Preparing for the Inevitable: Google Workspace Tools for When Microsoft 365 Fails

Google is taking advantage of the frequent and severe outages experienced by Microsoft 365 by providing alternative services such as email, storage, and videoconferencing to businesses during Microsoft outages. The new Business Continuity plan from Google runs a parallel Google Workspace alongside Microsoft 365, allowing businesses to easily switch to Gmail and Google Meet in the event of an outage, instead of relying on Outlook and Microsoft Teams.

Google explains that Workspace, with support from partners, can sync emails, calendars, chat, and more with Microsoft 365, ensuring that customer data remains accessible without the need for migration. This strategy aims to protect businesses from disruptions and minimize impacts on customers.

According to Google, it’s not a matter of if, but when and for how long Microsoft 365 will experience outages. The company points to the Microsoft 365 Status account on X, which regularly reports outages. The most recent outage occurred on October 8th due to a problematic configuration change affecting mailbox connectivity for users.

In addition to the continuity plan of running Gmail in parallel, Google also offers a Work Transformation Set as an alternative for Microsoft 365 customers looking to move away from Microsoft’s lock-in and security issues. This set combines Workspace and Gemini, with options to integrate identity solutions like Okta.

Microsoft and Google have a history of public disputes. They recently clashed again after Microsoft accused Google of orchestrating “shadow campaigns” to undermine Microsoft’s cloud business. Over a decade ago, Microsoft even ran attack ads against Google, portraying them as a political opponent in the Scroogled campaign, accusing Google of invading consumer privacy.