Google is about to implement a huge redesign of the G Suite workspace as we know it now. Today, people work more frequently from everywhere. We’ve entered an era of virtual meetings, remote collaboration, and more flexible hours. To make this work evolution more efficient, people need tools that they already use to be more compatible, in a more integrated way. Instead of learning to work with more and more tools. That’s why, in the following months, Google Cloud is introducing new integrations of the productivity apps in G Suite in a new, integrated workspace in Gmail. This will make the remote working and collaboration experience for G Suite users even more integrated, easier & smoother. In this article, we’ll highlight the changes that will come to the integrated new workspace in G Suite.
New integrations in Gmail
A tab that always is being opened by most of us is our inbox. Last month Google Cloud already brought Google Chat into the Gmail desktop experience, to help you communicate more seamlessly in G Suite without the disruption of switching tabs.
Soon Chat will join Gmail also on mobile, to be more precise: on Android and iOS. Google Chat will really be at the core of the new integrated Gmail workspace.
Improved, integrated Google Chat experiences
Google is thinking more ahead. Shared files and tasks, as well as video meeting functionalities will be added straight into Google Chat to make it easier for people to work together right in the Chat room. Join a video call, create a task from a chat message or forward a chat message to your inbox. All without switching between screens to better manage the flow of your work.
In addition, Chat rooms will allow you to add people from outside of your company, such as contractors or consultants. Thanks to this, companies will become even more cross-organisational.
File collaboration
To make this integrated Chat functionality in Gmail even more useful, Google has provided it with enhanced real-time collaboration by adding the ability to open and edit files with your team without leaving Gmail.
For example, you can chat in real-time about the changes you are making to a document or about a new task.
Video Calls
Now that more and more people are working remotely, it’s very important to connect quickly to your colleague or team when you need to. The last thing you need when wanting to connect, is going through a process of setting up a meeting and sending an invite. Gmail makes it easier & faster: move straight from chat to video when you need a face-to-face connection in real-time.
Access frequently used apps
This new integrated workspace makes it also easy to access your frequently used apps, including DocuSign, Salesforce and Trello. So you can get updates and instantly get into your favourite apps.
In addition, Google Cloud extends Gmail’s powerful search capability and strong phishing protection directly to Google Chat. Every link in the Chat will be scanned in real-time and marked if it appears to contain malicious content.
How to get access to the new integrated workspace
If you’d like to try this new workspace for yourself, sign up here. Google will extend the availability of this new integrated workspace to more customers in the coming weeks. You’ll be notified when it’s ready to try.
More is coming
Google is also working on the integration of their enterprise video conferencing app Google Meet into the content tools within G Suite: Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and more. Why? Simply to give the ability to collaborate even more on a file in real-time, through video. With as ultimate goal to provide the flexibility to work exactly where and how the users want.
With this new integrated workspace in G Suite, Google Cloud is developing new ways for enterprises of all sizes to collaborate more easily and to avoid wasting precious time. With the integration of collaboration & communication tools for core tasks such as video conferencing, chat, email, files and tasks; it’s becoming easier for your workforce to stay on top of work, anywhere. To keep informed about more of these updates, stay tuned on this blog.
You can learn more about these and other new features at Google Cloud Next ’20: OnAir this week, as the focus is on collaboration & productivity.
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