Credit: Google
Same apps, new integrations.
The current suite of Google online apps includes Gmail, Google Docs, Google Meet, Google Sheets, and Google Calendar. They’re all good apps, for sure; I wouldn’t have been able to get through college without Docs. But while they’re effective on their own, there’s not a lot of connectivity between them. This is the G Suite’s critical weakness in its battle against its number-one rival, Microsoft Office. In an effort to appeal to synergy fans of the world, Google has announced a rebranding of the G Suite, along with some new feature plans.
Going forward, the G Suite will be rebranded as “Google Workspace.” All of the apps will still be included and maintain their same general functionality, but will be obtaining some new features to make them a little more conducive to a connected virtual workspace. For instance, instead of having to open new windows or separate chat windows in your collaborative apps, they’ll now have built-in functionality. Opening a document in a chat window, for instance, will allow everyone to see it instead of necessitating a new tab, and in Docs, you can start a video call in the app itself, rather than having to start up a separate chat.
Credit: Google
The bulk of these features will be gradually rolled out over the next few weeks, but they’ll be adding at least one new doodad to look at today. If you mouse over a link to a separate document in a document you’re already working on, you’ll get a little preview of it you can quickly thumb through without having to open it in another window or tab. It should be noted that these new feature roll-outs will prioritize users of Google Workspace’s new “Business Plus” program, intended for managers. Regular users will get the new stuff a little later.
