Google Apps users now have incentive to get others to sign up. For each new member those who use Google Apps refer, they’ll get $15. Google Apps make working with others easy by utilizing Google’s cloud solutions to power apps like Drive or calendar.
Google hasn’t directly asked people to recruit users, but the referral credit definitely encourages it. The bonus also mentions it’s for each new user you might generate, which we assume means accounts rather than an entire userbase, but we’re not clear on that. It also points to Google’s attempt to further their cause for being an enterprise solution.
On the heels of Hangouts coming to the office — and an expensive box to power it — Google’s referral push is an interesting one. The program is a great idea for small to medium sized businesses, with even larger entities switching over as well. Security (as with any Google product) is built from the ground up, taking much of the tedious leg work from IT professionals.
A referral program also hints that Google may have been lackadaisical about the program. It’s been around for years, and while it’s changed slightly over time, it’s largely the same as before. It’s only now we’re getting incentives outside of the existing security and ease-of-use benefits to sign up. We’re still confused about the referral credit, too. Google charges about $5/user monthly, so we’re not sure if we really get $15 per user in referral credit, or if it’s per account. A business with 10 users would get you $150, which Google would recoup in a few months.
Source: Google
