Google announced Wednesday that Gemini AI will be available to all Google Workspace Business or Enterprise users and will be integrated directly into the productivity suite. While all Gemini features will be offered at no additional cost initially, prices on Workspace plans will increase to account for the expanded offering.
“By removing the need to pay for an add-on to access our latest generative AI features, we’re simplifying our plans and pricing to bring the added value of Google AI to all Workspace customers,” wrote Google’s President of Cloud Applications Jerry Dischler in the product announcement.
The AI ​​features will be rolled out gradually between January and March.
The cost of AI will now be spread across plans
Before Google decided to include Gemini in all Workspace plans, a Gemini subscription cost $20 per month per user for a Business plan or $30 per month per user for an Enterprise plan. The changes to the basic plans are:
- Business startupoffering the least storage and fewest features, rose from $6 per user per month at $7 per user per month.
- Business Standardwhich allows 150 people in Google Meet and adds tools like eSignature, increased from $12 per user per month at $14 per user per month.
- Business Plusoffering enhanced security and management tools, grew in price from $18 per user per month at $22 per user per month.
New customers will be charged the updated price from January 16, while existing customers will see it take effect on March 17 or on their next annual or fixed-term renewal date. Businesses already paying for the Google Gemini add-on will no longer be charged for it after January 31st.
However, the price changes may not affect small businesses with 20 or fewer users as quickly. Google has not indicated when these companies may be subject to the new pricing scheme.
Google’s decision to incorporate an AI fee into its professional Workspace plans signals that AI is now an essential, fully integrated component of its professional applications. By building the costs into the overall plan, the price increase can be less noticeable to customers. This gives Google Gemini a competitive advantage over stand-alone AI services that are billed separately each month.
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What does Google Gemini bring to Workspace?
The Gemini digital assistant brings standardized generative AI functions, such as note-taking and summarizing. It can analyze documents, edit videos, write code or help search for information.
Gemini will sit within:
- Gmail.
- Google Chat.
- Google Meet.
- Google Docs.
- Google Sheets.
- Google Slides.
- Google Vids.
- Google Drive.
- Google NotebookLM.
Google’s Gems, AI “agents” made for specific tasks, will be available in all business plans. Gems can ideally take roles to perform as assistants on more specialized tasks.
Google assures Workspace users that data shared with Gemini will not be used to train future AI models. Data sovereignty controls are in place automatically, Google said. In addition, Gemini is SOC 1/2/3, ISO 27001/17/18 and ISO 42001 compliant and can be incorporated into plans to comply with privacy laws.