7/26/21 Google Workspace Roundup: Updates that Matter Most

Join a meeting virtually or in person

We’re excited to share a variety of recent Google Workspace (G Suite) feature releases that make the platform even more collaborative, smart, and intuitive. Read on to learn about the updates to Google Calendar, Chat, and more.

 

Indicate whether you’ll be joining meetings in person on Google Calendar

There are more hybrid work environments than ever before. The current landscape of work calls for intelligently-designed platforms that allow users to successfully collaborate, whether it be in the same meeting room, from many miles away, or in many cases, both. One new update to Google Workspace to accommodate this is a new feature allowing users to include whether they are joining a meeting virtually or in person within their RSVP options. Rollout for this new feature has completed. Next time you RSVP to a meeting while using your Workspace account, click the dropdown menu next to “Yes” (as shown below) to see these options.

Join a meeting virtually or in person

 

Use slash commands and dialogs for Google Chat bots

Do you use Google Chat bots? Us too! We’re excited to share that you can now use slash commands for bots. This allows you to simply type a backslash (/) in the message field to reveal the list of functions offered by available bots. 

 

See an example below:

 

ChatBots slash commands

 

Additionally, developers can now use dialogs for Chat bots. These can be used to build visual interfaces and gather structured user information from users. This feature is useful for developers who want to get more out of their Chat bots by better using them to gather user information. Developers can find out more information about this new feature in Google’s blog post here.

 

Visitor sharing feature expanded to additional Workspace editions

Your collaboration platform of choice just got even more collaborative! Previously, visitor sharing (the ability to share and collaborate on documents with non-Workspace users) was provided exclusively to certain Workspace editions. Now with the expansion of the feature to Google Workspace Business Starter and Frontline customers, this valuable feature is available to all Google Workspace users.

*Still on G Suite and missing out on new feature releases? Contact our team to learn about upgrade options.

 

Classic Sites Manager: Bulk-convert your Classic Sites to new Sites

You may recall Google’s announcement of the retirement of Classic Sites. To help admins and end users successfully transition their Classic Sites to the new Sites interface, Google has updated the Classic Sites Manager. You can now use the Classic Sites Manager to bulk-convert Classic Sites to new Sites. This feature has been made available for all Google Workspace and G Suite plans as an addition to the existing functions supported by Classic Sites Manager, which include bulk deletion, restoration, and ownership updates for Sites.

 

To bulk-convert your organization’s Classic Sites to new Sites, see these instructions.

 

As always, we at HiView are here to help if you have any questions about these updates. We strive to be your Google Cloud Premier Partner of choice through design, implementation, and beyond. Contact us using the form below for licenses, support, and services for everything Google Cloud!