5 Key Google Workspace I/O 2022 Updates Your Business Should Leverage

Credit: Google

Google I/O 2022 revealed a slew of exciting developments for businesses. Outside of its numerous updates for mobile, from new gadgets to hardware upgrades, the conference shone a light on new Google Workspace enhancements that improve user experiences in various business use cases. These include significant improvements to Google Calendar, Google Meet, Google Chat, and Google Docs. Many of the upcoming features offer solutions to companies that have adopted a remote or hybrid working arrangement.

Convenient Location Monitoring for Google Calendar

In August 2021, Google enabled Calendar users to share their working locations. The problem was the locations came in the form of all-day events, which could muddle up users’ daily schedules. The new update marks location updates with a distinct icon that is pinned to the top of the calendar. Entering and editing location information is also easier with the tweaked interface. This feature is available in Google Workspace Business Standard and higher tiers as well as G Suite Business.

AI-based Enhancements for Google Meet

Not everyone has a high-performance webcam, and so Google seeks to impart clarity by leveraging powerful AI technology for its video conferencing tools. A notable feature coming to Google Meet is Portrait Restore, which improves the contrast and sharpness of streaming videos. Accompanying it is Portrait Lighting, a functionality that uses AI to better illuminate users. In addition, Google is working on a reverberation tool that reduces microphone and room echoes to improve audio quality.

Since transcribing meetings can be a cumbersome process, Google is set to roll out a transcription feature for Meet. Users can cue Meet to transcribe calls and conferences through a small dialogue box. Meanwhile, the transcripts are automatically saved in Google Drive.

Co-Watching and Transcription Summaries on Google Chat

Integrating with Google Meet, Google Chat is slated to gain the ability to automatically produce summaries of video calls and conferences. While its accuracy has yet to be tested, the new feature significantly reduces the work of those tasked to record the minutes of meetings. As such, more people are able to focus on the content, and not the verbatim statements, of each speaker.

Moreover, Google Chat will enable users to view streaming app content across devices concurrently. It will also allow users to take turns in having others watch videos or listen to music. This fosters collaboration in both work-related and personal endeavors. In addition, the application will offer shared experiences when playing video games or leveraging the functionalities of other apps.

AI Summaries and Email Templates on Google Docs

Google Docs is primed to step out of Microsoft Word’s shadow even further with its latest round of updates. Like Google Chat, the app can automatically parse documents and flesh out summaries. This works alongside the automatic transcriptions of Google Meet to optimize the creation of reports.

Besides this, Google Docs will feature email draft templates to cover the different email types businesses regularly compose. The drafts will also host collaboration features in case emails require information from various teams or departments. Furthermore, address links on documents will carry previews to assure users that they are attaching the right links.

Security Warnings for Docs, Sheets, and Slides

Documents, spreadsheets, and presentation decks often contain links to websites as a means of verifying information or adding credibility. Unfortunately, some sites pose as security threats to internet users. With this in mind, Google is geared to bring the port over the malware and phishing warnings on Gmail to Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides. Suspicious links will be scanned by the new feature.