For more than a decade Google has been at the forefront of transforming how people communicate and collaborate using their suite of office tools. However, the current situation (with the Covid-19 pandemic) has heightened both the need for and the urgency of rethinking how things get done in a remote collaborative workspace.

Nowadays, technology plays a big part in helping people stay connected and keep businesses running. We can see this especially here, in Melbourne, where almost all workers and students have been forced to work, teach, learn & connect with each other remotely.

However, the future brings a new set of challenges!

These challenges affect not only how we work but also who we work with and where. For many, work may no longer be a place you actually go to. In fact, some teams will be able to function and even thrive without ever meeting in person.

For the new worker, time is more precious and fragmented across work and personal responsibilities.

In response, Google is working towards continuously designing new products. They are uniquely positioned to make the move from building silo, single-purpose apps to creating integrated solutions that deepen human connections and help people make the most of their time, no matter where they are working from.

Google’s Position in a Changing Work Environment

• 2.6 billion users choose to use Google apps every month. Furthermore, Google’s developers have spent decades building products that are simple, easy to learn and anticipate users’ needs.
• Current products are all cloud-based so they can innovate without worrying about legacy desktop applications
• Google’s infrastructure is built with trusted Google Security and powered by the cleanest global cloud.

This has created the need for Google to revamp their G Suite product into a new, more aligned to the current times one, called Google Workspace.

Google Workspace is a new brand identity with a new name and icons that reflect its ambitious product vision. Its job is to provide a new, deeply integrated product experience, that helps people accomplish more at work, home and school.

This leads to a new pricing model for licences which is more aligned for business vs. enterprise licencing style.

So what’s new in Google Workspace?

Try Google Workspace for Free

Integrated experience for mobile phones

As you can see from the image above, the new Google Workspace app is going to be the one app you will work with for emailing, chat messages individually & for your teams, and video meetings. It’s the ultimate communication app for your business! The app will be available for all Google Workspace subscriptions.

Of course, the app is just the beginning of how Google will be focused on making all their products seamlessly integrated to improve effectiveness and efficiency.

Google Workspace Licences

Google Workspace has split its licence models into Business & Enterprise with 3 levels of features in each category.

To help you better understand the new features of Google Workspace and decide on the new plan that would best suit your business, here is a comprehensive video guide:

Google Workspace Business Comparison

Google Workspace Enterprise Comparison

What do I need to do?

If you are an existing G Suite customer, then you have two options:

• Upgrade to a slightly higher-paid licence
• Stay on the current plan and you will be automatically moved onto the closest match licence on January 15, 2021

If you choose the second option, here are the changes to expect in January:

• G Suite Basic licences will become Google Workspace Business Starter – the same cost and features.

• G Suite Business will become Google Workspace Business Standard – the same price with a couple of differences. Each user will have up to 2TB storage (pooled) and you’ll get the ability to record video meetings.
• G Suite Enterprise will become Google Workspace Enterprise Plus – the same features with the addition of AppSheet.

Make the move now!

Google comes with some very generous specials for customers who want to make the move now. For instance, they offer up to 55% discount on licence costs!

So, if you’re interested, talk to our team to find out which option best suits your business and how much money you can save. Contact us at 1300 889 839 or fill in our contact form to communicate via email.