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Google‘s business productivity suite of tools is getting a boost of new features. Chief among these are two new commercial programs in which Gemini will help with power meetings and the organization’s data security, each starting at $10 per user per month. Also coming to Google Workspace’s 3 billion users is Google Vids, an AI-powered video creation app for work.
“Our announcements are really focused on two pillars,” Aparna Pappu, Google vice president and general manager of Workspace, said during a press briefing last week. “These are the big reasons people choose Workspace: One, AI. Two, Security.” She said that last year, “more than a million people and thousands of companies have used generative AI and Workspace in all sorts of ways.”
AI-powered meetings and messaging
The first of two paid plans Google offers Workspace customers involves using Gemini to tackle the pesky work needed for meetings. Subscribers can use AI-powered features like “Take notes for me” (currently in preview) to have important items jotted down and let you focus on the conversation instead.
Additionally, a “Translate for me” feature will be available in June to automatically detect and translate captions in Google Meet. It will support 69 languages, the equivalent of 4,600 language pairs, which will benefit organizations dealing with cross-border teams.
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“We’ve been working really hard to make sure that our users have a great meeting experience,” Pappu explained before citing a benchmarking study claiming that “Google Meet outperformed Microsoft Teams, Zoom and WebEx in overall video and audio performance.”
Finally, Google says it will automatically translate messages and on-demand conversation summaries within Google Chat later this year.
Added AI-powered security
“Google Workspace is rooted in zero trust principles and has long been augmented with AI-powered threat defenses,” Pappu said. “And now, using large language models [LLMs], we’re blocking 20% more spam in Gmail, we’re able to review thousand times more user-reported spam in Gmail while responding 90% faster to brand new phishing attacks never seen before in Drive.”
The second commercial plan for Google Workspace involves Gemini protecting an organization’s data. With data breaches continuing to be a top concern for IT professionals, Google is using its AI to reassure organizations that its security is top-notch. With the AI Security add-on, IT teams can automatically classify and protect sensitive files and documents company-wide in Google Drive.
A beta version of DLP controls and classification labels is also being extended to Gmail to keep its email service secure for businesses. Lastly, Google is also teaming with Thales, Fortainix and other partners to bring experimental support for post-quantum cryptography (PQC) in client-side encryption to avoid quantum computer attacks.
“AI is not just for end users; it’s also for admins,” Pappu said. “Admins can now enforce contextual data leak prevention controls and protect sensitive data from being shared in Gmail with DLP controls consistent across the suite with Drive and chat policies.”
Making organizations better storytellers
With Google Vids, entire organizations can access a single app to help them write, edit and produce. Whether creating videos to onboard new employees, train workers, or give salespeople more content to pitch to clients, Google wants to streamline the storytelling process. Read more about Google Vids here.
Other Workspace updates
But wait, there’s more. Google is adding more AI features to Gmail, Sheets, Docs and Chat. Here’s what you need to know:
Gmail now has voice prompting and instant polish, letting users send emails with their voice through the “Help me write” feature and then edit it into the perfect message. This will likely be particularly useful for those who are often on their mobile device and need to quickly send messages to colleagues without needing to type things out. Instead of sending a voice message, Gmail can better decipher what you’re trying to say so there’s no miscommunication.
Google Sheets is receiving a new table feature that will be generally available soon and make data formatting and organization look sleeker.
Google Docs will soon have a tab feature to organize information within a single document — no more linking between multiple files or searching across Drive. Additionally, you’ll be able to insert full-bleed cover images into Docs. Both of these updates will be coming soon.
Finally, Google is increasing the maximum number of people in a Chat space to 500,000 and launching messaging interoperability with Slack and Microsoft Teams, powered by Mio. It doesn’t seem that most companies will come close to this new space limit, but one possible use case would be for organizations holding large virtual meetings attended by users or customers. Hopefully, viewing messages between three big collaboration platforms will speed up communication between relevant parties.
“Every day, we’re inspired by how our customers use Workspace and Gemini to make their work more impactful, inclusive, and fulfilling. Seeing our customers outdo themselves drives us to continue making products that help people connect, create, and work safer—together,” Pappu writes.
