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Illinois Central College has transitioned from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365. While many tools serve similar purposes, features, terminology, and workflows may differ. This article provides a high‑level comparison to help you understand which Microsoft 365 apps correspond to familiar Google Workspace tools and how they are typically used.
Important: Microsoft 365 tools are similar but not identical to Google Workspace apps. Some tasks may require a different approach, and collaboration is often more integrated across apps (especially with Microsoft Teams).
Application Comparison
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Google Workspace App
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Microsoft 365 Equivalent
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Typical Use
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Gmail
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Microsoft Outlook
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Email and calendar access; integrates with Teams and OneDrive
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Google Calendar
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Microsoft Outlook
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Scheduling, shared calendars, and meeting invitations
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Google Drive
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Microsoft OneDrive
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Personal file storage and file sharing (owned by the user)
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Shared Drives
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Microsoft SharePoint
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Team or department libraries, collaboration, and shared ownership
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Google Docs
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Microsoft Word
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Documents with real‑time collaboration
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Google Sheets
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Microsoft Excel
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Spreadsheets, formulas, and data analysis
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Google Slides
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Microsoft PowerPoint
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Presentations
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Google Forms
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Microsoft Forms
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Surveys, quizzes, and data collection (exportable to Excel)
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Google Meet
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Microsoft Teams
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Online meetings, chat, and collaboration
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Google Chat
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Microsoft Teams
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Chat, channels, and team collaboration
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Google Sites
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Microsoft SharePoint
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Internal websites and pages
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Key Differences to Be Aware Of
Outlook combines email and calendar
Unlike Google, Microsoft uses Outlook for both email and calendar. Meetings created in Outlook typically use Microsoft Teams for online attendance.
OneDrive vs. SharePoint ownership
- OneDrive is personal storage tied to your account.
- SharePoint is shared, organizational storage for teams and departments.
Storing files in the correct location helps ensure proper access, collaboration, and long‑term retention.
Microsoft Teams is the collaboration hub
Teams replaces both Google Meet and Google Chat, but it also goes further by combining:
- Meetings and chat
- Shared files (via SharePoint and OneDrive)
- Channels for ongoing team conversations
Forms is for collection, Excel is for analysis
Microsoft Forms is designed for collecting responses. For advanced formatting, calculations, or reporting, responses should be opened in Excel.
Need More Help?
If you need help choosing the right Microsoft 365 tool or completing a task:
- Search the ICC Hub Knowledge Base for related how‑to articles
- Contact the Service Desk through the ICC Hub for assistance
This matrix is intended as a starting point to help you transition confidently into Microsoft 365