Google Workspace but one user needs Office

[Velvis]

What's the best way to license single Google Workspace user for an Office license?

 

[timeshifter]

Microsoft 365 Apps for Business

Microsoft 365 Apps for Business | Microsoft 365

With Microsoft 365 Apps for business, store and share files, access apps on several devices, and automatically update apps with new features to manage your business.

www.microsoft.com

 

[britechguy]

I guess this depends on what "Office license" means, and I'm not trying to be snarky.

I believe that the plan that @timeshifter alludes to includes what its name states: apps, not desktop apps, for business although I don't find the page clear about that.

If desktop apps for things like Word, Excel, etc., are needed, that's a big factor in what the "minimum" license type might be.

 

[Sky-Knight]

Yeah, if they just need the apps, that's your play. If they want the whole service... they can do that too, even with the same domain. Email will just only flow to one.

 

[Velvis]

I think they want the desktop applications. I am waiting to hear specifics.

 

[Sky-Knight]

I think they want the desktop applications. I am waiting to hear specifics.

Very common for Google shops to have an M365 tenant using the company's domain, with either separate logons or configured to leverage GSuite as an identity provider, just to deliver Apps for Business.

 

[Velvis]

Very common for Google shops to have an M365 tenant using the company's domain, with either separate logons or configured to leverage GSuite as an identity provider, just to deliver Apps for Business.

Unrelated to this client but rather a different client; can the same be done in reverse? Ie a M365 business with a handful of users wanting to use Google Workspace?

 

[Sky-Knight]

Unrelated to this client but rather a different client; can the same be done in reverse? Ie a M365 business with a handful of users wanting to use Google Workspace?

Yes, the constraint is email. Only one platform can have email flowing to it. You can configure either platform to use the other as the identity provider and let users do single signon. But the platform that doesn't own the MX record won't be able to use email quite right, which causes some odd issues in notifications. But otherwise yes, if you're willing to pay for both platforms you absolutely can run both. They just both have licensing bundles configured to make you buy everything twice when you do that.

 

[Velvis]

Yes, the constraint is email. Only one platform can have email flowing to it. You can configure either platform to use the other as the identity provider and let users do single signon. But the platform that doesn't own the MX record won't be able to use email quite right, which causes some odd issues in notifications. But otherwise yes, if you're willing to pay for both platforms you absolutely can run both. They just both have licensing bundles configured to make you buy everything twice when you do that.

Buying twice would only apply to the users using both?

 

[timeshifter]

I guess this depends on what "Office license" means, and I'm not trying to be snarky.

I believe that the plan that @timeshifter alludes to includes what its name states: apps, not desktop apps, for business although I don't find the page clear about that.

If desktop apps for things like Word, Excel, etc., are needed, that's a big factor in what the "minimum" license type might be.

It’s desktop apps. exe versions that run locally in your operating system just like the old days.

 

[Sky-Knight]

Buying twice would only apply to the users using both?

Depends... mostly yes this is true but there are times when it isn't. Google famously requires a license for an admin user for example. There are other use cases that cost as well.

 

[fincoder]

Office 2024 Home & Business (or Pro)?
(non-subscription, end of support is 2029)

 

[timeshifter]

 

[britechguy]

It would be so helpful if Microsoft's own marketing materials were consistent and showed "the vitals" everywhere.

Personally, I hated when the term "apps" became short for applications, but at least after a short while "apps" took on the meaning of modern apps, typically sourced from the Microsoft Store, while desktop apps (which I wish had remained called desktop applications) were installed programs that used EXE or MSI installers.

But now, we're going back to "apps" being confusing as to exactly which class of program is being discussed. As far as I'm concerned, "apps" should have been a mobile-platform-only term. On the Windows desktop it should have been modern versus installed applications.

 

[Markverhyden]

What's behind the reasoning for this request? I've had plenty of requests for "I need <insert application name>" but what they really wanted to do was to be able to do <insert action>. There's usually multiple ways to do "something".