Google tells free G Suite legacy users it's time to start paying

Google tells costless G Suite legacy users it's time to first paying

(Image credit: Google)

Google has announced a major shake-up for users of its gratuitous legacy role software products, who volition now have to pay up or lose admission to the likes of Gmail, Docs, and Come across.

From May 1 2022, G Suite legacy gratuitous edition users will need to switch to a paid Google Workspace subscription in gild to keep using the software.

Google says that the 1000 Suite legacy complimentary edition itself will no longer exist available from July one, 2022, with any users institute not to accept started paying later on 60 days being locked out.

No more free Chiliad Suite

"To maintain your services and accounts...upgrade by May 1, 2022," a help folio on the Google Back up site noted. "Upgrading to Google Workspace takes just a few steps with no disruption to your users. Afterward you upgrade you can use your new subscription at no cost until at least July 1, 2022."

In a seperate e-mail to admins seen past TechRadar Pro, the company said from May 1, it plans to automatically upgrade free users to "an upgraded Google Workspace paid subscription" based on its analysis of the customer's usage and the features information technology thinks you'll need.

Google Workplace plans beginning at $vi/user/calendar month for its Business Starter option, with Business organisation Standard ($12/user/month), and Business organisation Plus $18 /user/month also on offer, providing an increasing level of services with the corporeality paid.

Google is offering a disbelieve for 12 months, and won't start charging subscription fees until July 1, 2022. The company is besides offering businesses who don't want to pay or upgrade the run a risk to consign their data at no actress cost.

Google rebranded G Suite as Workspace back in October 2020 in a bid to bring more structure to its myriad of apps and services.

Initially described every bit "the hereafter of piece of work", the new platform looked to improve the interoperability of its various productivity services, blurring the lines between each product for a more fluid feel.

The change as well coincided with a major shift in the fashion staff work and collaborate with each other due to the new hybrid working way of life helped past the pandemic.

"This is the finish of the 'office' as we know it. From here on out, teams need to thrive without meeting in person, protect their time to focus on the most impactful work, and build human connection in new ways," Google said at the time.

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Mike Moore is News & Features Editor across both TechRadar Pro and ITProPortal. He has worked as a B2B and B2C tech journalist for nearly a decade, including at i of the UK's leading national newspapers, and when he's not keeping runway of all the latest enterprise and workplace trends, tin almost likely be plant watching, following or taking part in some kind of sport.