Spry Digital has been a Google customer for email and office suite tools since we started in 2010. To this day, we rely on the stability and security of Google’s productivity and collaboration tools. And as a Google Workspace reseller, we have helped many clients transition to and adopt Google’s platform as well.
Over the years, Google has expanded the scope of its offerings to support organizations of every size. For individuals and solo business owners, it offered a basic, free tier. And as larger organizations adopted Google’s product, the scope of its plans expanded to offer what even mid-size to large companies require.
In 2020, Google revamped its suite of tools and rebranded from “GSuite” to “Google Workspace.” Given the significance of the revamp, Google created new paid tiers and is requiring customers to review the Workspace plans and move to one that best suits their needs. Google intends to phase out GSuite completely this year and is contacting customers now to let them know that if they don’t self-transition, they will be automatically transitioned to a new Workspace plan that Google determines to be similar to their existing plan.
What does this mean for GSuite users?
If you are a GSuite customer on a paid plan, you will likely be able to move to a Workspace plan that is similar to your existing plan. Pricing depends on the features needed and the number of users in your organization, so having an understanding of what you need will help determine which plan to transition to.
If you are a business on a free plan, your time on a free plan is limited, and you will need to transition to a paid Workspace plan or risk losing service and features. Google has extended the cut-off date for transitioning to a paid plan a few times, but that won’t continue, so the sooner the better for this transition.
Google recently announced that if you are on a free plan for personal use, you can continue on a free plan, but you must still go into your account settings to confirm that you’re using it for non-commercial use.
Google has changed course several times since announcing a transition plan from GSuite to Workspace, so finding current information can be confusing. Here are some resources to help you learn more about the current plans and recommendations:
- Google transition announcement and guidance
- Instructions on how to complete a transition
- Plan comparison
- Information about continuing on a free plan for non-commercial usage
If you’re not sure what to do next or have questions about the transition, reach out! We have helped several of our clients through this transition and can guide you through your own migration as well.