Google has removed the free option for Google Apps for Businesses for companies smaller than 10 employees, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday evening. Those small firms that previously used Google Apps for Businesses for free will be able to continue doing so, but new users will have to pay the entry level price of $5-per-month or $50-per-year. Google executives defended the decision as an improvement for users as it would allow them to include customer support for every user, something previously only restricted to paying users.
The move comes as Google increasingly promotes its suite of apps and its Chrome operating system for PCs as viable alternatives to Microsoft Windows, which has long held the dominant position in business PC software.
