Google to charge small businesses for Apps tools

Small businesses relying on Google's free Apps productivity software will have to start rummaging down the back of the sofa as the company is to start charging for its web-based tools. The service will now cost $50 a year per person - an additional burden during tough times. The company justified the price increase by saying the free model wasn't working.

"Businesses quickly outgrow the basic version and want things like 24/7 customer support and larger inboxes," the company said in a blog post. "Similarly, consumers often have to wait to get new features while we make them business-ready."

However, in a case of Google taking with one hand and giving with the other, the company has said the Snapseed image editing software it acquired when it bought Nik Software earlier this year will be free for iOS. As Tuaw reports, the software previously cost $4.99, and has been tweaked to include integration with Google+, so expect a right stampede from the social network's masses. The OS X version version remains at $19.99.

i feel we may even start paying for hosting on too lol or what do you think