Google just threw down the gauntlet in the enterprise software wars with a bold new pitch: businesses should run Google Workspace as a backup for the inevitable moment when Microsoft 365 goes down. The search giant's fresh Business Continuity plan essentially turns Gmail, Google Meet, and Drive into a parallel safety net that kicks in during Microsoft outages.
Google just made its most aggressive move yet in the enterprise software battle, launching a service that essentially positions itself as the reliable alternative when Microsoft 365 inevitably crashes. The company's new Business Continuity plan doesn't just compete with Microsoft - it assumes Microsoft will fail and offers itself as the backup.
The timing couldn't be more pointed. Just eight days after Microsoft's latest outage on October 8th knocked out mailbox connectivity for users, Google announced its parallel workspace solution that syncs emails, calendars, chat, and files between the two platforms. When Microsoft goes down, businesses simply switch over to Gmail and Google Meet without missing a beat.
"Workspace, with support from our partners, will sync emails, calendars, chat, and more with Microsoft 365, so customer data is right where organizations need it, without requiring migration," Google explained in its announcement. "This can protect against disruptions to the core business and impacts to customers."
Google's language here is deliberately provocative. The company flat-out states "it's a question of when and for how long, not if" Microsoft 365 goes down, pointing directly to Microsoft's own @MSFT365Status account on X that regularly broadcasts outages to millions of frustrated users. That October 8th incident came just days after a problematic configuration change that had already disrupted services.
But Google isn't stopping at just being a backup plan. The company's also rolling out a "Work Transformation Set" that combines Workspace with its Gemini AI assistant, targeting Microsoft 365 customers who are "ready to leave behind Microsoft's lock-in and security incidents." The package can integrate with identity solutions like Okta, making it easier for businesses to actually make the switch rather than just hedge their bets.
