Google’s G Suite is getting a brand new identify — Workspace — as the corporate appears to place the software program as a hub for distant teamwork and rolls out a number of function upgrades and a brand new cost tier. Workspace consists of quite a lot of apps, together with Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Meet and others.
As of April, Google Workspace had 6 million paid enterprise prospects. That very same month the corporate claimed to be including 3 million new particular person customers to its Meet video platform every day because of the pandemic-led rise in residence working.
The rebranding of the four-year-old G Suite follows Google’s current strikes to unify its numerous productiveness and communication apps right into a single built-in interface for e mail, chat, video, voice and content material administration. The brand new interface, introduced in July, is now typically obtainable to paid Workspace prospects, and will probably be rolled out to shopper and schooling makes use of within the “coming months,” Google mentioned.
“The rebranding marks a milestone reflecting how Google has streamlined its portfolio over the previous two years, bringing collectively merchandise that have been beforehand loosely built-in right into a tightly unified suite,” mentioned Raul Castanon, senior analyst at 451 Analysis / S&P International Market Intelligence.
The name-change — together with the introduction of recent coloration icons for Gmail, Drive, Calendar and Meet apps — performs into Google’s imaginative and prescient for Workspace as a hub for groups, in accordance with Javier Soltero, Google vp and head of Workspace.
“Our new Google Workspace model displays this extra related, useful, and versatile expertise, and our icons will replicate the identical,” Soltero mentioned in a weblog submit on Tuesday.
The corporate additionally unveiled a change to Workspace pricing. Along with the prevailing Enterprise Starter ($6 per consumer/month), Enterprise Customary ($12 per consumer/month) and Enterprise (pricing on request) ranges, a Enterprise Plus tier has been launched. At $18 per consumer/month, this consists of numerous upgrades over the Customary tier, corresponding to enhanced safety and administration, extra storage per consumer, and a rise to the utmost variety of video assembly members.
The change brings Workspace extra carefully in keeping with Microsoft 365, which additionally gives a premium enterprise tier at $20 per consumer/month alongside its Primary ($5 per consumer/month) and Customary ($12.50 per consumer/month) cost plans for enterprise customers.
Google additionally highlighted some options coming to Workspace, together with the flexibility to create paperwork immediately from inside Chat rooms. That enables coworkers to collaborate extra simply on Docs, Sheets and Slides with out switching screens; will probably be made obtainable within the coming weeks, Google mentioned.
Linked previews containing particulars of content material in one other app can be found at the moment, whereas “good chips” — pop-ups that counsel actions when a consumer @mentions a colleague — will start to roll out to customers at the moment.
Additionally within the works is Meet “picture-in-picture,” a function first introduced in July that brings video chat home windows into Docs, Sheets and Slides. That may roll out “within the coming months.”
GoogleGoogle Meet will quickly get “picture-in-picture,” which brings video chat home windows into Docs, Sheets and Slides.
The updates to Google’s suite of apps can assist the corporate in its push to realize market share from Microsoft, in addition to fend off competitors from rival distributors providing extra focused software program and apps, mentioned Castanon.
“Revamping its product suite ought to strengthen Google’s place in opposition to key rivals Zoom, Slack and Microsoft Groups — it’s most likely not a coincidence that the announcement comes 24 hours earlier than the beginning of Slack’s annual consumer convention,” he mentioned.
“The relaunch additionally displays the shift from ‘better of breed’ to unified suites with merchandise that construct on one another to create synergies.”
Copyright © 2020 IDG Communications, Inc.
