Google Goes To Monthly Billing For Apps, Releases Drive

changed its billing process for Google Apps resellers

The company said resellers can buy Google Apps under either annual or month-to-month terms, allowing them to offer their customers a choice of payment arrangements.

Google also said that Google Drive, its storage service, is now available to resellers. Google Drive was announced April 24. With the storage service, users will get 5 GB of free storage, and they can choose to upgrade to either 25 GB for $2.49 per month or 100 GB for $4.99 per month.

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“With Google Drive and Google Drive storage licenses, you can grow your Google practice to include a storage offering and backup services, particularly as your customers' collaboration and storage needs increase,” Google said this week.

One Google reseller who is already using the new pricing program and selling Google Drive said the changes are increasing business.

Crisantos Hajibrahim, head of business development for Los Angeles-based Google reseller ViWo, said Google’s billing move aligns with many companies’ practices and allows him to add products to his portfolio.

“Everything is based on monthly billing,” said Hajibrahim. “Most CRM companies bill monthly, so you can add CRM and perhaps communications offerings, plus Google Drive.”

ViWo has already started selling Google Drive with successful results. Hajibrahim said his company sold 11 licenses of Google Drive the first day, with customers paying for 200 GB of storage capacity.

“We’re selling Google Apps, Google Docs and Google Drive,” he told CRN. “We have many small accounts, so our ability to get more licenses is enormous. All those apps add up.”