Google Drive is an important part of the campus approach to data storage. It provides a no-cost, secure, and unlimited data storage option.
Today, Google announced changes to their support for Google Drive that will impact the way UCSB uses Google Drive in the future: https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/education/google-workspace-for-education/.
While the changes will not take effect until July of 2022, we must begin planning for the changes now.
The changes that Google announced today will place restrictions on the amount of Google Drive storage available to campus. The exact, final limits are not yet known; given past experiences, we expect Google to announce additional changes over the next several months. Google's current timeline states that their implementation policy and the management tools required to implement that policy will be available in December of 2021. Google will begin enforcement of the storage limits for Google Drive in July of 2022.
In consultation with IT Governance and the campus community, the Office of the CIO will immediately begin an assessment of UCSB Google Drive use, the impacts of Google's new approach, and options available to mitigate the upcoming changes. This assessment will result in a coordinated plan that will limit operational and financial impacts to the campus. We will keep you informed while the planning process proceeds.
If you have any questions or comments, please contact the IT Core Services Service desk at (805) 893-5000 or submit a self-service request at https://ithelp.ucsb.edu.