With the spread of the new coronavirus epidemic, telecommuting and remote work are accelerating. In response to these circumstances, Google announced a major overhaul of Gmail. Many people may be wondering if it can replace Slack or Teams. So, in this article, what kind of functions did Google , which originally provided “G Suite” , which is Gmail for business, aggregate this time? Let’s explore the company’s aim from the functions installed in the evolved Gmail.
Gmail becomes an “integrated business communication environment”
Unlike previous updates that focused on expanding the mail function, this major renewal aggregates functions such as chat ” Google Chat”, video conferencing ” Google Meet”, and task management on Gmail. Gmail is about to transform into an integrated business environment. Since it is also applied to smartphone applications , Gmail seems to be more convenient to use. What exactly will be updated?
Towards a “better home for work” UI
The new interface gives you quick access to chat, task management and documents all on the same page .
At this time, it is announced for G Suite users, so it is undecided to what extent it will be available for general users. In any case, it can be said that it is a renovation that will improve work efficiency and enable more flexible communication.
Chat function
Among them, I have a feeling that real-time chat will become an alternative to apps such as Slack.
You can switch to video conferencing during chat if you need to, or share Google Docs files instantly. You can also forward chat messages to your email inbox or add or create new tasks on the same screen.
For those of you who used to have to open a new screen to interact with other collaboration apps , this update will free you from that annoyance.
Centralized search
For example, when checking emails and chats exchanged in the past. You may have searched for senders and keywords on Gmail, and done the same in chat. Some of you may have said that it took you a long time to find what you were looking for from past exchanges.
With the updated Gmail, these can all be done in one search.
It may be sober, but it can be said that being able to perform such a collective search is also a benefit of the Gmail renovation.
Unification with “tabs” even in smartphone apps
Also, with this update , you will be able to quickly switch between emails, chats, rooms, and video conferences on the smartphone app.
The fact that you can easily switch between different methods of communication from your smartphone is a welcome change now that remote work has progressed.
However , it is not zero possibility that the smartphone app has some limitations due to the functions of the PC version.
Image source: Google
Integration with third party apps
Third-party apps such as the electronic signature service DocuSign, the CRM management system Salesforce, and the project management system Trello can be linked with the new workspace. If you can update these third-party apps while using Gmail or chatting , your work efficiency will increase.
What is Gmail’s aim?
The background to this renewal is that the number of people working remotely and working from home is increasing worldwide due to the epidemic of the new coronavirus.
In fact, the video conferencing “Meet” has increased the number of new users per day since the beginning of 2020. In response, we have released the Meet function, which was previously only available to G Suite users, to all users. In this way, Gmail has added and updated functions as needed while watching user trends.
From now on, it may be that they are steering in the direction of expanding the function as a workspace beyond simple e-mail.
Stay tuned for this update!
This update of Gmail has the potential to make our business communication smoother and flatter.
It is unknown to what extent services can be used from smartphones, but once the 5G environment is in place, it will be easier to make video calls, and it is certain that convenience will increase further. Please pay attention to it.
