Google - the art of lawful drug marketing!

Google Apps - from Free Lunch, to Paid Workspace:
14jan26 0v1 https://poelposition.blogspot.com/2026/01/google-art-of-lawful-drug-marketing.html

Addictive apps create dependence

When Google mail became ubiquitous it did so by being "free". This sent out a warning to the rest of the industry that it was not worth investing to compete in this market space - because you will be steamrollered by Godzilla.

Google software was built on the venerable Unix operating system - a vastly more robust, scalable and and proficient network platform than MS Windows (and also the underpinning of the Android mobile OS and Apple IOS).

I can't think of anyone who hasn't got a least one Google account. The analytics data that this enabled Google to collect through use of cookies and other devices is quite staggering, and the envy of governments everywhere. They almost certainly know far more about  you than your wife or mother does.

We all became addicted over time as the applications like docs, maps, calendar, sheets, photos, contacts all integrate so simply - and just as the drug pushers that trap their victims with a free sniff - Google chose a perfect moment to start to charge. 

Never mind that they were already coining in a vast income from selling your data to the advertising market.

And once they have prised your credit card details from your wallet.... they have been helping themselves with annual price hikes like the one shown here. You have no recourse to complain - the prospect of moving terabytes of the data we have accumulated is just unthinkable - we are all over a barrel, strapped on, legs spread, lube applied...

Any of us in Google/Alphabet's position, would do the same - probably worse. Google can afford the best tech and staff and can appear to be magnanimous. Overall it manages the fact that it controls the most import important monopoly in all history, with reasonably good judgement and taste. 

From Free Lunch to Paid Workspace: Google's Monetization Timeline and the golden goose that just goes on laying:

In 2006, Google launched Google Apps for Your Domain as a free beta, giving businesses, schools, and groups professional Gmail, Calendar, Docs, and more using their own domain names - at no cost. It was a game-changer for small teams and startups.

Over the years, Google introduced paid tiers for extra features, then slowly phased out free access for businesses:

2007: First paid "Premier" edition appears alongside the free version.

2011: Free edition capped at 10 users max; larger orgs must upgrade.

2012: No new free signups for businesses—existing users grandfathered in.

2022: The final blow - legacy free business accounts forced to upgrade to paid Google Workspace (or risk suspension), ending the era of truly free custom-domain Google productivity for commercial use.

Education and verified nonprofits still enjoy free tiers, but for businesses, "free" became history.This shift reflects a common tech pattern: hook users with free tools, build scale, then monetize with premium features, security, and support.

Google's Monetization Timeline and the golden goose that just goes on laying: