Item: Google Drive
Rating: 8
Author: Verified User

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Google Drive is being used across our organization in tandem with the whole Google Suite, mostly to manage Google Docs, Sheets and Slides. It allows us to collaborate on document creation online—a standard most users have come to expect—as well as have single sources of truth for each doc, etc.

Pros and Cons

Online collaboration.
Management of Google Docs, Sheets and Slides.
Accessible on any device.

Finding documents that have been shared with you can be a small nightmare as they tend to get lost in the ether, unless you are incredibly organized.
The native desktop integration does not work as nicely as Dropbox.
Sharing and permissions can be confusing because they're almost too complex.

Return on Investment

I'm sure it's saved many dollars in Microsoft Office license fees.
It's increased efficiency in achieving business objectives.

Alternatives Considered

Dropbox and Dropbox Business

Google Drive works perfectly when used in sync with Google Docs, Sheets and Slides, but is less ideal for other file types. Dropbox and Dropbox Business, however, are far superior in terms of native desktop integration and managing any other file types. Dropbox also has a nicer web interface, and their Paper (competitor to Docs) is amazing.

Other Software Used

Dropbox Business, Dropbox, Zeplin, Sketch, Slack, JIRA Software, GitHub, Trello, Doodle, Okta

Performance

Performance is never something I've worried about when it comes to Google Drive, it's always been as performant as I'd hoped. The web interface is super speedy to navigate around, and so are the syncing speeds.

Usability

In general, super easy and intuitive to use and well-synced with Google Docs, Sheets and Slides. It's super easy to create docs, collaborate on them with co-workers, and share with whoever you need. The trickier part can be managing all your files with Google Drive, which requires some proactive organizational skills or a reliance on search.

Likelihood to Recommend

Well suited to companies of any size that need to collaborate on documents online, especially if it's just being used for loose documents rather than the management of an entire company's files. Less suited to managing files that aren't Google Docs, Slides, or Sheets, as desktop integration is fickle. Also less suitable for a company not using Google-based emails.

Reliable and Trustworthy

Overall Satisfaction with Google Drive