Grove Group Blog

Two things that we get asked about a lot is Security and Privacy in the cloud.  Some businesses are concerned about adopting a cloud approach as they think they’ll lose control of their data when it’s not stored on servers they can see and touch.  Although usually an initial concern, with the necessary due-diligence, organisations are actually considering moving to the cloud to gain the additional security benefits it offers.

5 Million businesses have Gone Google; every size in every industry. From 1 user start ups to the 200,000 strong retail giant Woolworths Australia.

To highlight the flexibility of the solution in the Media industry I’ve pulled together a list 10 great international media businesses and how they have embraced the cloud-based business solution, Google Apps for Business.

Google Sites is just one of the products that comes included with the Google Apps for Business product suite, along with Gmail, Docs, Drive, Google+ and Calendar. It provides users with an easy to use tool to build project Sites and intranets - no HTML knowledge required!  

It gives users a single point of access to information where you can control who can sees what. It allows you to share what you want, with who you want.

One of the most valuable ways of using Google Sites is to create a company Intranet. In this post we’ve pulled together a list of 10 things that you may not know about this vastly underestimated and highly useful tool.

Google Apps, a cloud based business solution, is being adopted by over 5,000 businesses a day. There are however quite a few myths/misconceptions around Google Apps relating to privacy, security and data. Here I have pulled together the most popular and explained why they are not true.

Cloud computing offers a very attractive range of business and security benefits that are becoming harder for organisations to ignore. From everyday email and productivity applications to highly sophisticated geo mapping solutions.

As more and more businesses adopt cloud-based IT and operations solutions it is clear that Cloud is ready for you - the question is, are you ready for Cloud?

We’ve put together a list of important questions to ask yourself before ‘taking the plunge’. There’s no point in moving to the cloud if it’s not going to work for you right? It’s important to have a clear view of your existing solutions, what would work for you and how you would actually benefit. It’s a bit like social media - you need to be involved, but you don’t necessarily need to have an account for every provider under the sun.

I’m a busy guy and I’ll bet you’re pretty busy too. So I got to thinking that there has to be an App, or rather, a collection of Apps to help right? Well yes, there is - and they are all available (for free) through Google Chrome. Some save your usernames and passwords, some block out ad’s, and some let you view additional information about your contacts in Gmail. Helpful right? 

I’ve listed 5 of the most useful Google Chrome Apps I use on a daily basis, all of which are free to download from the Google Chrome Web Store.

Skype or Hangout? Which cloud solution first pops to mind when you need to collaborate with others? One of the many advantages of cloud computing is the array of great business level video conferencing applications that are now available.

Skype is a great quick and easy option, offering free and paid for versions where you simply click on a persons name and off you go. It’s also possible to make cheaper-rate calls to global landlines and mobiles and the solution comes with option to download the management console, Skype Manager. It is worth remembering though that you need a Premium account to chat to more than one person at a time.

Google+ Hangout is a great option too, launched straight from your mailbox or Google+ account, you get video conferencing and so much more. Free video conferencing for up to 15 people with an option to transmit ‘on air’ and a set of fully integrated apps with additional free email, calendar and social media platform. So, as they say, a bit more bang for your buck. There’s even an option to upgrade to a business account through Google Apps for Business for a mere $50 per user per year.

Each cloud application though has its pros and cons, so we’ve put together a list of what we think are the key differences between Skype and Google+ Hangouts.  

On the morning of Valentine's Day, Grove hosted 2 events - well - the same event in 2 different locations, London and Cape Town; ‘Business, Social and Technology Trends for 2013’  where we, along with industry experts, presented and discussed what lies ahead for businesses in the UK and South Africa respectively.

Obviously a topic close to the hearts of businesses in both countries, both venues were down to standing room only, with delegates at Google London HQ having to queue out the door to get in! Full of meeting-and-greeting, enjoying wonderful Valentines cupcakes and loads of great guest speakers (including recently ‘Gone Google’ business Haymarket) and of course, trend predictions for 2013, it seems both events went down a treat.

Written by: Marcus Dixon

Cloud Computing is a conceptual term used to describe the act of providing information technology (IT) solutions to organisations through the Internet. It allows organisations to implement IT solutions without having to purchase hardware and software and then hiring staff to maintain it.

There are loads of business and security benefits to adopting a Cloud Computing Strategy.

But how does it work? How could it integrate with your current business solutions? How do you pay for it? To answer these questions we’ve pulled together a selection of 9 great videos that explain, using a variety of approaches, what Cloud Computing is, and how it works.