Octavian Enache - PeerSpot reviewer
Information Security Officer at TBI Bank
Real User
Great for storing data and accessible at any time
Pros and Cons
  • "It's available any time you need it."
  • "Security features could be improved."

What is our primary use case?

This solution is used for storing my data. It's for my family's personal I work as an information security officer.

What is most valuable?

I like that it's there anytime you need it. There is some security there and you can put 2FA on the folders and share with others if need be.

What needs improvement?

From my point of view, the security features could be improved. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using this solution for many years. 

Buyer's Guide
Google Cloud
March 2024
Learn what your peers think about Google Cloud. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2024.
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What other advice do I have?

I have a monthly subscription for Google storage.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
IsuruPonnamperuma - PeerSpot reviewer
Assistant Vice President at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Reseller
Top 10
It's easy to deploy next-generation applications
Pros and Cons
  • "It's easy to deploy next-generation applications on Google Cloud. Customers can also use various cloud tools to optimize their operations and generate more insights to do business much smarter."
  • "Another issue is the applicability of local language data capturing mechanisms, which are more advanced on cloud service providers, but still there is room to grow. Also, their hybrid version isn't available in all markets worldwide, so I'm hoping that it will be released globally soon"

What is our primary use case?

When you push your networking, storage, and other infrastructure from on-premise to the cloud, you can let go of your on-premise real estate and shift the burden back onto the cloud vendor. Google absorbs the cost of power, cooling, management, etc.

You no longer need to spend on CapEx. Instead, you are spending on consumption, so your CapEx moves into OPEX and then on the utility. That's the generic use case for why somebody would move their workload to the cloud.

How has it helped my organization?

Migrating to the cloud offers multiple benefits for consumers. One is financial. Customers can let go of their data centers and put the overhead and the hassle of management onto the cloud provider.

What is most valuable?

It's easy to deploy next-generation applications on Google Cloud. Customers can also use various cloud tools to optimize their operations and generate more insights to do business much smarter.

What needs improvement?

Cloud vendors can't afford to have data centers all across the world because of the economics of scale and the size of markets. That is one reason that some customers don't get onto the cloud. 

Another issue is the applicability of local language data capturing mechanisms, which are more advanced on cloud service providers, but still there is room to grow. Also, their hybrid version isn't available in all markets worldwide, so I'm hoping that it will be released globally soon.

For how long have I used the solution?

We've been selling Google Cloud solutions for about a year now. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Stability has never been a question with any of the three major cloud vendors.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Cloud vendors are more scalable than any on-prem solution. There will always be an increasing demand for cloud solutions. It naturally goes up, and a lot of the other products you use will begin producing cloud versions that can only run on public clouds. 

How are customer service and support?

All three cloud vendors have excellent support. I would rate them nine or 10 out of 10.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

So we have a reselling on prem solutions and cloud solutions.

How was the initial setup?

I rate Google Cloud eight out of 10 for ease of deployment. The complexity of deployment can vary depending on the use case and business requirements, but if it's an enterprise workload, we are looking at anywhere from four to six months.

One person could be enough to deploy and manage a cloud solution depending on how critical the workload is. It's also contingent on how much responsibility the customer or the cloud vendor takes. For example, if the cloud vendor takes maximum responsibility in a case like a software service, then the customer only has to configure, manage and run the software.

What about the implementation team?

We are the ones who migrate the workloads, so we're doing the implementation, but there is always. If it's a massive workload, we might bring in third-party integrators who specialize in a particular application workload.

What was our ROI?

You get an ROI from moving workloads from on-prem to cloud, but the real return comes when your customers start taking advantage of the cloud solution's full features. The return doesn't justify the cost unless you modernize the applications.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Cost can start from less than a dollar and go up. Monthly and yearly base billing is there, but ultimately it depends on customer usage, There could be additional costs. It depends on the requirements. If a customer has some needs that aren't available on the public cloud, they'll have to procure those licenses separately.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

The decision to use Google Cloud had nothing to do with its technical capabilities. We were looking at which cloud vendor had the least reach in our market, so we chose that vendor. It's hard to speak generally about the advantages and disadvantages of the different cloud platforms divorced from context.

What other advice do I have?

I rate Google Cloud 10 out of 10. People have limited knowledge of cloud solutions. My advice is that for those considering migration to the cloud is to evaluate the on-prem and cloud alternatives as much as possible because you can make wrong decisions if your perspective is limited. 

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Google Cloud
March 2024
Learn what your peers think about Google Cloud. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2024.
768,857 professionals have used our research since 2012.
PradeepKumar20 - PeerSpot reviewer
HR manager at The Sunway Manor
Real User
High performance, easy access, but integration could be better
Pros and Cons
  • "Google Cloud's most valuable features are its performance and ease of access."
  • "Google Cloud could improve the integration with other solutions."

What is our primary use case?

We are using Google Cloud for storing our data.

What is most valuable?

Google Cloud's most valuable features are its performance and ease of access.

What needs improvement?

Google Cloud could improve the integration with other solutions.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Google Cloud for more than one year.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Google Cloud is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

If there was better integration then it would be able to be scaled more.

How are customer service and support?

I have not contacted support.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others.

I rate Google Cloud a seven out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
JuanGonzalez5 - PeerSpot reviewer
Cloud Services Consultant at Evolutio
Consultant
Relatively inexpensive and with good governance but it could be lighter
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution can scale as well."
  • "The Spanish version is in beta. It needs to be farther along."

What is our primary use case?

I typically use the solution for creating infrastructure.

What is most valuable?

The governance feature is very good. 

There are several functions the cloud has, which are quite useful.

The virtual machines are very big. It isn't small, like Azure or AWS.

It's relatively inexpensive.

The stability is okay.

The solution can scale as well. 

What needs improvement?

The Spanish version is in beta. It needs to be farther along.

We'd like the solution to be smaller and lighter. It could be simpler. 

We'd like for some better integration from TerraForm.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution has okay stability, however, that said, it has a way to go before it keeps up to something like Azure. Even AWS is more stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution, as far as I can tell, is quite scalable. 

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I also work with AWS and Azure. I find the stability okay with Google, and it is quite sizeable. However, AWS and Azure are more stable and lighter. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The pricing is very good. We're happy with it for the most part.

It was cheap. I'd rate it a four out of five in terms of being affordable. They are very competitive with other clouds. 

What other advice do I have?

We're a consulting company and use the infrastructure created by the cloud itself. 

I would rate the solution a seven out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Google
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Senior Software Developer Team Lead at Dilowa
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Scales easily, simple to set up and offers great pricing
Pros and Cons
  • "This is a solution that's so easy to expand when you need it to. It's the best I've ever seen. It's much better than Azure."
  • "The management side for the database needs some work. Currently, you do everything from the APP. It would be nice to have an interface where you can go in and maintain data and deal with records and do something online."

What is our primary use case?

We largely use the solution for hosting and for the database it offers.

What is most valuable?

Both the hosting and the database are the most valuable features on this product.

What needs improvement?

The analytics could be improved. I need to be able to give them to the client. It is there, but you have to go to Google Cloud to see it. I want it added as a service so I can add it to the client-side and make it easily sharable with my clients.

The management side for the database needs some work. Currently, you do everything from the app. It would be nice to have an interface where you can go in and maintain data and deal with records and do something online. Also the ability to migrate the database should be a bit easier. You can't just copy a database and make another duplicate. You have to do all that bit manually.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've only been using the solution for a total of three months at this point.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

So far, after three months, I can say it's very stable. I haven't had issues with bugs or glitches. It hasn't crashed at all.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This is a solution that's so easy to expand when you need to. It's the best I've ever seen. It's much better than Azure.

How are customer service and technical support?

Everything in the few months we've used the solution has been great so we haven't had a need to contact technical support. I can't speak to how they are because I have never directly had to deal with them.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I've used Azure as well. I've used that for a while and now I've moved to Google Cloud. Then, for a client, I'm also going to use AWS.

We switched from Azure because the setup is too complex, and, on the scalability side, you have to set it up yourself and I found it didn't actually work well. You have to constantly monitor your server and then add a new VM. There's a lot more effort required which is unnecessary if you have a solution that cuts the workload down. Google simplifies things on many levels, and it does the scaling for you.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup isn't complex per se. It's simple once you understand it, but it takes some time to figure it out. Once you do, it's very simple afterwards. In our case, it took us two weeks to get everything fully operational.

We don't require any maintenance. We just need to make sure we keep our data clean.

What about the implementation team?

I handled the implementation myself. I didn't require any consultants or integrators to assist me.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The licensing for Google Cloud seems to be quite cheap and they're actually quite reasonable in comparison to Azure, which, as it turns out, is quite expensive. Even though Azure has a data center in South Africa it's still quite costly. There's no scaling, so if you go with the VM, you pay 2500 Rand. When you add another VM, it's another 2500 Rand even though you don't use the whole thing. With Google, you can go up as incrementally as you need to, even if it's just 30 Rand.

With Google, there's no licensing. Everything is included, just been based on the usage.

What other advice do I have?

We're just a customer. We don't have any special connection to the company in any way.

Obviously, with Google, everything is the latest version. Google updates everything for you, so there isn't usually a time when we're on an "old version" of the solution.

We use the solution on a daily basis.

I would recommend Google Cloud. At the moment it's in third place, according to the standards. Right now it's ranked AWS, then Azure, then Google. Even though it's technically third, it's much better to use and it's a much better environment.

I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Google
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Ruven Naidoo - PeerSpot reviewer
Ruven NaidooSenior Software Developer Team Lead at Dilowa
Top 5LeaderboardReal User

AWS also looks like a good option. To get certified https://www.udemy.com/course/e... 

Henk Bredell - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Manager - Engineering Information Systems at IST
Real User
Top 20
Easy to use, good value for money, and reliable
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution can scale."
  • "The solution could be a bit cheaper."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution for our virtual machines. We put all of our software infrastructure onto virtual machines, and then we use Google as the cloud for storage. We use all of our own solutions inside and not their services so that if we did want to move to another cloud, like AWS, we could do so easily.

What is most valuable?

The initial setup is very easy.

We like that the solution is always available, and it would be simple to migrate as needed. 

We chose Google for its ease of use and value for money.

It is stable.

The solution can scale. 

What needs improvement?

I can't think of any improvements off the top of my head. 

The solution could be a bit cheaper.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for five years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

There were some glitches in the system years ago. That has since been fixed. Now, it is stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It's of a very good standard. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is very scalable, and you need to pay for it if you want to expand. 

How are customer service and support?

We've had to reach out to support in the past. I wasn't able to get help from Google directly. I found help using the user community. 

How was the initial setup?

The solution is very straightforward to set up. It's not overly complex. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The solution offers the best value for money. 

What other advice do I have?

I'm just a straightforward customer. 

I am not sure if we are using any specific version at this time. 

This is a good solution. You'd get done what you need to get done. There are many alternative solutions out there, however. What people need to know is if they will get their requirements met. This is a very capable platform. It's a good product to use and offers good value for money. 

I'd rate the solution eight out of ten overall. 

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Adrian Mukisa - PeerSpot reviewer
Student at Kabale University
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Secure, stable, and highly scalable
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature of Google Cloud is its security."
  • "Google Cloud could improve by having better integration with other platforms."

What is our primary use case?

I am using Google Cloud to back up my files from my laptop. If I have any important information that I need to back up I use this solution.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of Google Cloud is its security.

What needs improvement?

Google Cloud could improve by having better integration with other platforms.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Google Cloud for approximately three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Google Cloud is stable as long as you have a good internet connection.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability of Google Cloud is good because if you need more space you only need to purchase more.

How are customer service and support?

I have not contacted support.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The price of Google Cloud is affordable compared to others services. I pay monthly for the service.

What other advice do I have?

I rate Google Cloud ten out of ten.

Everyone in my university is using the solution. We might have plans to increase our usage of the solution.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Private Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Chief Technology Officer at a financial services firm with 1-10 employees
Real User
Top 10
Good alternative solution for utilizing big data
Pros and Cons
  • "Google Cloud is a good alternative solution. I think it's a better fit for Mac operating systems than Windows. If you're utilizing Google Cloud for something like big data, then their big query is decent."
  • "The solution could be cheaper."

What is our primary use case?

Google Cloud is a good alternative solution. I think it's a better fit for Mac operating systems than Windows. If you're utilizing Google Cloud for something like big data, then their big query is decent.

There are about 12-15 people using this solution in my organization.

This is a cloud-based solution.

What needs improvement?

The solution could be cheaper.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's stable. I haven't had any issues so far.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It's scalable.

How are customer service and support?

Technical support is fine.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

For the license, we didn't have to pay for any additional fees.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate this solution 8 out of 10.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Google Cloud Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: March 2024
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Google Cloud Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.