Email & Productivity Suite¶
Decision record for company email and productivity tooling.
Decision¶
Chosen Provider: Google Workspace (Business Starter)
Date: 2024-12-16
Rationale:
- Best-in-class UX for document collaboration
- Clients and partners expect Google Docs/Drive links
- Familiar ecosystem reduces friction
- Gemini AI assistant included
- Price difference vs alternatives is negligible for small team
Provider Comparison Matrix¶
| Provider | Country | Price/user/mo | Storage | Office Suite | Privacy | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoho Workplace | India/US | €2.70 | 30 GB | Full suite | Medium | Budget + full suite |
| mailbox.org | Germany | €3 | 10 GB | Basic | High | EU compliance, GDPR |
| Fastmail | Australia | €5.50 | 50 GB | None | High | Email-only, clean UX |
| Microsoft 365 | US | €5 | 50 GB + 1TB | Office apps | Low | Microsoft ecosystem |
| Tuta | Germany | €6 | 1 GB + addons | Calendar only | Very High | E2E encryption |
| Proton Mail | Switzerland | €6.50 | 15 GB | Drive + Calendar | Very High | Swiss privacy, encryption |
| Google Workspace | US | €6.50 | 30 GB pooled | Google apps | Low | Best UX, collaboration |
Decision Matrix¶
| Priority | Best Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest cost | Zoho Workplace Standard | €2.70/mo, full suite included |
| Privacy (EU) | mailbox.org or Tuta | German servers, GDPR, strict privacy |
| Privacy (Swiss) | Proton Mail | Swiss jurisdiction, E2E encryption |
| Best UX | Google Workspace | Everyone knows it, best collaboration |
| Microsoft ecosystem | Microsoft 365 | If you need Office desktop apps |
| Email only | Fastmail | Clean, fast, reliable, no bloat |
| EU company compliance | mailbox.org or Tuta | German law, full GDPR |
Cost Projection (Annual, EUR)¶
| Users | Zoho Std | mailbox.org | Microsoft 365 | Proton | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | €65 | €72 | €120 | €156 | €156 |
| 5 | €162 | €180 | €300 | €390 | €390 |
| 10 | €324 | €360 | €600 | €780 | €780 |
| 20 | €648 | €720 | €1,200 | €1,560 | €1,560 |
Google Workspace Plan Details¶
Plan: Business Starter (~€6.50/user/month annual)
Included:
- Gmail with custom domain (@minnova.io)
- Google Drive (30 GB pooled per user)
- Google Docs, Sheets, Slides
- Google Meet (100 participants)
- Google Calendar
- Google Chat
- Gemini AI assistant
- Admin console
- Standard security features
Not included (requires Standard tier):
- Google Vault (email retention/eDiscovery)
- Extended storage (2 TB)
- Enhanced security controls
Setup Checklist¶
- Purchase Google Workspace Business Starter
- Configure custom domain (minnova.io)
- Set up MX records in Cloudflare
- Create user accounts
- Configure SPF, DKIM, DMARC
- Migrate existing emails (if any)
- Set up 2FA enforcement
- Configure SSO with Authentik (optional)
Alternatives Considered¶
Zoho Workplace¶
- Pros: Cheapest full suite, password manager included
- Cons: Less polished UX, not as widely recognized
mailbox.org¶
- Pros: German-based, GDPR compliant, cheap
- Cons: Smaller ecosystem, basic office suite
Proton Mail¶
- Pros: Swiss privacy, E2E encryption, VPN included
- Cons: No office suite, more expensive, less familiar
Microsoft 365¶
- Pros: Office desktop apps, Teams, 1TB storage
- Cons: Heavier ecosystem, less elegant than Google