Google’s Always Free Cloud Platform
Google has a new tier which it expects will bring more users to its cloud platform. In an effort to promote the platform, Google is offering a free trial; one wonders if it’s time competitors like Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services reconsidered their strategies. The new tier generally means more advantages for Google users compared to business owners using other services.
Components of the new Tier
Google’s new offerings in the ‘Always Free’ Cloud Platform include 5GB of storage for US users a month, messaging and data streaming services, various web applications, and an f1 micro-compute instance complete with the requisite virtual machine features. Users should not confuse this with the 12-month tier which features consumable $300 credit for a month. The credit may be used for any product including Google Cloud Functions, Google Stackdriver, and Google Compute Engine. The credit is given when you sign up and it is valid for the entire trial period while previously it was only valid for the first 60 days of the free trial.
So what’s the catch?
The ‘Always Free’ tag name might be a little misleading given that the tier is subject to eligibility and has usage limits for consumers in many parts. There are some requirements for this like a good Google account standing and upgraded billing account. Most of the associated Google Cloud products are only available in US-East 1, US-Central 1 and US-West 1 region. People in other parts of the globe cannot access the ‘Always-Free’ tier offerings.
Competition
The offerings by Google are definitely attractive but also starkly similar to leading cloud services providers in the industry. Amazon has the AWS Free Tier and a free 12-month option but the advantage with Google is that there are free virtual machines with the package. This according to Google, will provide more money saving for the user compared to other services for which they need to pay extra if they need to use virtual machines.
Google’s new tier is only an indication of how competitive the cloud market has become. The revitalized tier was prompted by the fact that even a generous $300 free-trial offer wasn’t enough to get people interested enough to turn away from competitor platforms like Amazon. They had to bring more to the table as a way of courting potential customers who already rely on competitor cloud services.
There are so many cloud services providers in the market already and that makes it difficult to choose the best one. There may be some similarities among them but some have more advantages for particular businesses. The best choice will perfectly integrate with your business, and also ensure that your data remains private and completely secure. If you are looking for a cloud computing service perfectly tailored to your business, it is important to consult with a professional. We are experts in IT and you can call us immediately to offer you the best advice on cloud services.
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