Alphabet has rebranded Google G Suite as Google Workspace, the search engine and cloud services company disclosed today. The move comes the same year that rival Microsoft essentially rebranded Office 365 as Microsoft 365.
Google Workspace features SaaS productivity applications such as Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Meet, and many more -- competing head-on against Microsoft 365.
The Google name change reflects that employees can leverage Workspace regardless of their physical location -- a key distinction amid the coronavirus pandemic, which demands anywhere, anytime remote worker productivity to maintain business productivity.
Google Workspace will also feature deeper integrations between the SaaS applications. For instance, users within weeks will be able to "dynamically create and collaborate on a document with guests in a Chat room," VP and GM Javier Soltero wrote in a blog.
Google Workspace Monthly Costs and Tiered Pricing
Pricing for Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) is as follows:
- $6 per user per month for a Business Starter package;
- $12 per user per month for Business Standard; and
- $18 per user per month for Business Plus.
Pricing for the most advanced level -- Google Workspace Enterprise -- is undisclosed. Customers should contact Google or an authorized partner for more details about that service level.
Google Cloud Services Revenue
Workspace is part of the larger Google Cloud strategy. Led by Oracle veteran Thomas Kurian, Google Cloud revenues have gained substantial momentum in recent quarters. Indeed, Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and G Suite (pre-Workspace) revenues rose sharply in Q1 2020, and parent Alphabet didn’t mention any signs of a Q2 slowdown during an April 28, 2020 earnings call with Wall Street analysts.
