In short: Google Workspace Frontline gives deskless staff a managed Google account with Gmail, Chat, Meet, Calendar and access to company Drive content, with 5GB of storage per user and mobile device management. Frontline Starter is licensed per user, monthly or annually, with no user cap, and suits employees who mainly use phones or shared devices.
What Google Workspace Frontline is
Frontline editions connect staff who do not sit at a desk all day to the rest of the organisation. Every user gets a managed Google account with Gmail, Calendar, Chat, Meet, Drive and the Docs editors, so a store manager can read the weekly briefing, a carer can message the office, and a driver can join a team meeting from a phone.
The storage allowance is deliberately small, because frontline staff mostly consume and comment on content rather than create large files. Users have viewer access to shared drives, but can still comment on and edit files that are shared with them directly. Device management features help when staff use their own phones or share tablets between shifts.
Google offers Frontline Starter, Frontline Standard and Frontline Plus. We supply Frontline Starter; ask us if you need one of the other editions.
What Frontline Starter includes
| Feature | Frontline Starter |
|---|---|
| Storage per user | 5GB |
| Gmail on your domain | Yes |
| Google Chat, including spaces with head office | Yes |
| Meet | Up to 100 participants, 24-hour meetings, breakout rooms, attendance tracking |
| Shared drives | Viewer membership; edit files shared directly |
| Device management | Fundamental and advanced endpoint management, including remote wipe |
| Gemini app and Gemini Notebook | Yes |
| Google Vault | No (Frontline Standard and Plus) |
| Gmail and Chat DLP | No (Frontline Standard and Plus) |
| User cap | None |
Frontline Standard and Frontline Plus add controls such as Vault, data loss prevention and context-aware access, and Frontline Plus gives users full shared drive membership. These matter if frontline staff handle personal or payment data; ask us if you need them.
How Frontline is licensed
Frontline Starter is licensed per user, with no maximum, on Google's Flexible Plan (monthly, add and remove users as seasonal headcount changes) or Annual/Fixed-Term Plan (one-year commitment at a lower per-user cost, reducible only at renewal). The Flexible Plan works well for businesses that hire seasonal staff.
Frontline licences normally sit in the same Workspace account as office staff on Business or Enterprise editions, so everyone shares one directory and one set of policies. Google decides which editions can be combined, so we check your mix when we quote. Google intends Frontline licences for frontline workers, so office-based staff should be on a standard edition.
Who Frontline suits
- Retail and hospitality chains connecting shop and venue staff with head office
- Care providers and healthcare teams who need secure messaging rather than personal WhatsApp groups
- Logistics, manufacturing and facilities teams working in shifts on shared tablets
- Field service engineers who need job documents, email and video support on a phone
- Schools and trusts with support staff who rarely use a desktop
If a user regularly creates large documents, edits shared drive content or needs more than 5GB, give them a standard edition instead.
How we help
We design the licence mix with you, set up organisational units so frontline and office staff get the right policies, configure mobile device management for personal and shared devices, and help with sign-in options suited to shared tablets. We then handle starters, leavers and seasonal peaks on your Forever Systems account.
Contact us for a quote.
How Forever Systems supplies your software licences
Forever Systems Ltd supplies business software subscriptions to UK organisations from one account, with one monthly invoice and a UK team who know the products.
- The right edition first time: we check what you need before you buy, so you are not paying for features you will never use
- Monthly or annual terms where the vendor offers them, and help timing renewals and commitments
- Licence changes handled for you: add or remove users, upgrade editions and true-up without starting a new contract
- Deployment and support from engineers who run these products every day, not just a reseller account
- Consolidated billing and renewal reminders so nothing lapses unexpectedly
We work with businesses, schools, charities and public sector organisations of all sizes.
Need a licence quote or a second opinion on your renewal?
Tell Forever Systems what you need and we will come back to you by email with options, not a hard sell.
Contact usFrequently asked questions
Who can be licensed with Google Workspace Frontline?
Frontline editions are meant for staff who work mainly on mobile or shared devices rather than at a desk, such as retail, care, field and shift workers. Office-based staff should use a standard edition.
How much storage does Frontline Starter include?
5GB per user for email, documents and photos. Frontline users mostly read and comment on content shared with them.
Can Frontline users edit files in shared drives?
Frontline Starter users have viewer access to shared drives but can comment on and edit files that are shared with them directly.
Can we mix Frontline with Business or Enterprise licences?
Frontline licences usually sit in the same account as other editions so everyone shares one directory. Google sets the rules on combinations; we confirm what works for your account before quoting.