Tech giant, Google has announced a rebranding of its productivity tools, G Suite, formerly Google Apps. Google Workspace was announced at the start of October as a rebrand of G Suite and represented a revamped approach to remote productivity.
There’s new logos and new branding, but in terms of features, much is remaining the same. However, features will be integrated into one another to allow for a more seamless experience. This is in a bid to improve the experience of people working from home and sends a clear message to Microsoft Office that Google is up for the challenge.
More than anything, the rebrand sees Google reiterating that its suite is the one place to get all the tools the company offers. The rebrand also highlights the new messaging features inside Gmail, which allow users to use Google chat to message anyone directly from the Gmail inbox using just the recipient’s email. Since the announcement, Google has rolled out new icons for Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets and Slides. Google’s updates will also see Meet’s video conferencing built into Docs, Sheets, and Slides, in order to entice users to stick with the platform.
“Ten years ago, when many of our products were first developed, they were created as individual apps that solved distinct challenges. Over time, our products have become more integrated, so much so that the lines between our apps have started to disappear,” wrote Javier Soltero, VP and GM, Google Workspace.
However, if you’re a Google Drive user that has taken advantage of unlimited storage for $12 per month on G Suite, that will no longer be the case moving forward. Unlimited storage on Workspace will now cost users at least $20 a month.
According to the company’s plans, there’s a limit of 2 TB for individual Business Standard users and 5 TB per person on its new Business Plus plan. To get more storage, users will have to go to the Enterprise level which requires individuals to work directly with a Google sales representative. At the Enterprise level, Google promises they can offer as much storage “as you need,” though that doesn’t necessarily mean unlimited.
With more people working from home than ever before, companies like Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Facebook have posted record-breaking numbers of active users. It is clear that Google is stepping up its game to get ahead of the competition.
