It appears if Google isn’t killing off a product, it’s rebranding one as a substitute. The corporate announced via a blog post that it was dropping the G Suite model, previously Google Apps, in favour of the brand new ‘Google Workspace’ branding.
Whereas it might appear odd at first, the brand new Workspace model higher represents what Google is attempting to do with its work merchandise. The very best instance can be the adjustments Google has made and is making to Gmail, one in all its hottest apps.
First up, Gmail acquired a slight redesign earlier this yr. It principally targeted on shoehorning Google Meet — itself a rebrand of Hangouts Meet — into Gmail. For a lot of, Gmail gained an unsightly bottom bar with a tab for Meet as a part of the redesign. For the common one that simply makes use of Gmail for e mail, it’s a ache (however fortunately you possibly can flip it off). However when you use G Suite Google Workspace, having fast entry to e mail and video conferencing instruments in a single house is extremely useful.
Google was additionally engaged on a big refresh for Gmail on desktop that included entry to Google Chat, Rooms and Meet all from one place, collaborative enhancing of Google Docs proper from Gmail and extra. Google says the brand new built-in Gmail expertise is now usually accessible to paying Google Workspace clients. Within the coming months, it’s going to roll out to shoppers as nicely. All in all, it looks like the design adjustments the main focus from ‘Gmail is for e mail’ to ‘Gmail is for getting work finished.’
Redesigned icons and new options on the way in which
On prime of that, Google’s weblog publish teased another adjustments coming to Google Workspace, together with redesigned icons with a unified type. Which means a number of Google Workspace merchandise, from Gmail to Google Docs to Google Calendar, will acquire new icons that leverage Google’s basic 4 colors — pink, inexperienced, blue and yellow. These new icons will roll out to customers within the coming weeks.
Redesigned icons received’t be the one adjustments, nevertheless. Google plans to roll out new options like picture-in-picture (PiP) Google Meet movies to Docs, Sheets and Slides. That can enable Google Workspace customers to collaborate on paperwork whereas additionally video calling with coworkers.
Google Workspace looks like an effort to speak that G Suite is now not a gaggle of unbiased Google websites for productiveness however as a substitute a unified expertise. As Engadget factors out, this possible comes as a response to elevated strain from opponents like Slack, Microsoft, Zoom and Fb. Whereas all these corporations supply communications instruments, Microsoft is probably going the most important contender within the office. Groups, for instance, does a wonderful job integrating all of Microsoft’s work merchandise into one place. That makes it straightforward for workers to make use of since they will rapidly get to all of the instruments they want with out hopping by means of a number of tabs or apps.
Google Workspace, then, is the search big’s try to put all its companies into one interface for customers. And for the hundreds of companies counting on Gmail and Google’s productiveness software program, it might hold them from switching to a competitor.
These excited about studying extra about all of the adjustments coming to Google Workspace can check out the full blog post here.