Google has introduced the “Workspace Essentials Starter” to attract other users to the Google Workspace (formerly G-Suite) platform with no need to open a Gmail account. With the new — and free — Essentials Starter Edition, “employees and their teams break down silos and work together in new ways, even if their organisation still relies on legacy productivity tools that weren’t built for the hybrid era of work.”
Previously, on Google Workspace, users had to sign up to open a $6 per month Business Starter account, that is, after a 14-day trial had been completed. Note that a Gmail account isn’t required for this. While the paid subscription still remains, all users have to do is sign up using their work email addresses and they’re registered, without entering their credit card details.
Google says there’s no need for a new email address, file conversions, new plug-ins, or desktop software. All of the tools in Essentials Starter will work quickly and easily within the user’s existing environment. “The Workspace Essentials Starter will provide encrypted and secure access to users’ files, helping to keep them safe as well as their information private.” Once you sign up, you immediately gain access to the following features (as well as the tools for managing team members);
- Google Meet for secure video meetings
- Google Chat for efficient group and direct messaging
- Google Drive for cloud storage
- Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides for content creation
How Essentials Starter works
- Sign up with your work email address for free to set up an “Essentials Starter” account. There won’t be any need for a credit card, and there will also be no trial period.
- Start inviting teammates to collaborate using Google Docs, Slides, Sheets, Chat, Drive, and Meet.
Google says up to 25 people can start using the Essentials Starter free plan, although “there’s no limit to the number of teams that can sign up at your organisation.” Then you can upgrade to a payment plan (Enterprise Essentials plan) to get “Google support” and “Meetings and Chats”. The company plans to roll out the Essentials Starter over a multiple-week period, explaining that it “might not be available in some regions until mid-February, 2022.”
