Workspace drive storage

[webstream]

Can anyone tell me how much storage available in google workspace 30GB plan

[Penelope · Accepted solution]

Many of the Workspace editions turned to pooled storage and since you didn't actually tell us which specific edition you had, I won't be able to just tell you that information. But you did give us a hint of which edition you may be talking about which is Bussiness Starter since you said "30GB". The 30 GB is PER user (so your entire organization can have a total of hundreds of GB) so is not a "pooled storage." Pooled storage definition can be found at https://support.google.com/a/answer/10403871?p=edu-storage&visit_id=637836473559971747-674178179&rd=... and https://support.google.com/a/answer/10411339. 

https://support.google.com/a/answer/6043385?hl=en&ref_topic=4425947

Use these tables to compare the following editions, available to customers with 1-300 users:

• Business Starter—Professional productivity suite with 30 GB storage per user
• Business Standard—Enhanced productivity suite with 2 TB pooled storage per user
• Business Plus—Advanced productivity suite with 5 TB pooled storage per user

https://support.google.com/a/answer/10403871?p=edu-storage&visit_id=637836473559971747-674178179&rd=...

We recently announced a storage model that provides schools and universities with a baseline of 100 TB of pooled storage shared across all users. The model provides enough storage for over 100 million documents, 8 million presentations, or 400,000 hours of video. This model goes into effect across all Google Workspace for Education editions for existing customers in July 2022 and will be effective for new customers who sign up in 2022.

Also, admins can turn on the ability for users to buy their own storage (for the Business Starter plan: https://support.google.com/a/answer/1047457?hl=en) and Google does offer multiple storage plans including 100 GB, 200 GB, and several that are over 1 TB (https://support.google.com/googleone/answer/9004013). 

[nouman]

Pooled Storage benefits coming soon to your Business Starter subscription!
Hello,

Your Business Starter subscription will get the benefits of pooled storage in the coming weeks. No action is needed from you and there is no disruption to your service.

Pooled storage is a simpler way to manage storage. Your storage allocation is shared amongst all your users, and you optionally can set usage limits per user.

You can learn more about pooled storage—including managing storage, setting storage limits, buying more storage, and more—by visiting our Help Center. More details about the rollout can also be found on the Google Workspace Updates Blog.

If you or your users have purchased legacy storage add-ons, we will reach out to you with additional information before pooled storage availability.

Sincerely,

The Google Workspace Team

[KAM]

Yeah, just became aware of that announcement from ~2 weeks ago.  Note that the rollout pace is months in the announcement at https://workspaceupdates.googleblog.com/2023/05/pooled-storage-shared-drives-for-google-workspace-bu... thanks to Stephen Hind! -KAM

[Penelope]

The article that @KAM shared said 30 GB pooled so even if it was pooled due note that amount could be less than you are imagining. Also pooled storage amounts located at https://support.google.com/a/answer/13062337. 

[msheel22]

I am the super admin for my organisation's Google Business Starter account, with a limit of 30 GB per user. There are 10 users in my organisation (out of 150) who require an additional 100 GB of storage space. However I can't find any option on the Admin Console to allow them to buy their own storage. Some of these ten users have an ongoing 100 GB subscription which is still valid, but I'm concerned that when their subscription runs out they won't be able to renew it.

@Penelope you mentioned in the post above that admins can turn on the ability for users to buy their own storage for the Business Starter plan, could you guide me a little more on this?

Thanks in advance.

[Penelope]

Hi @msheel22 , let me do some research for you since that article actually is looking different to me (and looks like the URL I have for the Business Starter storage is actually redirecting to another article) since I know there used to a specific article about Business Starter and allowing the end users to get their own storage ie the admin doesn't have to be the one to do that. I know the other editions only allow pooled storage but let me also check in to ensure that Business Starter hasn't moved to that model. Thanks for bringing this to my attention! 

[Penelope]

I am going to check in with some Workspace Admin & Gmail Google Product Experts about this article however thankfully something I call the WayBack Machine has a record of the article, which can be found at https://web.archive.org/web/20210702003417/https://support.google.com/a/answer/1047457?hl=en. That is a copy/screenshot of the article which talks about how the admin can turn on individual storage as an "additional service." 
According to https://support.google.com/a/answer/10071876, Business Starter is not pooled storage but I will work on verifying if adding more storage is even still an option (hopefully it is!).

[Penelope]

Hi @msheel22 , I saw @Jan-Carlos in another post mention that this feature was discontinued and now admins only have the ability to limit the storage usage. If you need more than 30GB per user, then you will have to upgrade editions. URL: https://www.googlecloudcommunity.com/gc/Workspace-Q-A/Buy-personal-cloud-space-from-company-subscrib.... 

[ernanemf]

I have a client that has 41 licenses and needs storage for just 1 user. Now he will have to migrate them all to the other, much more expensive edition. This will cost him 3 times more monthly. You just killed Google Workspace in Brazil. It's very bad faith, it's pathetic.

This is one of the biggest pranks ever done by Google. I will migrate my customers (800 users) to Office 365. I never imagined that Google would be able to make such a dirty scheme.

[msheel22]

@ernanemf writing to you from India. We were able to ask our reseller to only upgrade the license for a few users, those who needed more storage space, while keeping the starter edition for everybody else. Maybe it's possible in Brazil as well 

[ernanemf]

Hi!

I asked about that, but they say its not possible. We have to move all users to Business Standard. 

Can you have some users with Business Starter and other with Business Standard with the same domain?

[msheel22]

@ernanemf Yes my reseller was able to upgrade only one user to Business Standard with all other 149 users on Business starter with the same domain. The same is visible on my admin dashboard also. 

[ernanemf]

Can't find this functionality in the dashboard.

And the Google support people don't know anything about it, they just say that I need to update all users to Business Standard.

[SAURG]

Hi @msheel22 

 Are use one user to Business Standard with all other 149 users on Business starter with the same domain. you ware share Business Standard user 2 tb pool storage with Business starter ?

[StevenHtut]

Is your case okay?

[ernanemf]

Not yet…

[tychowerner]

Any updates?

[ernanemf]

same problem still

[msheel22]

Thanks @Penelope for checking this up for me. Have contacted Google for an upgraded license!

[Penelope]

You are welcome @msheel22 . Hope you can upgrade licenses. 

[Bookonbluestar]

@msheel22 how did you contact google for adding 1 license. Our reseller contacted google sales team and they are saying that you need to have min 10 licenses for dual edition. For 1-2 licenses Google support is to be contacted. Can you let us know how you contacted google for the same.

[msheel22]

Hi @Bookonbluestar my reseller did this for me. Not sure exactly how he negotiated with Google but he was able to do.

[ernanemf]

Hi,
Who is your reseller?
Tks!

[StevenHtut]

sales@webdesignwebdev.com

[ernanemf]

I send you a message.

[Remote_IT]

Hey folks, I'm in the same boat here.

Any update on what could possibly be a solution here ?

Thanks

I am seeing two possibilities;

Have Google agent upgrade 1 out of our 7 Business Starter licenses to Standard

or possibility to increase storage for selected individual user.

[cryptochrome]

Unfortunately, that is not possible. You can't mix different license tiers on the same account (with the exception of Google Workspace Frontline licenses, but those are only available to Workspace Enterprise customers). 

Google Workspace Business Starter is the lowest subscription tier designed for very small companies who have limited requirements in terms of storage and features. If you need more, your only option is to upgrade your account to the Business Standard tier. That not only gives you more storage, but a ton of additional, useful features as well. 

[ernanemf]

Hi,

That is terrible.

Unfortunately, many customers want to migrate from Google to Microsoft's solution.

I don't understand why Google decided to kill this product. It was very good.

For you to know, I have 1400 users who are looking to migrate from Google.

[msheel22]

Unfortunately I don't think it is possible anymore in many geographies.

Here's a news report from India regarding Google's latest change to G-Suite
policies:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/indian-msmes-raise-concerns-over-new...

[pguinote]

Has anyone have any update on this topic regarding Storage limits on Starter Plans? I'm a portuguese reseller and I cannot find any option to upgrade single licences and not the all domain. Google support is telling clients that this can be made through a reseller but I cannot find where in my reseller console.

I have a lot of very angry customers, and it's difficult to explain something I am not 100% sure how I can resolve... simply telling to upgrade the all plan to Standard is, obviously, not a solution... I have customers that are migrating to MS...

[cryptochrome]

It can't be done through the reseller console by yourself. You have to reach out to your Google sales rep or partner advisor. They can add additional SKUs to a domain for you. Once that's done, you will see it in the reseller console. 

[pguinote]

thank you for the info

and do you know how long does that process takes? does Google have any place where we can do that? any form in Partner Advantage? because I have several clients that need this operation to be done.

So, now, anytime a user wants more storage, I'll have to contact a Google rep? That's not practical at all.

I wonder why Google support (at least in PT) is telling the users who call them, that the process (upgrading single SKU) must be done through a reseller. I've had some calls from people who said they called Google support and that was the answer they received... 

This storage matter is being a mess! I really hope Google make some changes in this process in the near future, 

[cryptochrome]

---

@pguinote wrote:

and do you know how long does that process takes? does Google have any place where we can do that? any form in Partner Advantage? because I have several clients that need this operation to be done.

---

It's usually fairly quick - if they agree to do it, that is. 

---

@pguinote wrote:

So, now, anytime a user wants more storage, I'll have to contact a Google rep? That's not practical at all.

---

The reason for that is that officially, the "Additional Storage" SKU is not available for the Business Starter tier. You can always reach out to your Google rep and usually they agree to make an exception and then add it for you. But officially, this is not available to customers.

Google's official stance is this: Business Starter is an entry-level product for very small customers that does not contain Shared Drives (and hence, no pooled storage). Officially, if you need more storage, you need to go with a higher subscription plan. 

So it really only comes down to Business Starter being a very limited version of Google Workspace and if you need more, you need to buy the full version. You, as a partner however, can always negiotiate special deals with your sales rep. And my experience is that they are happy to do this if you customer has more than 10 seats. 

[mstech]

This is ridiculous... plus, as a reseller, I can no longer even get a PIN to actually SPEAK with support... notifying my customers now that I will be transitioning all of them to MS365.

[ernanemf]

But the problem with MS365 is the storage limite as well. For email is only 50GB.

[ernanemf]

But the problem with MS365 is the storage limite as well. For email is only 50GB.

[cryptochrome]

Phone support is still available if you login as admin to your customer admin console through the reseller console. 

And then you always have this:
https://support.cloud.google.com/portal/

There you get partner support. 

[nouman]

@Penelope I have a Business starter package with 200 users. I have created an organization unit to assign 100 GB of space to each user. I have added user in OU. I have received a message storage of the user will take 24 hours. Storage of that particular user not upgraded from 30 GB to 100 GB after 72 hours. 

Whats the solution?

[Penelope]

Have you reached out to your one on one support channel yet via the admin console to ask about that? If not, do so and let me know what they say about updating the storage. To be fair and on the other hand regular users who want more storage need to go to Google One support or a special Google Drive support to get assistance because the Drive help comment doesn't and can't handle those questions since it also involves money (ie extra storage for consumer account costs money). 

But also so I am understanding correctly, you said you changed the OU of user hoping storage will increase? If so I am not sure if that is how increasing storage on Business Starter works. Let me see if I can find the article about how to increase storage for your users (I know some editions it does require buying more licenses as well) but no note Workspace is not my forte whatsoever and there are more qualified people than me to assist you.