Update to Google Cloud’s Infrastructure Capabilities and Pricing

With customer needs in mind, Google Cloud announced changes and a couple of news in services and pricing starting October 1st, 2022.

Infrastructure product and pricing structure will adjust to give you more choice in how they pay for what you use alongside new, flexible SKUs with new product options and capabilities. These changes are helping to ensure a better product fit for your use cases across a wide array of workloads.

Which services are changing?

Changes in prices will affect some storage, compute, and networking products. Changes provide you with new ways to optimize your spending based on workload type and size or data portability needs, as well as cost reduction on some services. Specific changes include: 

• Cloud Storage pricing changes for data mobility, including replication of data written to a dual- or multi-region storage bucket and inter-region data access.
• Introduction of a new lower-cost archive snapshot option for Persistent Disk (PD), so that compliance/archiving use cases are charging less than compute-intensive DevOps workloads.
• New outbound data processing pricing for Cloud Load Balancing, in line with other leading cloud providers.
• New pricing for Network Topology, which includes Performance Dashboard within Network Intelligence Center at no additional charge.

Please note: Customers under existing commit contracts with a floating or fixed discount will not face any changes until renewal.

Will my bills increase or decrease?

The increase or decrease in the bill depends on your specific case. No two customers are the same, and neither are the changes. You may see a slight increase in price while also seeing new options for some services to better align with usage, which could lower your bills.

Can I fix the current price list?

Yes, you can even decrease prices. Prices can be improved via a so-called commitment contract - you commit to a spend over the next 12-60 months based on the certainty of your spending. Revolgy and Google guarantee you current pricing, plus provide a discount. The commitment can free you from worries about the impact of inflation on energy, labour, or metals prices on the cost of your cloud services.

What should I do next?

As your partner, our goal is to help you manage the impact of these changes and allow time for them to adjust or modify your implementations. 

First, check your email. The email from Google sent to you on March 15th, 2022, provides a rough estimate of the impact. If the estimated impact is severe, a significant change in the way you use cloud services is needed. Not sure what to do second? If you want to check your spending, we can help you with a billing analysis.

Billing analysis is a low-touch one-time service that delivers a structured document prepared by a Revolgy specialist. You receive a detailed analysis of your cloud bill, focusing on weak spots and gaps. You also get a set of straightforward recommendations on how to improve your infrastructure for better cost efficiency. 

We love to share our knowledge on bill understanding, cloud governance, and cost control improvement with all cloud enthusiasts. If you want to use powerful data analysis and automation for better cloud management, take a look at Revolgy’s AI Program. You’ll see how AI solutions can improve your cloud setup and help reduce your spending. And with upcoming changes, it might even be the right time for FinOps Sprint.

FinOps Sprint

FinOps Sprint is our answer to the complexity of managing a growing set of projects, applications, users, and resources in the cloud landscape, concerning the limited capacity of engineers and leaders.

Revolgy FinOps Sprint is like the Map and Compass. At every point, you know where you are, what the next steps are, and where you are heading! In just a week, you will start crawling in FinOps practice. Together, we prepare and validate the first reports and basic policy for visibility of your cloud spend and articulate the next steps. We provide you with resources and plans before the sprint and facilitate remote sessions. We start on Monday, and by Friday, you are in FinOps.

What is our motivation to lower your cloud bill?

Our mission is to make the cloud work for you, and we are committed to your well-being in the cloud. We de-risk your cloud management, lower your unit price, or mentor you on how the cloud can speed up your business development. By that, we enable your success. And success means traffic. Higher traffic increases your cloud bill, and we both win. Double success, right?

If you need more information, don’t hesitate to contact us.

FAQs

Q1: What were the Google Cloud pricing changes that started on October 1st, 2022?

Beginning October 1st, 2022, Google Cloud adjusted its infrastructure pricing structure to offer more choice in payment options. The changes included new, flexible SKUs with different product capabilities, designed to better align service costs with customer use cases.

Q2: Which specific Google Cloud services were affected by these changes?

The pricing changes affected several storage, compute, and networking services, including:

• Cloud Storage, particularly for data mobility like replication and inter-region data access.
• Persistent Disk (PD), with the introduction of a new lower-cost archive snapshot option.
• Cloud Load Balancing, with new pricing for outbound data processing.
• Network Topology, which began including the Performance Dashboard at no extra charge.

Q3: How did these changes affect my monthly bill?

The impact on your bill depends entirely on your specific usage. While some prices may have seen a slight increase, the changes also introduced new service options designed to better align with your workload, which could potentially lower your bills.

Q4: Are customers with existing commitment contracts affected?

No, customers under existing commitment contracts with a fixed or floating discount are not affected by these changes. Their pricing remains the same until their contract is up for renewal.

Q5: Can I lock in current prices to avoid future increases?

Yes, you can secure current pricing and potentially receive additional discounts by entering into a commitment contract. This involves committing to a certain level of cloud spending over a 12 to 60-month period.

Q6: What is the first step I should take to understand the impact on my account?

You should first check for an email sent by Google on March 15th, 2022. This email provides a rough estimate of how the pricing changes will impact your specific account.

Q7: What is the “Billing Analysis” service offered by Revolgy?

Billing analysis is a one-time service where a Revolgy specialist provides a detailed, structured report on your cloud bill. The analysis focuses on identifying weak spots and provides clear recommendations on how to improve your infrastructure for better cost efficiency.

Q8: What is a “FinOps Sprint” and how can it help manage cloud costs?

The FinOps Sprint is a one-week program offered by Revolgy to help you gain visibility and control over your cloud spending. During the sprint, Revolgy assists in preparing initial reports, establishing a basic policy for tracking costs, and defining the next steps for ongoing financial operations in the cloud.

Q9: Why would Revolgy want to help me lower my cloud bill?

Revolgy’s goal is to ensure the cloud works for you by de-risking your cloud management and lowering your unit price. This helps your business succeed and grow. As your business succeeds and traffic increases, your overall cloud usage also grows, creating a mutually beneficial partnership.x