Google Workspace Now Available to All

Google Workspace Expands Accessibility and Introduces New Features

Today, Google announced the wider availability of Workspace, previously known as G Suite, extending its reach to all users, including those with free Google accounts. The central aim of Workspace is to facilitate enhanced collaboration among users.

Essentially, it’s the familiar suite of Google productivity applications – Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Meet, Chat, and more – presented with a refined interface and more integrated functionality.

New Paid Options for Individual Users

For individuals seeking expanded capabilities, a new paid Workspace subscription will be offered. (Update: Google Workspace Individual will cost $9.99 per month, with an initial price of $7.99/month.) This subscription unlocks “premium features, including intelligent scheduling, professional video conferencing, and personalized email marketing, with further enhancements planned.”

More details regarding this offering are expected later in the year, with availability slated for “soon” in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australia, Brazil, and Japan.

To access the new features, consumers will need to transition from the classic Hangouts experience to Google Chat, which is now accessible to all users.

A Focus on Equitable Collaboration

“Collaboration extends beyond the workplace – our products have always been designed for broad participation, sharing, and assistance,” stated Javier Soltero, VP and GM of Google Workspace. “We are dedicated to providing an equitable collaborative experience for consumers, professionals, educators, and students, while maintaining the flexibility to accommodate diverse communication and collaboration preferences.”

Image Credits: Google

User Interface Updates

Upon enabling the new Workspace experience, users will observe several changes to the user interface. The left sidebar will resemble the bottom bar found in the Gmail app on iOS and Android, allowing seamless switching between Mail, Chat, Meet, and Spaces.

The right sidebar will continue to provide access to plugins and shortcuts for tools like Google Calendar, Tasks, and Keep.

While some users may resist these changes, particularly those who prefer a simple Gmail experience, the existing interface can still be retained by remaining with Hangouts. However, this update clearly indicates the direction Google is taking with Workspace.

Image Credits: Google

The Evolution of Google Workspace

“Last October, we unveiled significant updates to our communication and collaboration tools and our business, beginning with the rebranding to Google Workspace,” explained Soltero during a press briefing. “This new identity reflects our vision for the future – a shift from a collection of individual products to an integrated suite of experiences that redefine the way we work.”

Introducing “Spaces”

Previously known as “Rooms,” Spaces represent a reimagined environment within Google Workspace. Google describes it as “evolving the Rooms experience in Google Chat into a dedicated hub for organizing people, topics, and projects.”

These function as Slack-like channels, enabling teams to engage in discussions, organize files, and manage tasks, all integrated with Google Meet and direct access to collaborative documents. While the name change may seem unnecessary, Google aims to avoid confusion with Slack’s “Rooms.”

New features for Spaces include in-line topic threading, presence indicators, custom statuses, expressive reactions, and a collapsible view.

Both free and paid users will gain access to these new Spaces upon their launch later this year.

Additional Workspace Features

Google is also rolling out a range of new Workspace features. Google Meet is receiving a companion mode designed to promote “collaboration equity in hybrid environments.” This feature provides participants in physical meeting rooms with a personalized experience, enabling them to utilize features like screen sharing, polls, in-meeting chat, hand raise, Q&A, and live captions on their individual devices.

Each participant using companion mode will also have their own video tile, available starting in September.

Image Credits: Google

A new RSVP option allows users to specify their participation method – remote, in-person, or not at all – and enhanced moderation controls empower hosts to manage chat and mute/unmute participants.

Enhanced Security Measures

On the security front, Google is now allowing users to utilize their own encryption keys. While Google currently manages data encryption, this new feature provides greater control by enabling integration with providers like Flowcrypt, Futurex, Thales, and Virtru.

“With Client-side encryption, customer data is indecipherable to Google, while users can continue to take advantage of Google’s native web-based collaboration, access content on mobile devices, and share encrypted files externally,” explain Google directors of product management Karthik Lakshminarayanan and Erika Trautman.

Image Credits: Google

Furthermore, Google is introducing trust rules for Drive, granting administrators control over file sharing permissions both within and outside the organization. To combat phishing threats, administrators can now extend existing phishing protections to internal content, safeguarding data against insider risks.