Item: Google Drive
Rating: 10
Author: Verified User

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Google Drive was used as the de facto file storage solution at bepress. It was assumed that documents would be housed there as the free and ubiquitous solution, and I loved how new employees would invariably start with some degree of expertise given the wide use of Google Drive in everyone's personal lives. There is simply no rivalling its functionality, integrations, clean + intuitive design, and wide use outside of the office, especially in a free product.

Pros and Cons

Facilitates full integration into the G-Suite of apps
Employees often already know how to use it upon hire

Since it is so ubiquitous, and doesn't provide enhanced security, not recommended for extremely high-importance legal documents
Does 'lock you in' to Google suite... but it's so far superior to Microsoft that this is hardly a drawback

Return on Investment

Definitely positive - from not having to train new employees to saving on subscription costs for a paid service Google Drive is best in class for everyday document storage.

Alternatives Considered

Box and MS SharePoint

Google Drive and Box are extremely similar in functionality, the primary differences being aesthetic (Google is more user friendly, Box's UI design is a little less intuitive) and with regards to security (Box offers an enhanced level of protection commensurate with it's subscription cost). I'd stick with Drive 100% of the time for non-critical documents. Anything require security should be kept on something like Box, however.

SharePoint is borderline unusable compared to these solutions, I would never recommend anyone use it who isn't being forced to by an employer.

Support Rating

Google Drive has the full firepower of Google at it's back, so updates are regular, performance is outstanding, and bugs are negligible. Compare to Microsoft SharePoint...

Key Insights

Do you think Google Drive delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Google Drive's feature set?

Yes

Did Google Drive live up to sales and marketing promises?

I wasn't involved with the selection/purchase process

Did implementation of Google Drive go as expected?

I wasn't involved with the implementation phase

Would you buy Google Drive again?

Yes

Likelihood to Recommend

Google Drive is great for everyday use, in and out of the office setting. I've been using it for years in my personal life and recommend it highly for that context, but also prefer it as the easiest and most commonly used storage solution for business. Access controls are straightforward, links are persistent, navigation is a breeze, and it looks and feels 100% professional quality.

Best-In-Class Industry Leader for Everyday File Storage

Overall Satisfaction with Google Drive