Google Takes Direct Aim at Microsoft 365 with an ‘Anti-Downtime’ Backup Plan
Google aims to capitalize on the frequent and severe outages of Microsoft 365. The search giant is rolling out a new business continuity program that allows companies to use Google Workspace as a backup solution during outages of Outlook, Teams, or OneDrive.
Gmail and Meet ready to step in during Microsoft 365 failures
The concept is straightforward: Google Workspace operates alongside Microsoft 365. If an outage occurs, users can immediately switch to Gmail, Google Meet, or Drive without prior migration. “Google Workspace, with the support of our partners, synchronizes emails, calendars, chats, and more with Microsoft 365, ensuring that data remains accessible wherever businesses need it, without migration,” Google explains.
The company promises that this solution safeguards critical operations and minimizes customer impact during outages.
“It’s not a question of if, but when”
Google is clear about its stance: Microsoft 365 outages are inevitable. The company points directly to the Microsoft 365 Status account on X, which regularly reports incidents.
The latest incident? On October 8, after a configuration update that caused email connectivity issues.
A toolkit for businesses ready to ditch Microsoft
In addition, Google is launching a Work Transformation Set, a suite of tools designed for companies looking to leave Microsoft 365. This offer combines Workspace and Gemini, with the option to integrate third-party identity solutions like Okta.
The goal is explicit: to attract organizations tired of the “dependency on Microsoft” and its security issues.
A historic rivalry intensifies
This new offensive is part of a long-standing rivalry between Microsoft and Google. Just last year, Microsoft accused its rival of conducting “shadow campaigns” to undermine Azure and its cloud division. More than a decade ago, Redmond initiated its famous “Scroogled” campaign, accusing Google of user surveillance.
Today, the battle resumes on a new front: service reliability and continuity in the cloud — an area where Google aims to establish itself as a safe haven against the recurring outages of Microsoft 365.
