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Service Update: Vault Former Employee End of Life – Aug. 15, 2022

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Cumulus Global 15 Years of ServiceService Update: Vault Former Employee End of Life: VFE Licenses will no longer be available as of January 15, 2023.

As previously announced by Google, free Vault Former Employee (VFE) licenses will no longer be available as of January 15, 2023. To maintain data for past employees, these licenses will transition to Archive User Licenses with compatible Google Workspace subscriptions.  This transition impacts fees beginning in January 2023.

Background

With the launch of Google Workspace, VFE license were replaced by Archive User Licenses.  Existing VFE customers with free licenses were grandfathered.  Google’s original plan to phase our VFE licenses by the end of January 2021 were delayed.  Google recently announced a definitive timeline.  Cumulus Global has also sent informational emails to all of our clients with VFE licenses.

To prevent a loss of data, you should plan your transition to Google Workspace Archive User Licensing (AUL).  Note that AUL is a paid service running with monthly per user fees of $4 to $7.

Impact

If you take no action, you will either:

  1. Lose access to the VFE accounts and data; or
  2. Transition from a free service to the paid AUL service.

Archive User Licenses are not available with G Suite. Therefore, you must transition to Google Workspace to use AULs. 

The cost of AULs varies based on your Google Workspace subscription:

  • Google Workspace Business
    • Plus: $4/user/month
  • Google Workspace Enterprise
    • Standard: $5/user/month
    • Plus: $7/user/month

Note that AULs are NOT available with other Google Workspace licenses.

Action Plan

We will help you with the following steps:

  1. Decide if you need (or want) to continue keeping accounts for past employees.  If so, for how long will you keep the data and how many accounts do you need to license?
    1. Remove accounts no longer needed
    2. Export accounts to preserve data, as appropriate
  2. Assess your current G Suite or Google Workspace subscription for licensing and compatibility
    1. Plan your transition to Google Workspace if you are currently on G Suite Basic, Business, or Enterprise
    2. If you are on Google Workspace, determine if you need to upgrade licenses for AUL compatibility
    3. Confirm that your VFE licenses are now a free trial of Archive User Licenses and the trial end date
    4. Understand the impact on your monthly or annual costs
    5. Determine if you are eligible for transition incentive discounts
  3. Transition, as needed, to Google Workspace before your AUL Trial End Date.

Financial Impact

  • In addition to the per user fees for the Archive User Licenses themselves, you may need to upgrade your Google Workspace subscription to ensure access to AUL services.
  • For existing customers, Cumulus Global will begin invoicing for Archive User Licenses in January.  For those on an annual agreement, the fees will be prorated accordingly.

Please contact us by email, via our website, or by scheduling time directly with one of our Cloud advisors, with any questions or concerns regarding this Service Update covering Vault Former Employee end of life.

Service Update: Google Workspace Transition Update – June 30, 2022

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Google WorkspaceService Update: As part of the transition from G Suite to Google Workspace, Google began rolling out service changes to both the Google Workspace and G Suite platforms.

Please contact us by email, via our website, or by scheduling time directly with one of our Cloud advisors, with any questions or concerns.

Additional Storage

You can no longer add additional storage to G Suite Basic or to Google Workspace Business Starter licenses. This change impacts both managed and personal storage. Existing added storage will remain in place and functional.  You cannot, however, adjust the amount of existing additional storage to a user account. Nor can you add any additional storage to accounts approaching the 30GB limit.

If you need additional storage for users, the preferred action is to transition to Google Workspace Business Standard, which includes 2TB per user of storage that is pooled and available to all users accounts.

By default, Google will move your entire domain (all users) to Google Workspace Business Standard. Your standard license fees will double from $6 per user per month ($72/year) to $12 per user per month ($144/year). We can assist in arranging discounts to help mitigate your cost increase if you transition before your renewal period (annual commitments) or Google’s automated transition (month-to-month customers).

Depending on your number of user licenses, you may be able to split licensing between Google Workspace Business Starter and Standard subscriptions, limiting the more expensive licensing to only those users with a need for more than 30GB of storage.

Automatic Transitions

We have been discussing the transition from G Suite to Google Workspace and providing updates since November of 2020.  Google is now working to finish the transition process.

Google is automatically transitioning month-to-month customers to Google Workspace.  Your account administrators will receive notice 60 days in advance of the transition.  Google will transition all of your users based on storage, features, and security settings in use.  By default, all users will transition to the highest license level needed by any user within your domain.  These changes will increase your license costs; for many these increases will be significant.

You may be able mitigate costs by  splitting licenses within the Business and Enterprise tiers. Eligibility is based on your number of users and utilization.

We can also work to obtain discounts related to your transition.

For us to help, we need to begin your transition before Google initiates your automatic transition process.

Please contact us by email, via our website, or by scheduling time directly with one of our Cloud advisors, with any questions or concerns regarding this service update.

Service Update: Advanced Threat Protection

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Service Update Announcement

Beginning July 1, 2022, Cumulus Global is adding Advanced Threat Protection services to all clients using Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace.

With more than 40% of cyber attacks targeting small businesses and two thirds of attacks using email, Advanced Threat Protection is no longer an option. The stakes are too high. Recovery takes an average of 21 days and 60% of small businesses fail within six months of a successful attack.

To minimize the impact, we are waiving the standard setup fee and discounting the service by 20% for customers with an annual commitment. The fee will be reflected on your annual invoice or monthly invoices, as appropriate.

You may opt out of the Advanced Threat Protection service. To opt-out, please notify us by email prior to May 25, 2022. If you elect to opt-out, please review the terms of our Service Level Agreement as posted on our website.

Please contact us or schedule time with one of our cloud advisors if you have any questions.

Deadline 1/31/22: Google Workspace Transition

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Google Workspace

The deadline for managing your Google Workspace transition:
Jan. 31, 2022.

As we have noted in past posts and communications, the transition to Google Workspace may significantly impact your subscription fees, with increases that can double or triple your cost.

Limited incentive discounts are available; you must act now!

What Does the Jan. 31, 2022 Deadline Mean?

If you do not manage your transition from G Suite to Google Workspace, Google will automatically change your subscription as early as February 1, 2022.

  • For customers on a month-to-month (“Flex”) subscription, Google will automatically change your subscription from G Suite to Google Workspace beginning February 1, 2022.
  • For customers on a subscription with an annual or multi-year commitment, Google will automatically transition your subscription at your next renewal date.

What is the Impact?

Your G Suite subscription will transition to the Google Workspace subscription that matches your features and utilization.  Google will move all of your licenses to the subscription level that ensures no loss of features or functionality.

Examples:

  • G Suite Basic with one or more users with Additional Storage
    • You will transition to Workspace Business Standard or Business Plus
    • Your fees will go from $6/user/month plus the added storage to $12/user/month or $18/user/month.
  • G Suite Basic and have users with Vault
    • You will transition to Workspace Business Plus
    • Your fees will go from $11/user/month to $18/user/month.
  • G Suite Business users
    • You will transition to Workspace Business Plus to maintain your Vault service
    • Your fees will go from $12 to $18 per user per month.

Minimize the Impact

You can minimize the financial impact by assessing your subscription licenses and usage, and:

  • Mix and match licenses:
    • Within the Business or Enterprise tiers
    • Avoid paying for capabilities not needed or used by everyone.
  • Take advantage of incentive discounts by managing your transition to Google Workspace before the January 31, 2022 deadline:
    • Transition from monthly flex to an annual commitment
    • Transition your existing annual or promotional commitment early
    • Consider a multi-year commitment for greater savings
  • Remove past employee accounts by either:
    • Transitioning them to Archived User Accounts
    • Exporting and deleting

Act Now!

Schedule time with one of our Cloud Advisors.  We will assess your current subscription, the impact of your transition, discuss subscription and licensing options, and determine if you qualify for incentive discounts.

 


Technology Solutions for Solopreneurs and VSBs

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Technology Solutions for Solopreneurs

Entrepreneurs are a unique breed.  Solo entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, even more so.

If you are a solopreneur, or lead a very small business, you face some unique business and IT challenges. One of these challenges is balancing your business and your personal lives.  To do this, you want and need your technology solutions to save you time and energy.

If you are like most solopreneurs and very small business owners, you are probably

  • Paying for duplicate services
  • Unware of features that can improve your productivity
  • Not taking time to explore ways to work more efficiently
  • Missing security and data protections
  • Not getting the guidance and support you need

At the same time, you most likely lack the time, energy, or expertise to research, select, deploy, and learn the right IT services. As a part of our managed cloud services, we offer technology solutions, tools, and apps for solopreneurs that are tailored to meet your specific business needs.

Managed Services are a Technology Solutions for Small Businesses

Often used by larger businesses, managed services provide your information technologies, support, and services as a comprehensive bundle for a set monthly or annual fee. By definition, managed services are designed to offload your IT responsibilities and place them in the hands of experts. These managed service providers should start with guidance, get your systems up and running, administer your services, and provide you with support.  If they are performing their services well, these technology solutions for small business and solopreneurs should also help you identify features and functions that improve your work processes — make you more efficient.

5 Ways How to Move Towards Managed Services as a Technology Solution

Before moving forward with managed services, we recommend taking a step back and assessing how you want your IT services to help you and your business.

1. Start with A Goal and Objectives

  • Your technology and services need to empower you and enable your business.  Regardless of the devices, applications, and tools they use, your IT should:
    • Be easy to use
    • Save you time
    • Secure your data, and that of your customers
    • Keep your business data private
    • Support any compliance requirements you may have
    • Fit within your budget.

2. Focus on the Benefits

  • Discuss which capabilities will help you work more efficiently, more productively
  • Avoid the technology trap. Instead of thinking, for example, about email, calendars, and file sharing, think about automating appointment scheduling, protections for confidential information, and one-click video conferencing.

3. Define Your Baseline Services

  • Map your benefits to technologies
  • Base your IT decisions on your prioritized needs and wants
  • Define the minimum set communications, collaboration, and security tools to run your business
  • Explore and leverage ways to work more efficiently

4. Add / Enhance as Needed

  • If your business must be compliant with legal or industry regulation, add the technologies and services you need to meet these requirements.
  • If you find ways that technology can improve productivity, determine if the gains are worth the investment.

5. Managed Cloud Services

As the name implies, Managed Cloud Services are managed service that, whenever practical, leverage cloud services and solutions. Cumulus Global has the expertise and experience to move your business to managed cloud services. By leveraging cloud solutions, baseline services and foundational security are affordable and can easily be tailored to meet specific business needs.

Learn More About Our Technology Solutions, Tools, and Apps for Solopreneurs and Small Business

To learn more about our IT solutions that are tailored to meet your specific business needs, get in touch or view our additional resources below.


Google Workspace Transition Update

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Google WorkspaceWhen Google announced the transition from G Suite to Google Workspace in October 2020, the deadline for transitioning was left open. This is no longer the case.

The deadline for transitioning to Google Workspace from G Suite is January 31, 2022.

As we have noted in past posts and communications, the transition to Google Workspace may significantly impact your subscription fees, with increases that can double or triple your cost. You may qualify for incentive discounts by transitioning before the end of the year.

What Does the Jan. 31, 2022 Deadline Mean?

If you do not manage your transition from G Suite to Google Workspace, Google will automatically change your subscription as early as February 1, 2022.

  • For customers on a month-to-month (“Flex”) subscription, Google will automatically change your subscription from G Suite to Google Workspace beginning February 1, 2022.
  • For customers on a subscription with an annual or multi-year commitment, Google will automatically transition your subscription at your next renewal date.

What is the Financial Impact?

Your G Suite subscription will transition to the Google Workspace subscription that matches your features and utilization.  Here are some examples:

  • G Suite Basic subscribers that also have Google Vault will change to Google Workspace Business Plus; subscription fees will increase from $11/user/month ($6 + $5) to $18/per/user/month.
  • G Suite Basic subscribers that use extra storage will change to Google Workspace Business Standard or Business Plus, based on their storage requirements; fees will increase from $6/user/month to $12 or $18 per user per month.
  • G Suite Business subscribers will change to Google Workspace Business Plus in order to maintain their Vault service; fees will increase from $12 to $18 per user per month.
  • G Suite Business subscribers using advanced security and mobile device management features included in the Google Workspace Enterprise tier licenses will most likely transition to Google Workspace Enterprise Standard; fees will increase form $12 to $20 per user per month.
  • Any G Suite Basic or Business subscription with more than 300 users will change to Google Workspace Enterprise Standard or Plus; fees will increase from $6 or $12 per user per month to $20 or $30 per user per month.
  • G Suite Enterprise subscriptions using certain security, mobile device management, and data loss prevention features will change to Google Workspace Enterprise Plus; fees will increase from $25 to $30 per user per month.

While you can mix and match licenses as needed within the Business and Enterprise tiers, our understanding is that automatic change to Google Workspace will place all users on the same license.

Next Step?

Your next step is to schedule time with one of our Cloud Advisors.  We will assess your current subscription, the impact of your transition, discuss subscription and licensing options, and determine if you qualify for incentive discounts.

 


Mandatory Google Workspace Transitions Begin

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Google Cloud PartnerIf you have not completed your transition from G Suite to Google Workspace, Google will automatically begin Google Workspace transitions on January 31, 2022.  You will receive at least 30 days notice of your migration.

Please note that this transition includes significant changes to your subscription options, features/functions, AND PRICING.

Google Workspace

KEY POINTS TO KNOW:

  • Disruption: The transition is non-disruptive to end users and administrators, unless you decide to transition to a subscription with different features.
  • Pricing: Depending on your size and current G Suite services, keeping the same features may result in price increases of 50% to more than 300% (see below).
  • Savings: Cumulus Global can manage your transition, help you select the best Google Workspace for your business, and offer discount incentives for making your transition before the end of the year.

YOUR KEY DECISION:

You need to decide if you want to manage your transition or wait for Google to transition your subscription automatically.

If you chose to manage your transition, we can:

  • Save you money with Google-supported incentive discounts, provided we schedule your transition before the end of the year.
  • Help you select the best subscription plan/mix for your business, ensuring your business and security needs are met at the lowest cost.
  • Schedule your transition at a time that works for you and your team.
  • Educate your IT team on any new end-user, admin, and security features.
  • Support your IT team and end users.

YOUR MANAGED TRANSITION

To learn more about Managed Transitions, please contact us by email, or use the following form:


RESOURCES

In addition to more information in the “About” sections, below, we offer the following resources as well:

About: Automatic Transitions

Google will begin automatic transitions on January 31, 2022.

  • For annual subscriptions, the transition will occur at the end of your current annual or fixed term contract.
  • Companies on “Flex Plan”, month-t0-month services, Google will transition your account as quickly as possible
  • Google will determine the Google Workspace subscription based on your current product features, even if this change results in a significant price increase
  • Automatic transitions are not eligible for incentives or other discounts

About: Pricing Changes

The three biggest impacts on your Google Workspace pricing are your number of licenses,  features, and storage.

License Count

Companies with fewer than 300 users can select from three Google Workspace Business subscriptions.  Companies with more than 300 users will need to select from the two Google Workspace Enterprise subscriptions.  While you can mix and match licenses within the Business and Enterprise tiers, you cannot mix and match Business and Enterprise subscriptions.

Impact for companies with more than 300 users:

  • Companies running G Suite Basic, will see their per user license fees increase form $6 per month to at least $20 per month.
  • Companies running G Suite Business, will see their per user license fees increase form $12 per month to at least $20 per month.

Features

The biggest feature impact for most companies will be their use of Vault.  Companies running G Suite Basic and Google Vault, or running G Suite Business (which includes Vault), will need to transition to Google Workspace Business Plus. Because both Google Workspace Enterprise subscriptions include Vault, any company with more than 300 users will have Vault due to the license count-based migration requirements.

Impact for companies using Vault (with 300 or fewer users):

  • Companies running G Suite Basic plus Vault, will see their per user license fees increase form $11 per month to $18 per month.
  • Companies running G Suite Business, will see their per user license fees increase form $12 per month to at least $18 per month.

Storage

Added storage is no longer an option with Google Workspace. Because you can mix and match licenses within the Business and Enterprise tiers, you may need to transition users to different subscriptions based on their storage needs.

The Google Workspace subscriptions offer the following per-user storage:

  • Business Starter = 30GB, no Shared Drives
  • Business Standard = 2 TB, aggregated across the domain, with Shared Drives
  • Business Plus = 5 TB, aggregated across the domain, with Shared Drives
  • Enterprise Standard = Unlimited storage, with Shared Drives
  • Enterprise Plus = Unlimited storage, with Shared Drives

Other Changes: Vault Former Employee Licenses

Vault Former Employee (VFE) licenses are free or discounted Vault licenses for users that no longer have active G Suite accounts.  With the transition to Google Workspace, VFE licenses are no longer available; VFE licenses will transition to Archive User Licenses (AUL).

Archive User Licenses are NOT FREE. The per user per month pricing for AULs is as follows:

  • AUL – Business = $4
  • AUL – Enterprise Standard = $5
  • AUL – Enterprise Plus = $7

Companies with VFE licenses should plan for alternate retention strategies or potentially significant licensing fees.

 

Quick Guide to Your Google Workspace Transition

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Google Workspace

G Suite to Google Workspace Transition is Happening Now

According to Google support, “Now is the time to transition your customers’ G Suite Basic and G Suite Business subscriptions to Google Workspace. Beginning February 1, 2023, Google will automatically transition your customers once they are eligible.”

In October 2020, Google announced the transition of its productivity platform from G Suite to Google Workspace.  More than a simple branding change, the Google transition includes significant changes to your subscription options, features/functions, and pricing.

Big Picture of the Google Workspace Transition

  • Google Workspace has two subscription tiers: Business and Enterprise
    • The Google Workspace Business tier offers three subscription options: Business Starter, Business Standard, and Business Plus
      • You may mix and match subscription types within the Business tier based on user and group needs
      • You total user count (licenses) cannot exceed 300
    • The Google Workspace Enterprise tier offers two options: Enterprise Standard and Enterprise Plus
      • You may mix and match subscriptions within the Enterprise tier
      • You have no limited on the number of user licenses

Read more about Google Workspace Plans and Pricing.

Impacts of the Transition From G Suite to Google Workspace

Vault

As part of the repackaging, Google Vault is no longer available as an add-on.  G Suite Business subscriptions and G Suite Basic subscriptions with Vault as an add-on, will need to move some or all of their users to Google Workspace Business Plus.  At standard pricing, this means a price increase from $11 or $12 per user per month up to $18 per user per month.  For businesses that need Vault for regulatory or industry compliance, this increase in unavoidable.

License Counts

From companies with more than the 300 users, Google is forcing a move to the Google Workspace Enterprise tier.  While Google offered a grace period allowing companies with more than 300 users to transition to Google Workspace Business subscriptions for up to 3 years, the offer has expired and is not expected to return.

The impact is a standard price increase from G Suite Basic and G Suite Business at $6 and $12 per user per month, respectively, to $20 per user per month for Workspace Enterprise Standard.  As noted, below, we can help with Google Workspace transition incentives and discounts to help mitigate the increase.

Storage

Workspace Business Standard and Workspace business Plus have 2TB and 5TB per user, respectively. This storage is pooled and available to all users, reducing the likelihood that specific users will need additional storage space.  While rare, some businesses running G Suite Business with unlimited storage are above those limits.  This will also become an issue over time for some businesses, particularly those that work with large files, such as CAD, images, and video.

Big Incentives

Working with Google, we are able offer incentive and discounts for transitioning from G Suite to Google Workspace.

  • Incentives and discounts are greater if you transition before your annual renewal date
  • Greater discounts exist if you are willing to commit to a 2 or 3 year term, instead of a 1 year term
  • Incentives change quarterly and, generally, become less generous over time, so reach out to us for details and your specific options
  • We will work with Google to address any unique requirements and circumstances

Incentives and smart subscription and license planning will save you money and mitigate any cost increase related to your G Suite to Google Workspace transition.

Your Next Steps for the Google Workspace Transition

  1. Check out our Quick Guide – Google Workspace Transition that covers migration paths and the impact on features and costs.
  2. Contact us to discuss and map out your transition from G Suite to Google Workspace, or use schedule a brief call with one of our Cloud Advisors directly.


Google Drive for Desktop Unification

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In February 2021, Google announced the unification of the two existing Google Drive sync clients. The Backup and Sync and Drive File Stream agents will merge into a single client called Google Drive for desktop. This unified sync client provides a consistent experience for anyone who uses Drive for business, education or personal purposes.

Starting July 19, 2021, Backup and Sync will support a guided flow to help users transition onto Drive for desktop.

We recommend a managed deployment.  Deploy Drive for desktop to your users currently on Backup and Sync and encouraging them to complete the guided flow onto Drive for desktop before August 18, 2021. Any users still on Backup and Sync after that point will receive in-product notifications prompting them to transition to Drive for desktop.

Impact and Timing

Backup and Sync will remain available through October 2021. Any users still on Backup and Sync after that point will no longer be able to sign in to Backup and Sync. To continue syncing with Drive and/or Google Photos, users will need to transition to Drive for desktop.

To understand what’s changing, please see Google’s support article.

If any end users in your organization are currently using both Backup and Sync and Drive for desktop (not very common), they will be automatically prompted to consolidate their sync client usage onto Drive for desktop in July 2021.

Next Steps

If you require or prefer a controlled deployment, we recommend deploying Drive for desktop to your users currently on Backup and Sync and encouraging them to complete the guided flow onto Drive for desktop before August 18, 2021.

Please contact us if we can help you

  • Determine the number of users running Backup and Sync
  • Communicate with users about the change, or
  • Help manage your users’ transition

Assistance is covered under our Admin Service and Premium Service offerings, and is available as a stand-alone project.

Productivity Suite Assessment Helps Small Businesses Choose or Improve their Cloud

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May 25, 2021 – Westborough, MA – Cumulus Global is pleased to announce the launch of its new Productivity Suite Assessment, a consulting service that helps small and midsize businesses (SMBs) determine which productivity suite best meets their needs and how to fully utilize the suite to improve productivity and support business goals. Whether considering, or currently using Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, the productivity suite is the foundation for IT services. The right match is about more than the marketing hype and basic features. The right match integrates with how you work and other systems to support business goals, needs, priorities, and budget.

“For businesses not yet in the cloud, we guide them to the best fit and solution,” stated Allen Falcon, CEO of Cumulus Global. “For those only using some of the Microsoft and Google suite services, we help them fully adopt, utilize, and leverage capabilities.”

The Productivity Suite Assessment gives businesses:

  • A comprehensive review of current technology platforms and how well they are serving the business
  • Expert analysis of challenges, gaps, and opportunities to improve productivity and efficiencies
  • Recommendations: “what” technologies are a best fit and “how” to leverage them for greatest impact and value
  • Savings on implementation of recommendations.

“We help businesses decide if Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace best aligns with their operations and technologies. More impactfully, we identify under-utilized capabilities and guide adoption,” noted Falcon. “Using these recommendations, businesses improve processes, empower employees and teams, reduce costs, and enable growth.”

The Productivity Suite Assessment follows Cumulus Global’s best-practice methods.  The three phase project includes: detailed discovery, thorough analysis; and recommendations with guidance on implementation and adoption.  Cumulus Global partners with both Microsoft and Google, providing objective analysis and recommendations. Founded in 2006, Cumulus Global has 15 years experience delivery cloud solutions to small and midsize businesses.

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