Google Cloud: GCP, G-Suite and a whole lot more

Google Cloud Platform, G-Suite, Chrome Enterprise, Android Enterprise, and Google Maps Platform are all part of Google Cloud.

Google Cloud is one of the top five cloud computing service providers in 2018. Gartner named Google as a leader in the cloud computing segment alongside Amazon Web Services and Microsoft.

Google Cloud Verticals

Google Cloud PlatformCloud Computing services that includes computing, data storage, analytics, artificial Intelligence, internet of things and networking
G-SuiteGmail, docs, drive, calendar, office productivity and colloboration tools
Hire by GoogleRecruiting Software for G-Suite. 
Chrome EnterpriseCombines Chrome OS and Chrome Browser to enable work in the cloud. Users can control access to data, applications, and extensions in the cloud. 
Android EnterpriseMobile platform designed for business users. Customers can select, deploy and manage Android devices and services. Control over corporate data and apps. 
Google Maps PlatformHelps developers build customized experiences using static and dynamic maps. Access and utilize rich location data for over 150 million places. 

Google Cloud products can be grouped under four cloud computing service models: Infrastructure as a Service, Platform as a Service, Software as a Service and Application as a Service

Google Cloud Platform

Google Cloud Platform, also known as GCP, offers a broad range of hosted infrastructure and application services. Similar to other cloud services, Google Cloud Platform can be easily accessed through the internet or through dedicated networks.

Core Google Cloud Platform Products

1Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
2Data Analytics
3Developer Tools
4API Management
5Management Tools
6Migration
7Compute
8Storage
9Databases
10Security
11Networking
12Internet of Things

Google Cloud Platform: Availability

Google Cloud Platform (GCP) is now available in 18 regions covering 225 countries. GCP offers connections to its services from 134 edge locations across the world.

Google Cloud Platform:  
Current Regions & Number of Zones
Google Cloud Platform:
Current Regions & Number of Zones
Google Cloud Network: Edge Locations
Google Cloud Network: Edge Locations

Google Cloud Platform services are now available in locations across North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. These locations are further divided into regions and zones

According to Google Cloud, “Regions are independent geographic areas that consist of zones. Locations within regions tend to have round-trip network latencies of under <1ms on the 95th percentile.”

In the third quarter of 2018, Google spent nearly “$5.6 billion on “production equipment, data center construction, and facilities,” said
Alphabet CFO Ruth Porat. In the last few years, Alphabet has steadily expanded the geographical footprint of its data center network as it continues to expand its reach.

On November 20th, 2018, Joe Cava, VP of Global Data Centers at Google, wrote in his blog post that the company will be “investing 600 million euro to build a new data center just outside Fredericia, in western Denmark”. He added, “Fredericia will be Google’s fifth data center in Europe, joining our other sites in Ireland, Finland, the Netherlands and Belgium.” 

Google Cloud Platform: Pricing

Similar to other large public cloud providers, Google Cloud Platform services follow the “pay-as-you-go” subscription model that requires no upfront payments and there will be no lock-in period. Google cloud provides per second billing information as it charges customers for the resources consumed every second.

For new customers, Google Cloud currently offers $300 free credit to spend over 12 months. Google also offers additional free credits to startups and educators.

Apart from the free credit, Google offers several services (with usage limits) for free. You can check Google Cloud’s Free Tier by visiting Google Cloud Pricing page.

Free Offerings from Google Cloud: Examples

Google App Engine: 28 instance hours per day, 5 GB Cloud Storage, 100 emails per day and more

Google Compute Engine: 1 f1-micros instance per month (US regions only), 30 GB-months HDD, 5 GB-months snapshot,1 GB network egress.

Google Cloud Storage: 5 GB-months of Regional Storage per month (US Regions Only – Excluding Northern Virginia ), 5000 Class A Operations per month, 50000 Class B Operations per month, 1 GB network egress

Google Cloud Platform: Certification

Google offers several cloud training courses and Google Cloud certifications.

Participants can enroll online learning programs offered by Coursera or Qwiklabs. They can also join direct classes taught by authorized Google Cloud instructors and experts.

According to Google Cloud, “Google Cloud Certified designation means you’ve demonstrated the necessary skills to leverage Google Cloud technology in a way that transforms businesses and meaningfully impacts the people and customers they serve”.

Google Cloud certifications:

Associate Cloud Engineer

Professional Cloud Architect

Professional Data Engineer

Professional Cloud Developer

G-Suite: This Certification exam is still under development

Google lists more than 100 products under its cloud platform. Visit next page to view is a list of GCP products: