Wed 04 / 09 / 24
Shared Drives Coming to Business Starter
Say Goodbye to Scattered Files with Centralised File Storage. As of mid-September 2024, Google Workspace Business Starter customers can enjoy the benefits of shared drives.
To bring you up to speed, shared drives are a centralised location for teams to store and collaborate on files. They make it easy for team members to find and access the company files they need, regardless of their location within the shared drive. No more frustrating back-and-forth requests for access or hunting through individual drives for the latest version. With shared drives, all your company’s documents belong to the company, promoting transparency and streamlined workflows.
Pipeline Pro Tip: Check out our best practices for Shared Drives, this will give you a headstart in setting them up correctly from the get-go.
Benefits of shared drives
There are many benefits to using shared drives, including:
- Easier collaboration: Shared drives make it easy for team members to work together on files. Team members can see the latest version of a file and make changes in real-time.
- Improved file access: Shared drives make it easy for team members to find and access the files they need. Files are stored in a central location, so team members don’t have to worry about losing track of them.
- Increased security: Shared drives can be configured to allow only specific team members to access certain files. This helps to keep files secure and confidential.
Attention Admins: Prepare for Seamless Adoption
Once Shared Drives become available for Business Starter, all users in your domain will automatically have the ability to create them. If you prefer to manage Shared Drive creation, adjust your settings in the Admin console before the 23rd of September 2024.
To do so:
- Navigate to: Admin console > Apps > Google Workspace > Drive and Docs > Sharing settings.
- Under “Shared drive creation,” enable the option “Prevent users in [your domain] from creating new shared drives.”
Admins managing Business Starter accounts will soon have the ability to add or remove members from Shared Drives, adjust their access levels, and prevent content from being moved outside the drive using the Admin console. However, it’s important to note that certain features remain unavailable for Shared Drives in Business Starter: admins cannot configure default settings and Business Starter users themselves won’t have the ability to modify settings. This means that both admins and users will only get settings that Google has already set up for you which is less flexible than the other packages. If you want to know what the advanced features are, click here.
Google Workspace Business Starter vs Business Standard: Choose the Right Plan for Your Team
With the recent update granting Business Starter customers access to Shared Drives, choosing between these two Google Workspace plans now requires a closer look at their specific features and how they align with your business requirements.Ultimately, the best choice depends on your unique business requirements and communication style. Carefully weigh each plan’s strengths and align them with your priorities to ensure you make the optimal investment for your team’s success.
Ultimately, the best choice depends on your unique business requirements and communication style. Carefully weigh each plan’s strengths and align them with your priorities to ensure you make the optimal investment for your team’s success.
Ready to upgrade the way your team collaborates?
Speak to us today to upgrade to Business Starter today and unlock the power of shared drives! Click here to get in touch