Member Avatar for jlego

This could be the wrong section for this, i have a feeling it will turn out to be more of a discussion.

after a couple issues with exchange and outbound email, the presidents of my company want to switch to google apps...

i know nothing about google apps, and im pretty familiar with exchange

they want to know the benefits of going to google apps vs the down side of leaving exchange

can anyone help me in explaining this, or know of a website where i can read about google apps (non google site, companies often boast services more than necessary)

thanks

Looking for information about Apps vs Exchange not hosted vs internal

thanks!

company info:

around 100 mailboxes
very active directory dependent
a lot of security groups and distribution groups (30+)
a lot of inhouse software the utilizes the exchange server

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Short checklist and practical caveats that matter for your setup (given ’s AD/dependency note and ’s point about hosted benefits).

First, inventory everything that talks to Exchange: any app using MAPI/EWS, public folders, transport/journaling rules, shared mailboxes and mailbox delegation, SMTP relays (printers/scanners), and any Outlook features users rely on. These are the common breaking points when you move mail to Gmail; some items map cleanly, others don’t and require work or a hybrid stance. Exchange 2007 is also out of extended support, so staying on it long-term brings security and compliance risk. (learn.microsoft.com)

Identity and groups: you can sync AD identities into Google (so users and most groups are provisioned), but that sync is one-way and has important limits — for example, Directory Sync doesn’t convert AD security groups into Google security groups automatically, so access-control models often need re-mapping to Google Groups or Cloud Identity rules. Plan how distribution lists, calendar resources and delegation will be represented in Workspace before flipping MX records. (knowledge.workspace.google.com)

In-house apps and protocols: if your apps use Exchange-specific APIs (EWS/MAPI) they won’t work against Gmail without code changes. Options are: migrate the app to use the Gmail API or IMAP/SMTP with OAuth2, keep the app pointing at an on-prem Exchange (hybrid), or build a small translation layer. Also, Google no longer allows password-based “less secure” access — integrations must use OAuth. Factor dev effort and device compatibility into the decision. (developers.google.com)

Migration and rollout: use Google’s migration tools (GWMME) and test Outlook behavior with Google Workspace Sync for Outlook; run a small pilot, validate calendar free/busy, shared inbox workflows, and public-folder migration mapping (often to Google Groups). Don’t cut over globally until mailflow, SSO (if used), backups/retention (Google Vault) and critical app integrations are proven. Expect short-term admin effort even though hardware is off your plate. (tools.google.com)

Member Avatar for pty

If you have a lot of internal software that utilises Exchange, Google Business Apps may not be what you're looking for. Depending on what this software does it may not work at all with Google Apps or you may need to change the way you work.

I have used Google Apps with the last company I worked at, though, and it is fantastic. You get the benefit of having everything 'looked after' hardware-wise by Google's team, the best webmail client available, POP3/IMAP access if required, excellent calendar, tasks, office apps, contacts directories etc.

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