Workspace Setup and Migration
New Workspace tenant provisioning, or migration from Microsoft 365, Exchange, or other platforms. We schedule migrations to avoid email or file-access interruptions.
Google Workspace · Vancouver, BC
Google Workspace Vancouver
Hexafusion provides Google Workspace support in Vancouver for businesses running on Workspace or migrating from other platforms. Tenant admin, security hardening, Shared Drive architecture, and ongoing day-to-day support.
Google Workspace Services for Vancouver Businesses
Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) is the productivity platform of choice for many Vancouver startups, creative agencies, and tech-forward SMBs. Hexafusion manages your Workspace tenant: admin, security, migration, and ongoing support.
Admin Console Management
Users, groups, organizational units, licensing, and policy management. Domain verification, alias setup, and DNS guidance.
Gmail and Calendar
Routing rules, shared mailboxes, delegation, calendar resources, and room booking configuration for Workspace.
Google Drive and Shared Drives
Shared drive architecture, permissions, sharing controls, and Drive for Desktop deployment.
Google Meet and Chat
Meeting room configuration, recording policies, Chat spaces, and integration with third-party calendaring.
Security and Compliance
2-Step Verification enforcement, Context-Aware Access, Data Loss Prevention, Vault retention, and alert centre monitoring.
SSO and Identity
Single sign-on with Okta, Azure AD, or other identity providers. SAML app configuration for third-party SaaS.
Mobile Device Management
Google Workspace endpoint management for Android, iOS, Chrome, and Windows devices.
Workspace vs Microsoft 365: Which Is Right?
Most Vancouver businesses end up with one or the other. We help you make the choice based on your team's preferred tools, integrations with your line-of-business apps, compliance requirements, and budget. Hybrid environments (Workspace for some teams, M365 for others) are common and we support both.
Canadian Data Residency for Google Workspace
Google Workspace offers data-region policies on Business Plus and higher editions. Core data (Gmail, Drive, Docs, and similar) can be pinned to a specified region. For PIPEDA-regulated and BC's Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) clients, we configure data-region policies where possible and document the services and metadata that still transit globally. Your privacy officer gets a written statement of cross-border flows to include in any audit response.
Workspace vs Microsoft 365: making the call
Both platforms cover the core productivity bases (email, calendar, file sharing, video meetings, messaging). They diverge in the details, and that is where the right choice shows up.
Google Workspace wins when
- Real-time document collaboration is the core work pattern
- Team is under 100 and growing fast
- Mobile-first workflows with Chromebooks or mixed BYOD
- Creative agencies, startups, SaaS, digital marketing
- Simple licensing preferred over detailed SKU matrix
Microsoft 365 wins when
- Heavy Excel modelling, macros, or pivot-heavy analysis
- Line-of-business integrations with Dynamics, Power BI, or Windows apps
- Regulated industries (finance, healthcare, legal)
- Deep Windows device management through Intune
- Teams Phone for voice migration off legacy PBX
Hybrid environments (one platform per team) are common and fully supported. We manage both sides and the identity federation between them.
Security hardening for Google Workspace
Workspace has strong native security, but most tenants we inherit have default settings that leave preventable gaps. Our baseline in the first ninety days:
- 2-Step Verification enforced for every user, not just opted-in. Security keys mandated for super-admins.
- Context-Aware Access policies by device trust, location, and session age.
- Advanced Protection Program for high-risk accounts (executives, finance, HR).
- Vault retention with separate admin credentials so a compromised admin cannot delete audit evidence.
- Alert Centre with automated response for phishing, malware, and account compromise signals.
- Data Loss Prevention (DLP) rules on Gmail and Drive for clients with regulated data patterns.
- Third-party backup (SpinBackup, Afi, or equivalent) for any client with long retention or recovery requirements. Workspace Vault alone is not a backup product.
Migration methodology
Workspace migrations use the same six-phase methodology we apply across every productivity platform. The key difference on Workspace is that Gmail delta sync and Drive content sync can run in parallel, which compresses the timeline. A typical 10 to 50 user Vancouver business is off the legacy platform and stable on Workspace inside six weeks:
- Discovery. Inventory users, aliases, shared mailboxes, Drive content, third-party SaaS integrations, calendaring patterns.
- Design. Target org structure, shared drive architecture, identity model, security baseline. You approve before we start.
- Pilot. Five to ten users move first. Two-week validation.
- Migrate. Weekend cutover waves with zero-downtime delta sync on Gmail.
- Stabilise. Thirty days of hypercare with direct engineer access.
- Hand-off. Documentation, training, transition into managed operations.
Frequently asked questions
Which Google Workspace plan do we need?
For most small businesses of 5 to 25 users, Business Standard is the floor. Business Plus adds Vault retention, eDiscovery, and advanced endpoint management. Enterprise editions add Data Loss Prevention, Context-Aware Access, and the security centre. We audit licensing quarterly and right-size to actual usage.
How long does a Workspace migration take?
Three to six weeks for a 10 to 50 user business. Cutover weekend has zero email downtime because mail routing is switched only after Gmail delta sync is caught up.
Does Google Workspace back up our data?
Partially. Drive trash and Vault retention exist but are bounded by policy and can be circumvented by an admin compromise. We add third-party backup (SpinBackup, Afi, or equivalent) for regulated clients and anyone with long retention requirements. Restore is tested quarterly.
Can our data stay in Canada?
Yes for most core services on Business Plus and higher. Some metadata still transits globally; we document the specifics for clients with compliance duties.
Can you support Chromebooks?
Yes. Chrome Enterprise Upgrade is part of our endpoint management stack. We enroll devices, push policy, configure kiosk and managed-guest modes, and integrate with Workspace identity. Chromebooks are cost-effective for shared-workstation environments in retail, hospitality, and reception.
Can we run Workspace alongside Microsoft 365?
Yes. Hybrid is common. We manage calendar federation, file-sharing workflows between Drive and OneDrive, and identity so users have a single sign-on (SSO) experience across both platforms.
Google Workspace Support Across Metro Vancouver
Ready to talk?
A Hexafusion consultant will review your environment and respond within one business day with a scoped proposal.
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