Google is ending free Google Apps support for providers.

I recently read another opus by columnist John Evans, this time taking aim at the giant Google. "Dear Google, what happened?" John asks. "Android sales are falling. Chrome has become a fat pig. Analysts are calling you the new Microsoft, or worse, the new Yahoo!. And worst of all: you've squandered our trust. You were special, Google. At least, we believed you were special. But you're becoming more and more like just another megacorporation."

Evans' article, published onTechCrunch, struck a nerve. This is because many providers, long-standing partners of Google Apps, recently encountered yet another instance of the corporation's "arbitrariness."

Here's the story. Initially, internet service providers around the world could support a virtually unlimited number of accounts on Google Apps. This feature was offered by Google to ISPs to promote Gmail. Many ISPs supported thousands of accounts. The ISP offer later disappeared from the Google Apps website.

What's happening now? ISP users will no longer be able to use their traditional email, as the search giant has decided to cancel its partnership agreements.

For example, the Ukrainian service MY.UA received a message stating that the partnership agreement would not be renewed, and all email accounts would be deleted effective May 19, 2015. Therefore, MY.UA domain email account owners are forced to migrate their mailboxes and information from Google Apps (including Google Drive, Google Docs, Calendar, and others) before it is lost forever.

MY.UA provided us with a screenshot of the email:

Translation of the letter:

Subject: Notification of non-renewal of the partnership agreement between Google Apps and ISP (Internet Service Provider)

Dear Administrator,

Thank you for being a Google Apps Partner Edition customer. As part of Google's ongoing integration plans, we have decided to discontinue our partner services. As provided in the Agreement between Google Inc. and [name of provider], this letter serves as official notice that the service will not be renewed and our agreement will terminate on May 19, 2015.

Any other Google services you purchased (or resold, if applicable) other than Partner Edition services will not be affected by these changes. Please note that this notice of non-renewal does not relieve you of any payment obligations under the Agreement. You remain responsible for making all required payments in full and on time.

We have prepared a website with information on domain transfers for administrators (https://support.google.com/appstransition/go/admin And https://support.google.com/appstransition) to help you transition to a new domain. This resource center offers several transition options available to you, as well as instructions you can share with your clients.

We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you again for your cooperation. If you have any questions, please contact your account manager.

Individual users also registered Google Apps accounts, initially receiving 100 free accounts, then just 10. Now, the ten free accounts are only available for one month. What will happen to these users' free accounts? Will Google close them too?