |
| Google Drive | Yeah. | Yeah. | Yeah. |
| Documents, spreadsheets and presentations | Yeah. | Yeah. | Yeah. |
| Yeah. | Yeah. | Yeah. | |
| Videoconference | Yeah. (up to 100 participants) |
Yeah. (up to 150 participants + recording) |
Yeah. (up to 500 participants + recording) |
| Team Drives | No | Yeah. | Yeah. |
| Gemini AI (artificial intelligence) | Gmail and Gemini app | Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Meet and others | Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Meet and others |
| Creation of specialized AIs | No | Yeah. | Yeah. |
| Vault (audit and retention) | No | No | Yeah. |
| Price/user/month | $ 40,90 Plan |
$ 81,80 Plan |
$ 128,40 Plan |
To view additional information about the characteristics and functionalities of each plan, access the Google Workspace site.
Is Google Drive a worthwhile option for businesses?
Google Drive is a valuable collaboration and productivity tool that is widely utilized by professionals and businesses globally as part of the Google Workspace suite.
If you’re unsure about the value of using the software suite for your business, feel free to ask for assistance. You can try out Google Workspace for 14 days for free or use a coupon to receive a 10% discount in the first year of subscription.
Publication date: 31/01/2023 (latest update: 12/03/2024)
Tags associated with Google Workspace include Tools.
