When running a small business, you can get more done with cloud services. Sometimes you can get by with makeshift setups, combining free or cheap services with programs you already have, but sometimes these services just aren't able to keep up with you and your business, especially if you add other employees.
Using one of the following services can be a nice solution for non-business users too, as it gives the ability to synchronize your email, contacts, and calendar with all of your devices. Give 3TG a call if you have any questions.
Google Apps
Pros: lightweight, inexpensive, entirely cloud-based
Cons: less powerful, doesn't work well with Microsoft products
There are few companies as dedicated to cloud computing as Google, whose services and data exist entirely in the cloud. They do have products that work on desktops, but they usually rely on an internet connection for data and/or processing.
If you're starting from scratch and don't mind using your browser for everything, I usually recommend Google Apps. It's easy to use, has a full suite of products, and has good prices for data storage. You'll have email processing, document creation, spreadsheets, presentations, and more. Best of all is the price: Google Apps costs $5/month for each user (or $50/year if you pay in advance). The service works on all major desktop and mobile device platforms, and in every major browser.
Microsoft Office 365
Pros: powerful, best for existing Office users
Cons: expensive, doesn't play nicely with Google
The business world has used Microsoft Office for a couple decades now. That means there are a lot of people who are very comfortable with how Office and its programs (Word, Excel, Outlook, etc) work. For those people I recommend Office 365 Business Premium. It includes email handling, the entire desktop suite of Office programs to install on up to 5 computers, 5 phones, and 5 tablets per user, and also includes the web versions of their desktop programs. You also get a generous amount of storage space at 1TB, which is over 3x more than Google Apps offers.
There are two main levels of Office 365: Business and Business Premium. Business is $8.25/month and just includes the applications. You have to provide your own email handling, either through a web host or other service. Often, that service is Google or Google Apps. It's common for people to use Microsoft for their applications and Google Apps for their email handling, and Google provides a tool for this process, but it doesn't work nearly as well as the connection Microsoft uses for the Office 365 Business Premium service. That service, though is $12.50/month, which is quite a lot more than the $50 you pay for Google Apps. But letting Microsoft handle your email for you will make for a much more pleasant experience than trying to combine services.
Office 365 will work on Windows and Mac, and has mobile apps for all the major platforms.
Neither (DIY)
Pros: cheaper (sometimes)
Cons: fewer capabilities, potential compatibility issues
What if you already have a fairly recent version of Office (say, 2007 or later), and you do all your business through an email address you already have, whether it's through your ISP, a web host, or a regular GMail/Yahoo/AOL account? Well, then you're pretty much set. You can get email on your phone and on your computer. But often there are problems with this solution. In some setups, you won't be able to synchronize the email you've read, and have to check it in both places. In most cases, you won't be able to sync the contact and calendar entries between your computer and mobile device(s). These are the most common reasons that I recommend upgrading to Google Apps or Office 365, but if you're just not ready for the monthly or yearly commitment, there's still a solution through a tool called gsyncit. This is primarily intended for GMail users, but it can also sync contacts and calendars with Yahoo and AOL accounts, and it only costs $20. Still, eventually it's just easier to use Google Apps or Office 365 and get a more seamless experience.
The other consideration to make is how recent your version of Office is. Office 365 might seem pricey, but you always get the most recent version of the software, and often you'll spend the same amount on a new standalone copy of Office (if you can find it) as you would for more than two years of Office 365, which can be installed on five computers. Or you could ditch Office altogether and use Google Apps, which has most of the features that most users need.
If you need assistance setting up any of these services for your small business, give 3TG a call. I'd be happy to talk about moving you off of old servers or away from aging Office installations.