https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pneu6tfmIu4
Welcome to the Cobry Cafetiere! I'm sure you know the drill by now, so let's get stuck in. This weeks topic - third party tools.
What are Third Party Tools?
Third party tools are Google Workspace add-ons which are designed to enhance the use of Workspace. This is through the provision of additional capabilities that are not included within the core Workspace apps. Third party tools can cover any need from Customer Relationship Management solutions to Email Signatures or Accounting software.
Software as a Service (SaaS) is a model that was hugely pioneered by Google Workspace. It is a licensing model in which users pay a subscription for software. The boom of this approach resulted in a vibrant ecosystem which allowed Google and third party tools to work alongside one another to serve organisations. This introduced many benefits to organisations, some of which are discussed in the following section.
Why Google focuses on serving only core business tools
Some people may wonder why Google does not just include these 3rd party features in their Workspace offering. The answer is because every organisation is unique. This means that not all organisations will need the same tools and capabilities. Thus, Google develops core business tools to an extremely high standard, ensuring their constant security and reliability. Essentially, posing Google Workspace as a blank canvas for organisations to add third party tools where they see fit. The benefit of this model is that organisations can create bespoke Workspace environments that answer their exact business needs.
Additionally, organisations have the opportunity to trial and evaluate various third party tools in the market without high costs or commitments, giving them the power to find the solution that is perfect for them. Finally, by including only core business tools in the Workspace offering, Google ensures that organisations are not paying for applications or features which they do not use. This is a key factor which differentiates Google from its competitors.
Contracting a third party tool through a partner
Some organisations may be tempted to contract third party tools directly. However, there are many advantages to using a partner. Firstly, a common misconception is that partner prices will be more expensive than going direct. This is wrong. Partner pricing is the exact same and partners are able to grant the same deals as the third party.
Secondly, by licensing a 3rd party tool through a partner like us you are guaranteed ongoing support and high quality service. We have deployed and used our partner tools numerous times and are truly experts in their delivery. This means we can advise you on best practices and support any needs you may have.
Finally, we are experts both in Google Workspace and in the third party tools we recommend. This means we have a world of experience in their integration with the Workspace platform and can provide truly excellent support around its use.
How do Cobry select third party tools?
There is no magic recipe for the selection of third party tools because they are all unique and serve various needs.
When deciding on third party tools, however, we start with a thorough analysis of the market. It is important that we partner with the best possible third parties. This means a lot of time spent assessing and comparing tools. Most importantly, the tools have to provide solutions for our clients. They need to be reliable and work well. This means that when we recommend a tool to you, it is a genuine recommendation that we believe will aid your organisation.
When it comes to managing GDPR and cleaning up historical file shares, the Tricent compliance tool is an essential add-on for any security-conscious business. If your business wants to go fully cloud-native with Chromebooks but still needs that one critical Windows app, a unified workspace is the answer. Learn more in our guide, Awingu: Everything You Need to Know.
For Project and Task Management: While Google Workspace is great for collaboration, many teams need a dedicated tool to track tasks and project timelines. A leading platform that integrates with Google is Asana. Learn more in our Asana Project Management Blog.
If you'd like to know more about third party tools, or have questions about Google Workspace, please get in touch!
