Google today announced an alternative payment option for Chromebooks. This new option gives schools and businesses a choice to pay upfront for Chromebooks with one year of access to the web-based admin management console, phone support, and hardware warranty coverage. The new pyment plans include:

Education:
1-Year Upfront: $449 (Wi-Fi), $519 (3G)
Years 2-3: $5/month per Chromebook for management & support

Business:
1-Year Upfront: $559 (Wi-Fi), $639 (3G)
Years 2-3: $13/month per Chromebook for management & support

Until now, had been offering a 3-year subscription model.

Google has also added a few new features to the web-based management panel to help users better deploy, monitor and customize their Chromebooks, including group policy management, shipment tracking and asset management.