Google has announced some updates to the Workspace solution. According to Google, these enhancements respond to the feedback received from customers around the globe and reports about how people are collaborating and connecting in the new world.
Google’s new Workspace innovations aim to further empower employees with the tools they need to thrive in the changing landscape, improving focus, productivity, and time. Aside from features that help employees to work more efficiently, Google also announced a selection of Assured Controls and Data Region support options. Assured controls will help customers to make their own choices about how to control provider access, and data regions will support teams on the search for better data compliance.
Collaboration Tools for the Future of Work
The first announcement from Google is the arrival of the new Workspace Frontline solution, designed to support the crucial people working in warehouses, grocery stores, and hospitals. The Frontline product will support collaboration and communication between teams in a way that’s secure and reliable. Users can access Gmail, Docs, Chat, Google Drive, and more. Google is also offering advanced security features like endpoint management, to keep data secure.
To make the environment more customisable, Google is also making it easier for companies to design custom apps direct from Google Sheets and Drive. This will mean that frontline workers can streamline and digitize their work, whether they’re collecting data in the field, or reporting security risks.
Google also announced that users can now access Google Workspace with Google Assistant. Users can ask Google what’s next on a work calendar, to instantly send a message, join meetings, and more. Google Assistant is available on supported devices for Google Workspace, and it’s also in beta mode for smart displays and speakers.
Additionally, for time management, Google will be releasing a set of features to help people share their work hours and locations. Recurring out-of-office entries and working hours with segmentation options are coming soon. A new event type in Google named “Focus Time” will also help users to minimize distractions when they need time to concentrate. These availability and location statuses will show up across the Google Workspace on Meet, Chat, Calendar, and Gmail.
Time Insights will also be available to employees so they can assess their productivity levels.
Driving a New Future of Work
Google notes that collaboration is a crucial foundation for Google workspace. In the coming months, the company plans on making collaboration accessible in a range of ways. Second-screen experiences will be available soon for people using a mixture of devices to host meetings, like Google Meet hardware or Nest Hub at home. Second-screen capabilities will allow people to fully participate in polls, chat, and full Meet experiences from any device.
People joining meetings from mobile devices will also be able to access a new tile view so you can see more people at once. Picture-in-picture and split-screen modes on Meet mobile help with seamless chatting and browsing too.
Live streaming is also set to become a valuable feature of Google Workspace with the addition of polls, Q&A features, live captions, and more. Because organisations are connecting in a variety of new ways, Google also enables live streaming through multiple Workspace domains in the same business.
Finally, Google also announced the arrival of Chat, Calendar, and Jamboard to Google Workspace Essentials.
