Google and its suite of apps are great alternatives to Microsoft Office, but to use them in a business context you would also have to make use of Google’s email solution.

That is no longer the case with Google Workspace Essentials Starter Edition which unlocks the Google suite of apps without having to switch to Gmail.

The account is free and can be created using an existing work email address. Google Workspace Essentials Starter Edition includes access to Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Chat and Meet.

The offer also includes 15GB of Drive storage.

“There’s no need for a new email address, file conversions, new plug-ins, or desktop software. All of the tools in Essentials Starter will work quickly and easily within your existing environment. And because we designed Google Workspace to operate on our industry-leading cloud foundation, Essentials Starter provides encrypted and secure access to files, helping keep users safe and their information private,” Google wrote in a blog post.

This offer is free and users won’t have to provide credit card details in order to start collaborating with colleagues. As regards collaboration, invites can be sent to a colleagues email address.

If you are interested in using Google’s Workspace apps you can head to this link, but the Essentials Starter offering is rolling out slowly around the world. As such, we recommend clicking the “Notify Me” button on that website.