Google No Longer Accepting Signups For Free Version Of Google Apps

Google has announced that it will no longer be accepting new sign-ups for the free version of Google Apps. The company is instead moving all new business level users to a paid service with more support.

“Businesses quickly outgrow the basic version and want things like 24/7 customer support and larger inboxes,” Google Apps director Clay Bavor wrote on the Google Enterprise blog. Any business that wants to sign up for Google Apps now has to pay $50 per user per year, regardless of the company’s size.

Starting today for all new customers:

• Individuals wishing to use Google’s web apps like Gmail and Google Drive should create a free personal Google Account, which provides a seamless experience across all of our web services on any device.
• For Businesses, instead of two versions, there will be one. Companies of all sizes will sign up for our premium version, Google Apps for Business, which includes 24/7 phone support for any issue, a 25GB inbox, and a 99.9% uptime guarantee with no scheduled downtime. Pricing is still $50 per user, per year.

 Existing Google Apps users need not worry as Google says this change has no impact on current customers, including those using the free version. And as before, Google Apps for Education will be available as a free service for schools and universities.

You can learn more about this change in the GoogleHelp Center or on the Google Enterprise Blog.