G Suite to Google Workspace transition guide and FAQ

Canagon is Google Workspace (former G Suite) reseller. These questions are frequently asked by our customers.

If you have additional questions about the transition to Google Workspace, feel free to contact us at hello@canagon.com. 

On October 6, 2020, Google introduced a new brand. As part of these changes, G Suite is now Google Workspace. Are you currently on G Suite? What happens to your existing plan? Get more information on migration to Workspace, upgrading, downgrading, …

What changes to expect?

  1. Monthly plans have changed. Google introduced new names for their plans, also calls them “editions”.
  2. Changes in pricing, prices may go up if you want to keep absolutely all the existing features.
  3. Maximum 300 user cap for Business Starter, Standard, and Plus editions, then Enterprise.
  4. New technical features and services added with a different logic than in G Suite.

Google is upselling existing customers to higher plans by cutting off some of the existing features in plans that share the same price in the Workspace and former G Suite. Moving from G Suite Basic to Business Starter is called downgrade even when the prices are exactly the same.

Moving G Suite plans to Google Workspace

Moving or migrating from G Suite to Google Workspace is done by upgrading or downgrading to a specific Google Workspace package/plan/edition. You can stay on your current plan, but it will probably only delay something inevitable. 

Can you keep your current G Suite subscription or do you have to migrate?

According to Google, you can keep your current G Suite plan for now. Google is not specific at all about the depreciation date for G Suite, but it is clear that G Suite is not here to stay and is no longer here to order.

We recommend starting the transition as soon as possible. It is not worth it to play games on missing out. Google’s and Reseller’s focus on support and training is on the new Workspace editions. New features and documentation will be for Workspace, G Suite will receive only necessary patches.

  • If you’re on a monthly Flexible Plan, Google or your reseller will contact you over the coming months with more information on transitioning to one of the new offerings.
  • If you’re on an Annual/Fixed-Term Plan, your current G Suite subscription will continue until your renewal date.

Moving to Workspace with the same price as your current G Suite plan

Google calls this downgrade. For 99% of G Suite users, this will not be a downgrade. Here are the details:

Moving from G Suite Basic to Business Starter edition

($6 or 5.20€)

  • Admin control of Chat features—You can no longer control whether history is on or off. You also can’t let users automatically accept Chat invitations.
  • Advanced endpoint management—You can’t set up company-owned Android devices or selectively distribute apps to Android devices.
  • Sharing with external people—You can no longer stop users from sharing links or files with people outside of your organization.

Moving from G Suite Business to Business Standard edition

($12 or 10.40€)

  • Google Vault—You can’t access the service, even if you had Vault licenses for all or part of your domain before upgrading. Additionally, holds and retention rules stop protecting your organization’s messages and files. Data that users deleted more than 30 days ago is immediately removed from all Google systems and can’t be recovered. To prevent loss of data protected by Vault, see below, Prevent loss of data.
  • Storage capacity – Users will have 2 TB of storage. You keep any storage promotions you had before downgrading. However, if you or users purchased other storage, it isn’t automatically restored. To prevent storage restrictions on Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos that can occur after you downgrade, see below, Prevent storage restrictions.
  • Advanced video conferencing Meetings are limited to 150 participants.
  • Advanced endpoint management—You can’t set up company-owned Android devices or selectively distribute apps to Android devices.
  • Sharing with external people – You can no longer stop users from sharing links or files with people outside of your organization.
  • Advanced controls in Calendar – Rooms aren’t automatically released when all attendees decline. Rooms that decline invitations aren’t replaced. Admins can’t clear room calendars or put rooms in maintenance mode. You can’t set a default duration for events.
  • Data regions –You can no longer choose a geographic location for your data.

New editions (plans)

The name of each plan will change and new plans will be introduced:

  • Business Starter (G Suite Basic)
  • Business Standard (G Suite Business)
  • Business Plus
  • Enterprise Standard
  • Enterprise Plus (G Suite Enterprise)

Maximum 300 users for Business Starter, Standard, and Plus editions

If your organization has more than 300 users, you need to go Enterprise. On the other hand, Enterprise edition does not have a minimum, you can start right away.

There are now 2 new families of Google Workspace offerings tailored to customers’ specific needs:

  • Business edition family for small and medium-sized organizations often looking to make fast, self-serviced purchases
  • Enterprise edition family for larger organizations with more complex implementation challenges or technical assistance needs over the course of a longer buying and deployment cycle