Alphabet Inc’s Google on Monday unveiled an option for small businesses to upgrade their Gmail accounts for greater calendaring, video chat and email newsletter functionalities.
Google Workspace Individual, which starts at $7.99 monthly including a temporary $2 discount, adds to the company’s expanding efforts to have users subscribe to some of its services such as YouTube and Google Photos in exchange for more support and features than are available for free, Reuters reported.
Subscription sales could help Google grow revenue beyond advertising.
The small-business offering compares with existing plans aimed at larger organizations that have their own websites to use in email addresses.
Javier Soltero, vice president for Google Workspace, told reporters that his unit had been informally saving photos of business cards or work vehicles mentioning an “@Gmail.com” address to “remind ourselves of the sheer number of people using our consumer products to run their businesses.”
Those that upgrade for appointment booking, newsletter production and other tools should be able to provide a more professional experience to clients, he said.
Workspace Individual will launch soon in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Australia and Japan.
Google announced other changes to Workspace on Monday. Big businesses will be able to control encryption of their files on Google Drive for the first time and prevent Google from unlocking them.
Airbus SE is an early customer.
All users now have access to Google Chat, the company’s successor to instant-message program Google Hangouts.
Now for the first time in years, free and paid users alike will have the same set of chat and email services, providing a common foundation that makes it simpler to develop new features, Soltero said.
MIB extends by 4 weeks ban on news channels’ TRP by BARC India
Reliance eyes LEO satellite play to rival Starlink in India: ET report
FIFA offered $20mn for WC’26 broadcast rights for India market
IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals get new owners in Mittals, Poonawalla
Netflix leads India’s 2025 theatrical streaming race: Ormax study
Amagi launches in-content ad marketplace to expand CTV advertising push
ZEE Bhojpuri Samman 2026 to celebrate Bhojpuri icons in Patna
NDTV tops YouTube election coverage race
‘Bigg Boss Marathi 6’ finale tops Marathi reality genre
‘Legally Blonde’ prequel ‘Elle’ gets July 1 premiere date 

