On October 6th, 2020, Google rebranded its collaboration and communication suite from G Suite to Google Workspace. Google had previously notified us that our customers with a G Suite subscription will need to transition to a Google Workspace subscription by the end of 2021. Google has since set definitive dates and timelines for the transitions. After March 8, 2023, Google will automatically transition customers once they are eligible for the Google Workspace plans.

a) What’s changing?
Other than the name, there are additional enhancements in terms of the features
If you are on a G Suite Business  Plan, you need to review the tradeoff between the most important features such as:

  • Storage; Review all storage needs, especially if you have users/accounts that require more than 2 TB of storage. If storage is a major consideration, review the caps and see if Business Plus, with 5 TB/user would suffice your needs visa viz the budget.
  • Google Meet record: If meetings need to have more than 100 users and recording is the most important consideration, then Business Standard would suffice against budget constraints.
  • Google Vault: If retention and eDiscovery needs are critical, you have to consider moving to Business Plus or combining some other plan, making sure to buy Vault as a standalone for the subset of users who need Vault/retention.

There is a maximum cap of  300 users for all Business plans (Business Starter, Standard, and Plus editions). If your organization has more than 300 users, you’ll have to upgrade to the Enterprise plan.

b) Are there any exceptions for organizations that have more than 300 users?
Some customers will get CAP exceptions that would need Google Approval. We can help with these requests and CAP exception requests and it takes about 2 weeks to be mindful of your renewal timelines.

c) Can we mix Users under the Google Workspace plans?

Yes. Mixing is now possible and now much easier, as long as you are mixing within the same family. For example, you can have 20 users under Business Plus, 30 under Business standard, and 50 Under Business Starter. To mix Users between the 2 different families, all special considerations must be observed and approvals are needed from Google.

d) Is it mandatory for my organization to transition to Google Workspace?
As much as you can still use G Suite, the transition to Google Workspace is MANDATORY and we recommend starting the transition as soon as possibleGoogle communicated two hard cut-off dates as follows:

  • Customers who purchased G Suite directly from Google will see the first automatic transitions begin in November 2021 at the end of the current annual/fixed-term plans.
  • Customers who purchased from a partner will see the automatic transition begin after March 8, 2023, upon their next renewal.

e) How then can my organization transition to Google Workspace?
There are two ways to transition from G Suite to Google Workspace:

  • Option 1: Google-Led transition after your organization is eligible.
    If you prefer to wait, Google will notify your G Suite admin at least 30 days before it’s your turn to automatically transition. Customers who purchased G Suite directly from Google will see the first automatic transitions begin in November 2021 at the end of the current annual/fixed-term plans. Customers who purchased from a partner will see the automatic transition begin on March 8, 2023, upon their next renewal.
  • Option 2: Partner Assisted transition (Google recommended). 
    As a partner, we shall be glad to assist you with this transition from Legacy G Suite to Google Workspace. The reason the Partner Assisted transition is recommended is that:
    • We shall help map your features and current usage to fit into the destination plan
    • We can help you mix some users in the same Google Workspace account/domain across multiple same-family Google Workspace plans. For example, you can have 50 users on Google Workspace Starter, 25 on Google Workspace Standard, and 25 on Google Workspace Standard Plus, etc.
    • We have a limited window to support upgrades and transition users with discounts. Transitions Discounts are subject to Google Approvals.

f) What should my organization look out for before transitioning to Google Workspace?
When choosing which Google Workspace edition to transition to, you should consider these factors:

  • The number of users—Google Workspace Business editions can have up to 300 users. If you have over 300 users, you’ll need to transition to an Enterprise edition.
  • Features you currently use—Make sure you choose an edition that includes the features your organization relies on today i.e. Chat rooms with external participants and Google Vault
  • Features you’d like to use in the future—Are there features you’d like to add that your organization isn’t using now? i.e. the ability to record Google Meet events and save the recording to Google Drive

g) What is the Google Recommended Upgrade Path?
The recommended destination SKUs are as follows (depending on the customer’s subscription):

Legacy G Suite SKU Equivalent Workspace SKU
G Suite Basic (> 300 seats) Google Workspace Enterprise Standard
G Suite Basic (< 300 seats) Google Workspace Business Standard
G Suite Business (> 300 seats) Google Workspace Enterprise Standard
G Suite Business (< 300 seats) Google Workspace Business Plus

h) Is there another path or alternative
If Budget is a major consideration, customers will have the option to Upgrade/downgrade their plans with some trade-offs. We have made the impact of such tradeoffs that would help organizations with the transitions.

Legacy G Suite Plan Google Workspace Plan Notes
G Suite Basic Google Workspace Starter Spaces (Rooms) will be available for internal use only
G Suite Business Google Business Standard Vault feature to be lost. UNLIMITED to be transitioned to 2 TB
G Suite Enterprise Google Workspace Enterprise Plus Upgraded features such as App Sheet. Price change