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Jeroen Hidding
Jeroen entered Microsoft Licensing in 2008 at a Global LSP. Jeroen is specialized in optimizing complex Microsoft licensing requirements from a commercial perspective.
Everything you need to know... Everything you need to know about Google Cloud Platform licensing

Jeroen Hidding
Understanding Google Cloud Platform licensing
Understanding Google Cloud Platform (GCP) licensing is essential for effective cost management and compliance. GCP offers a broad array of services, each with unique pricing structures that include compute, storage, machine learning, and data analytics. With different services, pricing models can vary, including usage-based models, data transfer rates, and API call charges.
With the right knowledge of terms, conditions, and potential discounts, organizations can understand the different pricing options and optimize costs while ensuring they receive the services that best suit their needs.
What is Google Cloud Platform?
Google Cloud Platform (GCP) is a suite of cloud computing services provided by Google, competing with other cloud giants like Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure. It operates on the same infrastructure Google uses for its consumer products such as Google Search and YouTube.
The platform enables businesses to access computing resources through a global network of data centers, allowing them to scale their operations and services. Popular services include compute and hosting, storage and databases, machine learning, and data analytics, all available either for free or on a pay-per-use basis. Amazon Web Services is preferred by startups and scaleups, whereas Microsoft Azure is popular with larger enterprise.
Is Google Cloud Platform the same as Google Cloud?
No, Google Cloud offers a suite of online services that can help businesses go digital and Google Cloud Platform is only one part of Google Cloud.
Key services offered by GCP
GCP offers a range of services tailored to developers, data scientists, and enterprises to build, deploy, and scale applications across Google’s cloud infrastructure. For a full list of GCP products, visit the website here.
Here is a breakdown of what Google Cloud Platform is used for across various domains:
Computing Resources
- Compute Engine: IaaS to run virtual machines.
- Kubernetes Engine: A managed environment for deployment, scaling and management of containerized apps using Kubernetes.
- App Engine: PaaS to deploy apps without thinking about the underlying infrastructure.
Storage Solutions
- Cloud Storage: Object storage for organizations.
- Cloud SQL: Fully managed relational database service.
- Bigtable: Managed NoSQL database service for web, mobile, and IoT apps.
Machine Learning and AI
- AI Platform: End-to-end platform to build, manage and run Machine Learning projects.
- Vision AI: Machine learning to classify images.
- Natural Language: API for analyzing text.
Data Analytics
- BigQuery: Fully managed, serverless data warehouse for fast SQL queries.
- Dataflow: Stream and batch processing service.
- Looker: Data exploration and reporting platform.
Networking
- Virtual Private Cloud (VPC): Private network that runs resources in a logically isolated section.
- Cloud Load Balancing: Distributes incoming app traffic across various targets, such as VMs.
Development Tools
- Cloud SDK: Set of tools to manage resources and apps hosted on GCP.
- Container Registry: Private Docker image storage.
- Cloud Build: Service to build apps in a consistent environment.
Security and Identity Management
- Identity and Access Management (IAM): Defines who (identity) has what access (role) for which resource.
- Security Command Center: Provides risk and threat detection for GCP-resources.
Internet of Things (IoT)
- Cloud IoT Core: A fully managed service to connect, manage and ingest data from globally dispersed devices.
API Management
- Apigee: API-management platform to secure, design, analyze and scale APIs.
Migration to Cloud
- Transfer Appliance: Hardware to quickly and securely transfer large volumes of data to GCP.
Overview of GCP Pricing Models
GCP free tier
GCP offers a free tier that gives users access to certain services for free up to a certain limit. For example, the free tier includes 1 GB of Cloud Storage, 5 GB of BigQuery storage and 1 GB of egress per month, and more. However, some services are not included in the free tier and require payment.
GCP pricing models
Google Cloud Platform (GCP) uses a pay-as-you-go billing model. This means that you only pay for the resources that you use, and you can scale your usage up or down as needed. To learn more about billing, please visit the GCP website.
GCP offers flexible pricing models designed to meet the varying needs of businesses, from startups to large enterprises. Key pricing models include:
Pay-as-you-go
- Usage-Based: Customers pay for services as they consume them. This model is flexible and allows customers to use as much or as little of a service as they need and pay accordingly.
- No Upfront Costs: There are typically no upfront costs, which makes it an attractive option for startups and small businesses.
- Billing: Costs are usually calculated on a per-second, per-minute, or per-hour basis, depending on the service used.
Committed Use Discounts
- Discounted Pricing: By committing to a particular volume of usage (for instance, a certain number of vCPU hours per month) for a predefined period (usually 1 or 3 years), customers receive discounted prices compared to the pay-as-you-go model.
- Resource Planning: This model is beneficial for businesses with predictable workloads and stable resource requirements, as it helps in planning budgets and resources effectively.
- Contractual Obligation: Customers are generally obligated to pay for the resources whether they use them or not, since they have committed to the usage.
Sustained Use Discounts
- Automatic Discounts: These are discounts that GCP provides automatically as you use more of certain resources, like Compute Engine resources.
- Extended Usage: Typically, these discounts kick in as you use a VM (Virtual Machine) instance for a larger percentage of the billing month.
- No Sign-Up: There’s usually no separate sign-up or commitment to utilize sustained use discounts; they’re applied automatically as your usage increases.
Preemptible VMs
Short-term, cost-effective VMs that are ideal for batch processing and fault-tolerant workloads. They can be terminated by Google at any time but are priced much lower than regular VMs.
Custom Machine Types
Allows businesses to tailor their VM resources to specific needs, optimizing costs by only paying for the resources they use, rather than predefined machine sizes.
Others
- Purchase Reservations in GCP
- Storage cost reduction tips and tricks. For more info, look here.
For a more comprehensive list on how to reduce cost, you can always use the GCP documentation found here.
Cloud Migration & Hybrid Cloud Solutions
For organizations transitioning to the cloud, GCP provides migration services like Google Cloud’s Transfer Appliance, which helps customers move large amounts of data to GCP quickly and securely. Migrate for Compute Engine is another tool that helps businesses shift workloads from on-premise servers or other clouds to Google Cloud.
Additionally, hybrid cloud solutions allow businesses to integrate their on-premises infrastructure with GCP. This enables a seamless experience when running workloads across both on-premises and cloud environments. GCP supports multi-cloud architectures, ensuring that businesses have flexibility and resilience in their cloud strategy.
Key Features of GCP vs. AWS & Azure
While AWS and Azure dominate the cloud market, Google Cloud Platform offers significant advantages, particularly for businesses focused on machine learning, big data, and open-source technologies. GCP’s unique capabilities in these areas, combined with its competitive pricing, scalability, and reliable performance, make it an attractive option for a wide range of organizations. Additionally, with its robust security features and innovative services, GCP is well-positioned to continue driving growth in the cloud industry.
When comparing GCP to AWS and Azure, it’s important to note some distinct advantages:
- Kubernetes Management: GCP is the leader in Kubernetes with Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE), offering one of the most advanced and efficient platforms for managing containerized applications.
- BigQuery: GCP’s BigQuery is widely recognized for its performance in data analytics, providing serverless data querying at massive scale with high efficiency.
- Machine Learning and AI: Google’s AI capabilities, including services like AI Platform and Vision AI, are among the most advanced in the cloud industry, offering cutting-edge tools for building and deploying machine learning models.
- Open source: GCP has a strong focus on open-source tools.
- Pricing Flexibility: GCP provides multiple pricing options, from Pay-As-You-Go to Committed Use Discounts, offering businesses flexibility to optimize costs based on their usage patterns.
Key differences between GCP, AWS, and Azure
- Market Leadership: AWS is the market leader, followed by Azure, with GCP ranking third. While AWS has the largest market share, GCP has steadily grown due to its innovative offerings in machine learning, big data, and container services.
- Pricing Models: Each platform has its own pricing structure, with different rates for similar services. GCP is often considered more cost-effective in certain areas, particularly with its sustained use discounts and preemptible VMs. However, pricing comparisons need to be conducted carefully to ensure you’re getting the best value for your business needs.
- Service Range:
- AWS provides an extensive range of services and is known for its comprehensive cloud offerings, with broad support for enterprises of all sizes.
- Azure excels in its integration with Microsoft products and services, making it the go-to platform for businesses already invested in Microsoft’s ecosystem (e.g., Windows Server, Active Directory, and Office 365).
- GCP stands out for its machine learning and big data services, with products like BigQuery and TensorFlow leading the charge in analytics and AI. GCP is also widely regarded as the platform of choice for developers working with open-source technologies and containerized applications, including Kubernetes, where Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) is a key differentiator.
- User Interface: Each platform has its own tools for managing resources. GCP is often praised for its clean and intuitive user interface, but some users may prefer the more mature toolsets offered by AWS and Azure, depending on their specific needs and familiarity.
- Support: Each platform offers different support options, with varying response times and Service Level Agreements (SLAs). GCP provides comprehensive paid support and extensive documentation, along with community support that is highly regarded by users.
Licensing Models for Third-Party Software on GCP
While Google Cloud Platform (GCP) offers a wide range of native services, many businesses also rely on third-party software like Oracle, SAP, and other enterprise applications to meet their specific needs. GCP provides flexible licensing options to run these applications seamlessly in the cloud.
Bring Your Own License (BYOL)
GCP supports Bring Your Own License (BYOL) models for many third-party software providers. For example:
- Oracle: Customers can bring their existing Oracle licenses to GCP using Oracle’s License Mobility program, similar to Microsoft’s Software Assurance. This allows businesses to run Oracle databases and applications on GCP without purchasing new licenses. Read more about Oracle licensing here.
- SAP: GCP is certified to run SAP workloads, and customers can use their existing SAP licenses to deploy solutions like SAP HANA on GCP’s infrastructure.
GCP Marketplace for Simplified Licensing
GCP Marketplace is a one-stop shop for third-party applications, offering pre-configured solutions with simplified licensing. Businesses can browse and deploy software from vendors like Databricks, MongoDB, and Elastic directly from the Marketplace. Key benefits include:
- Streamlined Procurement: Licenses are billed through GCP, reducing the complexity of managing multiple vendors.
- Pre-Configured Solutions: Applications are optimized to run on GCP, ensuring faster deployment and better performance.
- Pay-as-You-Go Pricing: Many Marketplace offerings follow GCP’s pay-as-you-go model, allowing businesses to scale costs with usage.
By leveraging GCP’s licensing flexibility and Marketplace, businesses can integrate their preferred third-party tools while maintaining cost efficiency and operational simplicity.
GCP support and documentation
Google Cloud provides a range of support plans to help businesses optimize their use of GCP. These include:
- Basic Support: For those with minimal support needs, providing access to documentation, forums, and billing support.
- Standard Support: Includes 24/7 access to technical support via email, along with access to Google Cloud’s community support.
- Premium Support: Offers a dedicated support team, 24/7 phone support, and faster response times, ideal for mission-critical workloads.
GCP also boasts comprehensive documentation and resources, including tutorials, community forums, and detailed guides to assist both new and experienced users.
GCP Security
Security is a top priority for Google Cloud, with a broad range of built-in tools and services to protect your data and infrastructure:
- Security Command Center: Provides threat detection and risk management across your GCP resources.
- Identity and Access Management (IAM): Ensures that only authorized users and services can access GCP resources.
- Data Loss Prevention: Automatically detects and helps mitigate sensitive data exposure.
- Certifications: GCP meets various industry standards and security certifications, including ISO 27001, SOC 2, and HIPAA, ensuring that customer data is protected.
These features, combined with Google’s industry-leading infrastructure, make GCP one of the most secure cloud platforms available.
How to license Microsoft software on GCP
To license Microsoft software on Google Cloud Platform (GCP), you can use the Microsoft License Mobility through Software Assurance benefit. This benefit allows customers who have licenses with active Software Assurance coverage to move their existing Microsoft server application licenses to GCP.
You can check your eligibility status by contacting your Microsoft representative or check the product specific details on the Microsoft Product Terms website. This website gives an overview of all Microsoft products and their terms and conditions. In the Software Assurance section of a software product, you will find the eligibility. Below is an example from the SQL Server page of the Product Terms.
Benefits of using this program:
- Save money on your Microsoft server application license costs by moving your licenses to GCP.
- Gain more flexibility in how you manage and deploy your Microsoft server applications.
- Improve the reliability and performance of your Microsoft server applications by running them on GCP’s infrastructure.
To get started with Microsoft License Mobility through Software Assurance, you will need to contact your Microsoft representative to confirm eligibility and follow the steps outlined in the documentation to deploy your licensed Microsoft software.
Things to keep in mind
- Only certain Microsoft server applications are eligible for the program. You can check the list of eligible applications on the Microsoft website.
- You must continue to pay Software Assurance for your Microsoft server application licenses.
- You must deploy your licensed Microsoft software on GCP within 90 days of moving your licenses.
Conclusion
Google Cloud Platform offers a powerful, flexible, and secure cloud computing environment for businesses of all sizes. Whether you’re just starting your cloud journey or looking to optimize your current setup, GCP’s innovative services, competitive pricing models, and robust ecosystem provide the tools necessary for success. From scaling infrastructure to leveraging AI and machine learning, GCP is a solid choice for modern enterprises looking to innovate and grow.
Ready to take the next step? Get in touch with our licensing experts today at info@licenseq.com to discuss your specific business case and discover how GCP can help you achieve your goals and check out our GCP licensing optimization service. Whether you’re migrating workloads, optimizing costs, or exploring advanced AI solutions, our team is here to guide you every step of the way.
Index
Article index
- Understanding Google Cloud Platform licensing
- What is Google Cloud Platform?
- Key services offered by GCP
- Overview of GCP Pricing Models
- Cloud Migration & Hybrid Cloud Solutions
- Key Features of GCP vs. AWS & Azure
- Key differences between GCP, AWS, and Azure
- Licensing Models for Third-Party Software on GCP
- GCP support and documentation
- GCP Security
- How to license Microsoft software on GCP
- Conclusion