Google's Apps for Work is simply Google's apps for work. Confusing? Maybe, and you're not the first to feel that way. So to "help people everywhere work and innovate together, so businesses can move faster and go bigger," Google is giving it a refresh.
And that refresh is by rebranding it to become 'G Suite'. Google said that the new name can better reflect its mission. G Suite is a set of intelligent apps that include Gmail, Docs, Drive, Calendar, Hangouts, and more.
On September 29th, 2016, the company isn't just changing the Apps for Work to become more easier to understand, but it's also adding some new features into the suite of apps.
First of all, Google's entire cloud services will now go under a new 'Google Cloud' brand, including G Suite, Google Cloud Platform, new machine learning tools and APIs, Chromebooks as well as all of Google's Android devices that can access the cloud.
Coming to G Suite, Google Drive for Android is getting a 'Quick Access' section that uses machine learning to predict files. Drive now also learns from previous users' behavior to determine what users are going to need when they launch the app.
According to Google, this will ease user in getting what they want by shaving off 50 percent of their time in looking for the right file.
Google's Calendar app is now able to use machine learning to automate tasks. For example, it can now on its own pick times to set up a meeting and to choose the right room in the office. To do this, Calendar will look for potential conflicts with colleagues to choose the best time where they're available.
Sheets is also getting machine learning with its ability to turn requests into formulas through its 'Explore' feature. So instead of users wasting time in looking at formulas, they can now tell Sheet using their own natural language. Sheet will then get the appropriate formula saving them the headaches.
Next up is Slides. Its Explore also uses machine learning to suggest and apply ideas. In Docs, it will suggest backup research as well as images users can use. The apps will also assist users in accessing their Drive account so they can insert files easier.
While machine learning is getting a big role in the update, Google also added minor but a useful feature which is the new 'Trash' option. Acting as a recycle bin, the option that resides in the side menu allows users to recover deleted files from their Android devices.
With more on its way, Google also added a new collaboration option. The most notable one is the new 'Drive for Teams'.
The Drive for Teams is like an account where an entire team can have access to. So instead of team members having their own account with files and folders they can share, Drive for Teams allows everyone to share an account. Admins for the account can add and remove users as well as setting their access levels.
Hangouts is also getting the new teams feature. Users can now participate in a simultaneous video call with up to 50 participants. They can invite users without a Google account, and without having them to download things beforehand.
Both Drive for Teams and the new Hangouts team experience have been previously tested on a small selected users. Users opting to Google's Early Adopter Program can have access to more Google's business feature earlier on.
"With G Suite, information can flow freely between devices, apps, people and teams," said Kelly Campbell, Senior Director of G Suite Marketing. Here Google wants to simplify things and also to make them smarter. And by having them all together to work as one, G Suite is worth its name.
The move clearly reflects the direction where Google wants to be heading: competing with Microsoft with its Office tools that are also having similar capabilities.
