Google recently announced that it’s bundling its Gemini AI features into Workspace Business and Enterprise plans.
The catch? Those standalone AI add-ons you’ve been paying for are out, but base subscription prices are shooting up in Google’s most significant Workspace overhaul since its rebrand from G Suite. Put simply – Google is going all-in on AI for business.
From the 15th of January (or the 29th for the Enterprise crowd), Google’s workplace suite is getting an AI makeover that makes previous ‘premium’ features part of the standard portfolio.
“Resistance is futile” says Google, to anyone still trying to avoid AI in their workflow. The move will also simultaneously push the company deeper into competition with Microsoft’s AI-enhanced Office suite.
What Do You Get in the New Package?
There are many features that google is adding to its Business and Enterprise plans. We’ve picked out some of the highlights:
- A Gmail suite that drafts and summarises emails, with a side panel for quick inbox analysis
- Meet, with auto-note-taking and live translation into other languages
- Docs that write, summarise, and even create images; including full-bleed cover images
- Drive now reads your PDFs and generates insights across multiple documents
- Slides with image creation and background removal for sleeker presentations
- Sheets includes enhanced data analysis capabilities and smarter fill suggestions
The company is also rolling out Gemini Advanced – its beefed-up AI chatbot – and something called NotebookLM Plus, which is designed to facilitate knowledge sharing, although the latter is launching separately. NotebookLM Plus promises to turn document collections into podcast-like “Audio Overviews” and offers five times more queries and notebooks than its predecessor.
Google’s making the usual promises about data protection: no unauthorised AI training with your content, and plenty of security certifications (SOC 1/2/3, ISO). They’re particularly keen to emphasise that customer data won’t be used to train AI models without permission: a key concern for business users in an era of increasing AI privacy scrutiny.
Sounds Great! But How Much Does it Cost?
While the dedicated AI add-ons like Gemini Business and Enterprise are being retired (no charges after the 31st of January, 2025), the standard Workspace price is going up. New customers will see the updated pricing from the 16th of January, with existing customers to follow shortly after.
Google hasn’t specified the exact price increases, but current subscribers can soon expect detailed emails about the changes.
In addition, there are certain organisations aren’t affected:
❌ Education subscriptions and their associated AI add-ons
❌ Nonprofit accounts (unless using paid Business/Enterprise)
❌ Frontline and Essential subscriptions
❌ Personal Google accounts, including those with Google One AI Premium
How Could Gemini Turbocharge Business Productivity?
We’ve written extensively about how AI in general can help to unlock potential in modern businesses. But what about Google Gemini specifically?
Early implementations suggest significant potential across departments. Marketing teams are using Docs for campaign creation, while sales teams report faster proposal development. The automated meeting notes feature could help to transform project management, while finance departments are exploring enhanced data analysis in Google Sheets. For customer service, improved Gmail features promise faster response times, and legal teams can benefit from advanced PDF analysis.
As the dust settles on this announcement, one thing is clear: Google’s betting big that businesses will pay more for an AI-first workplace.
Gemini clearly has some impressive capabilities. However, business success will come down to how effectively and productively organisations can integrate it into their existing workflows, and whether they can train their staff to harness the vast potential of artificial intelligence.
