HENNGE One offers an exceptional balance of cost and performance, backed by an impressive speed of implementation and support.
— Could you tell us about the circumstances surrounding your adoption of Google Workspace?
Gmail and Google Workspace were introduced as part of a major merger project. We began utilising these tools in alignment with the launch of our new company in 2009. Since the email system required a complete transition to a new domain name, it was essentially the launch of an entirely new communication infrastructure rather than a mere integration of legacy systems.
— In 2009, Google Workspace adoption was still quite rare among Japanese enterprises. Why did you choose it at that time?
Our primary requirements for the email system migration were “cost-performance” and “deployment speed.” We evaluated three options: the Google proposal, an on-premises server solution (extending the legacy system used by the former company), and an ASP cloud service from another provider.
Our analysis revealed that the on-premises option would incur significant operational costs. Furthermore, the alternative ASP service could not guarantee a full release of all features by our launch date of 1st April, requiring a two-stage migration. As we required a fully functional communication tool from day one of the new company, the Google proposal—offering low costs and a short lead time—was the superior choice.
Admittedly, there were some concerns within the organisation due to the lack of domestic precedents at the time. However, we ultimately decided to proceed because of the clear functional advantages, such as the high-capacity 25GB mailboxes and the significant reduction in internal operational overhead.
— What led to the subsequent adoption of HENNGE One?
While Google Workspace offers numerous benefits, its standard features alone could not satisfy our internal requirements for security and email archiving. We introduced HENNGE One specifically to bridge these gaps.
— What were the specific challenges regarding security?
For instance, the email system we used prior to the merger featured an automated mechanism that added a supervisor’s address to the CC field whenever an external email was sent. Replicating this specific oversight function within standard Google Workspace settings proved difficult. Consequently, employees with high security awareness began requesting more robust security measures to ensure compliance.
— Which specific aspects of HENNGE One did you value most?
Naturally, the technical features were excellent—providing “Email Archiving,” “Automated Attachment Encryption,” and “Advanced Filtering” that Google Workspace lacks. However, following our experience with major natural disasters, our company’s shift towards cloud-based services became even more pronounced. This made HENNGE One’s nature as a cloud-native service a decisive factor.
Utilising an on-premises system for security and archiving while the main mail system is in the cloud would halve the operational benefits. Furthermore, since HENNGE One archives are stored in a data centre separate from Google’s infrastructure, it significantly enhances data redundancy and business continuity in the event of a service disruption or disaster.
— Were there any challenges during the implementation phase?
Defining the detailed configuration settings required careful planning, so we consulted closely with the HENNGE team. The actual technical setup was handled by HENNGE on our behalf, which meant we encountered very few difficulties during the transition.
Once the initial configuration is complete, very few changes are required during daily operations. On the rare occasion that we need to adjust settings—such as creating an exception for a domain that cannot receive password-protected ZIP files—HENNGE typically completes the request within a few hours. This responsiveness ensures that the operational burden on our internal IT team remains minimal.