Google has announced pricing updates and flexible payment options for its Google Workspace platform.
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The collaboration suite, which launched in October 2020, will see a price increase; however, customers can keep the cost down by signing up for an annual plan.
Google has stated that the changes in pricing are to reflect the value of its products better.
Steve Holt, Vice President, Strategy, Google Workspace, commented: “Since launching Google Workspace in October 2020, we’ve delivered hundreds of new features to fuel secure collaboration from anywhere, including more than 300 in 2022 alone.
The updates range from improvements to our world-class security and reliability that are required by our largest customers, to tools that increase the simplicity and helpfulness desired by smaller teams.
“The power of our apps running in the cloud is that these enhancements are immediately available to all our customers, increasing the value we deliver.
“We’re announcing a few updates to our pricing to reflect the value in our products, alongside expanded commitment options to lock in the lowest pricing, providing our customers with more choice.”
Google is introducing an annual plan option for all editions of its Workspace suite to allow organisations to commit to a longer-term agreement and give customers the ability to lock in the platform for the lowest per-user price.
The annual plan option will be available to customers from March 14, Google has confirmed.
Any customer who signs up for the annual plan will have access to the current prices that are available to flexible plan customers.
Users who are currently on a flexible plan subscription are set to see the price rise for Google Workspace Business editions.
Flexible plans offer customers the option to pay as they go for Google Workspace, with no commiment. This means that customers can add or delete user accounts at any time.
Flexible Plan Prices
- Business Starter: Rising from $6 per user per month to $7.20 per user per month.
- Business Standard: Rising from $12 per user per month to $14.40 per user per month.
- Business Plus: Rising from $18 per user per month to $21.60 per user per month.
Annual Plan Prices
- Business Starter: $6 per user per month.
- Business Standard: $12 per user per month.
- Business Plus: $18 per user per month.
Google Workspace Enterprise Standard
Google has confirmed that it will also be increasing the price of Google Workspace Enterprise Standard to reflec tthe value that the company has added to the edition.
The company has confirmed that there will be no price change to other Enterprise editions, include education upgrades.
Google has not stated in its blog what the pricing increase will be; however, it has confirmed that the new pricing will start rolling out in April and continue through to 2024.
Pricing changes will depend on factors that include the number of user licences, current contract terms, and payment plans.
Google has siad that Google Workspace subscriptions with ten or fewer licenes will not change until January 2024.
Google Workspace Enterprise Standard customers will be notified via the Google Workspace Admin Console at least 30 days before their price change takes effect.
Local Currency Pricing
As part of its pricing updates, Google has also revealed that it will be adjusting some local currency pricing to maintain alignment with the exchange rates to the US dollar (USD).
The company has said it will evaluate the exchange rate periodically and impacted customers will be notified in advance of these changes.
