The last two weeks Google Workspace launched several updates. To find out what they entail and what they mean for your business here’s a summary!
Easily Identify Unread Threads in Google Chat
Last year, Google created a new space in Google Chat that is in-line threaded. This means that you can react to any message and create a separate thread. To further streamline this function, you will now see the participants' avatars for unread threads, without having to open the thread side panel, making it easier to decide which threads to read and reply to.
Meaning you don't have to spend time anymore scouring through threads to find out which are relevant to you and which aren’t.
Now generally available: Import and Convert Sensitive Excel Files into Client-Side Encrypted Google Sheets
With this new feature, you can now import and convert sensitive Excel files into google sheets with client-side encryption.
Working with clients may have you working in both Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel. With this update you’ll not only be able to keep you working efficiently but also keep the data safe through the client-side encryption.
Google Meet API is Now Generally Available
Last November Google announced the availability of the Google Meet API through their Developer Preview Program. And as of the 21st of January it is generally available!
You can use this API to programmatically create and configure Meet calls, retrieve Information about past meetings, access transcripts and recordings of previous meetings. which can be used to analyze your previous meetings and give coaching to your teams.
Further streamlining workflows, and gaining insights that help enhance your product offerings.
One to One video calling now available in the Google meet mobile app
With this new update, you can now make cloud-encrypted one to one video calls with other users in your organization using the meet app. Before this update you had to create a meeting link prior to the call, to share through a calendar invite, chat or email. Now you can place a Meet call on your mobile app directly to a colleague’s mobile device. In this mobile call you will have all the latest features that that desktop meets app enjoys.
Cloud-encryption for dummies
Cloud-encryption, is the standard security method to protect your communication data, which is built into any call done through Meet. It only lets the people who are actually in the call access the data, not even Google itself is allowed to view, hear, or save the audio and video from your meet calls.
How this works is that the encrypted data can only be accessed through a ‘Key’, this is generated when the call starts and disappears when it ends and is shared with no third parties. This ensures that even when some gains access to the data, they can’t understand the data they have found.
Sort, filter and manage comments better throughout GWS applications
Google introduced an improved comments experience in Google Docs, Sheets, and slides that will make it easier to find and take action on comments easier than ever before, there are also updates to the comment cards, icons and more. Whilst you will continue to see and interact with the comments experience you’re familiar with.
You can explore the new ways to interact with comments by going to View > Comments and selecting on of the following options:
Show all comments: opens a full-length view of all comments. Now you can use an updated search and filter function to focus on the most relevant comments, there is also now a ‘For you’, which is a list where all the comments are placed that you need to take action on.
Expand comments (in Google Docs and Slides): shows the comments next to the document or slides so you can see the comments and content together
Minimize comment (Google Docs and Sheets): this function reduces the comments to icons, so you have a more focused view of your work. When you hover over the icon, you’ll see a preview of the comment, and when clicked will expand the comment tab.
Hide comments: hide the comments from view to focus solely on the content in the document.
This gives the users the freedom to interact with, and organize the comments, in the way they find to be most efficient.
Learning this information in a blog is ofcourse amazing, however wouldn’t it be better if everyone in your organization was always up to date with the latest developments in Google Workspace? That's why we offer the Google Workspace adoption package, which is designed to accelerate your business through the Cloud Maturity Scale, ensuring a greater ROI. The Google Workspace Adoption package focuses on empowering employees, driving adoption of existing applications and optimizing Google Workspace usage.
Want to find out more about how we will keep your organization up to date and propel it through it’s cloud journey, get in touch by talking to Liz below!
Easily Identify Unread Threads in Google Chat
Import and Convert Sensitive Excel Files into Client-Side Encrypted Google Sheets
Google Meet API is Now Generally Available
One to one video calling available for Meet Mobile
Manage comments better throughout GWS applications
