Over the past week or so, we have had a huge growth in interest for our migration services. Generally, migrations are a large aspect of Finchloom’s business as we work with many customers who are consistently acquiring new companies. These customers need their acquired data and employees to migrate to Exchange so that their entire company is using the same email service, apps, etc. This increase in interest led me and some of my colleagues to do some digging, and after speaking to a few interested parties, as well as reading some news and blog posts, the answer became clear. Google announced that Google Workspace users can expect to see their prices increase by the end of September of this year.
This change more than triples the cost per user per month with the creation and release of ‘Editions’. In the past, G Suite Basic was priced at $6 per month, per user, regardless of business size. Now, instead of having a flat rate for everyone using the product, they have created a tiered system for up to 300 users. All businesses with over 300 users will be required to use Google’s Enterprise Edition and will be automatically opted in when the subscription models change. Businesses must update their plans before the subscription model changes or incur a substantial price increase.
Smaller businesses (under 300 employees/users) will not have as difficult of a time navigating this change, but there are now several tiers to choose from depending on the businesses needs. Enterprise pricing is not yet listed on the Workspace site but is sure to be more costly than what users are used to paying for, even if it does come with a handful of new features. It is also worth mentioning that the price per user starts at $6 per user/month for the Business Starter plan, doubles for the Business Standard plan, and then triples for Business Plus. Features that were expected and utilized in the $6 plan that customers were used to might require upgrading to a higher tier/plan.
Microsoft’s Response
The irony of the situation is that Microsoft doesn’t really need to change anything regarding its pricing models. Microsoft 365 F1 is still $2.25 per user/month and includes Exchange Online which allows users to send and receive emails from their custom domain emails, along with a handful of other features. For businesses that require more features and apps, Microsoft 365 F3 offers the services listed above, plus Microsoft 365 apps, calendar, meetings and voice, social and intranet, files and content, and work management apps and systems. Even with the range of features provided in the Microsoft 365 F3 plan, it starts at just $8 per user/month, sitting right between the Business Starter and Standard packages that Google Workspace offers.
Microsoft’s ability to install apps is another huge reason to migrate to Exchange, and in turn Microsoft. I already constantly have dozens of tabs open in my browser at any single point, and I enjoy that the Microsoft 365 apps are downloadable, installable, and separate from my browser. They do however give the option to utilize browser tabs if needed (for example if I log in on a computer that does not have the apps installed). Workspace apps on the other hand are completely centered on a browser experience. There is no option to install even if users want to, a rather large selling point on behalf of Microsoft in my eyes.
Migrate to Microsoft
As I stated in the beginning of this blog, Finchloom is constantly helping our customers migrate to Exchange, and has professionals with years of experience guide your business along the way. From a business standpoint, everything stays the same except for the program which you use to view, send, and receive emails, and the apps you utilize for certain projects. If migrating from Workspace, Docs becomes Word, Sheets-Excel, Slides-PowerPoint, and Drive-OneDrive. You still have access to similar programs, but also can install these apps, and get the benefit of a couple extra years of development as Microsoft basically started the suite of apps that we expect most businesses to utilize.
In the case of migrations to Exchange from Google Workspace, it will be a switch from Gmail to Outlook. You will also be able to migrate all documents and data stored on the cloud with your previous provider, keep the same email address, and even your history of emails.
If you are interested in learning more about how migrations work, and how your business can benefit from making the switch, contact Finchloom today before your prices increase! Thanks for reading!