Google gears up for the future of remote working with workspace refresh

Google is updating its productivity software to better meet the needs of frontline and remote workers, in the bet that the pandemic has definitely changed the way work is done.

A version of the company’s Workspace offering will be designed specifically for frontline workers, such as retail and healthcare workers, the Alphabet Inc. unit said in a blog post on Monday. This effort will allow organizations to better communicate and collaborate with employees through their mobile phones, and is similar to a service from Microsoft Corp.

Workspace, formerly known as G Suite, will also integrate with Google’s digital voice assistant and benefit from features that allow employees to set and apply unique work hours.

The internet giant is trying to make its line of productivity tools, including Gmail, Meet video conferencing, and Docs word processing, essential for businesses that have been shattered by the coronavirus pandemic. Employees have had to balance work and family demands while working from home over the past year, resulting in an increase in non-standard working hours and other flexible arrangements.

Javier Soltero, vice president and general manager of Workspace, said Google is trying to embrace the “mess” of work life during the pandemic. “It will never be the same again, but we should use this as an opportunity rather than trying to recreate 2018 or 2019,” he added.

With the changes, Workspace will notify employees if they try to send a message to a coworker who is not on the clock and encourage them to schedule an email for when the coworker is back online. It’s also possible to minimize distractions for periods of time, share employee locations with co-workers, and set up recurring vacation messages. The Google Assistant will now work with corporate workspace accounts, allowing users to send messages and view calendars with their voice.

While Workspace has 2.6 billion users, the suite is free for home users. Google makes money from the software by signing up business customers and other organizations to paid accounts.

(Except for the title, this story was not edited by NDTV staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)