Data Backup Digest

Data sharing is an ever-evolving practice that has roots in the earliest days of computing. From sharing physical floppy disks and, later on, CD-ROMs, DVDs, and Blu-Rays, all the way to modern peer-to-peer file sharing software, computer users have been sharing data since the beginning.

Given the rapid development of technology in the 21st century, companies often find themselves revamping company policies, updating software systems, and training users far more frequently than in years past. As such, it comes as no surprise that Google is currently revamping many of their own platforms – including Gmail.

Integrating Gmail into G Suite

The news was originally broken in July 2020. Although the team at Google has been working on streamlining and optimizing G Suite for quite some time now, their latest announcement comes at a time when more people are working at home. As a result, more people are also using their own devices – along with remote connectivity and data sharing systems -- to fulfill the responsibilities of their jobs.

A recent blog post by Google stated: ''"That's why today, we’re introducing a better home for work. G Suite now intelligently brings together the people, content, and tasks you need to make the most of your time. We’re integrating core tools like video, chat, email, files, and tasks, and making them better together, so that you can more easily stay on top of things, from anywhere."''

Specifically, the engineers at Google have come up with some great features that are meant to enhance collaboration during remote projects. Some of these updates include:

• Integrating their Meet app directly into Gmail for easier accessibility

• Introducing Google Chat directly into Gmail

• Standardizing functionality between Gmail on the Internet, iOS, and Android

• Expanding on their current collaboration features in Google Chat, including the addition of shared data

• Implementing the ability to edit documents in Google Chat in real-time for even greater collaboration

• Pioneering a fully integrated workspace that supports third-party apps

Google's latest blog post went on to highlight some specific examples of their new functionality in action, stating: "You can quickly join a video call from a chat, forward a chat message to your inbox, create a task from a chat message—everything connects together in a way that makes it easy for you to manage the flow of your work and get more done."

Finally, they're including a plethora of tools meant to strengthen the focus, motivation, and synchronization of today's remote workforce. They've achieved this in a variety of ways, including:

• Adding the ability to bookmark or "pin" certain rooms, ultimately making them easier to locate and access

• Including the option to set your availability to "Do Not Disturb" while you are away or busy

• Introducing support for custom away messages that let your peers know exactly where you are and when you'll be available

Lastly, they've also announced plans to implement some highly useful security features, including the ability to lock individuals out of specific rooms or meetings, enhanced password phishing security, and more.

For more information on Gmail, please head over to their official web portal at www.gmail.com.