Noah Zimmerman

Mart Doyle

MIS 2501

Nov 7, 2011

Google Docs

Imagine saving over $80,000 every year on costs for maintaining and supporting an office suite program for our company, Google has created the method. Investing in Google Docs and its other business applications will allow our employees to increase productivity and profits through real time collaboration on company projects and documents, as well allow our documents to be accessed virtually anywhere via internet connection or mobile device. On top of these unique features Google Docs and its web applications cost virtually nothing next to the leading office suite programs. We must invest in Google Docs as a valuable office suite software because it will save our company $80,000 annually and increase sales profits.

Google Docs is a free office suite program provided by Google, for easy online and business collaboration on projects and presentation. The software allows users to create and edit documents, presentations, and spreadsheets in real time with others over the internet, and provides up to 1 GB in free storage space with its cloud network. The two main features that stand out from other office suite programs is that Google Docs creates a user friendly medium to share any type of business document with others in our company and is allows our documents stored on the cloud site to be accessed anywhere with an internet connection. Even though it’s a free web application the program still offers all the basic and advance needs of other office suites and even allows users to upload any Microsoft document and any time the document is edited in Microsoft office it is updated accordingly on Google Docs. Security threats won’t be an issue either even with the cloud network technology. Google Docs guarantees that it will always maintain its 99.9% uptime and is the first cloud network to be awarded Federal Security Information Management Act. With the ability to access online documents virtually anywhere via mobile devices or through the internet, to allow users the same features of many office suite programs and that is it free make Google Docs a premier office suite program.

Google Docs is an invaluable tool for our company that can provide cost savings and increase profits. Purchasing Microsoft Office Suite 2010 for any commercial business can be very pricey. To purchase the program for our 200 plus computers throughout the company can cost almost $100,000 to purchase the software itself plus an additional $80,000 in product registering costs. Microsoft office also has an estimated annual cost for maintenance and administration at $107,332 or over a 3 year period at $321,996. With Google accounts users have access to Google’s full range of web applications including Google Docs, email, calendars, video conferencing and instant messaging features. Google’s annual total cost for using their products for business purposes is estimated at $24,160 and over a 3 year period $72,480 assuming our hourly rate for our employees is $175 per hour. By investing in Google Docs and its web application our annual savings would amount to $83,172 and up front savings of over $170,000. With these annual savings created by investing in Google Docs our company can invest in other areas for the company’s expansion.

References

1. “Whats New in Google Docs.”Google. Google, n.d. Web. 7 Nov 2011. <http://www.google.com/google-d-s/whatsnew.html>.
2. “Office 2010 Pricing Information.”Microsoft Office. Microsoft, 2011. Web. 7 Nov 2011. <http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/buy/office-2010-pricing-information-HA101810737.asp&xgt;.
3. “Google Apps for Business.” Google. Google, 2011. Web. 7 Nov 2011. <http://www.google.com/apps/intl/en/business/>.