In response to Chromebook users and purchasers’ feedback over the past four months, Google has decided to alter the payment options for Chromebooks for Business.
Glenn Wilson, Product Manager of Chrome for Business & Education, blogged on October 21st: “We’ve learned a lot about what (customers) need to make this device a great fit in their organizations. One piece of feedback we’ve heard from some customers is that they work with yearly budget cycles. To meet these customers’ needs, in addition to our 3-year subscription model, today we are introducing an alternative payment option.”
Schools and businesses can now choose to pay upfront for Chromebooks with one year of access to the web-based admin management console, phone support, and hardware warranty coverage. Then after the first year, customers may switch to paying a monthly fee for years two and three for management console access and support.
Under the new pricing structure, businesses will pay $559 (WiFi) or $639 (3G) up-front for the Chromebook and the first year of service. In years 2 and 3, the cost is $13/month per Chromebook for management and support.
Schools will enjoy a discounted rate of $449 (WiFi) or $519 (3G) in the first year for the computers and move to an affordable $5/month per Chromebook for the remaining two years.
