Author Archives: Unknown

Dark mode now available in Google Drive web

What’s changing

Today, we’re introducing a highly requested feature: Dark mode in Drive on web. This new setting aims to provide you with a more comfortable, customizable viewing experience for Drive. 
Dark mode now available in Google Drive web


Getting started 

  • Admins: There is no admin control for this feature. 
  • End users: To use Dark Mode, go to Drive > Settings > Appearance > Dark. Visit the Help Center to learn more about using Dark theme in Google Drive.

Rollout pace 

Availability 

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers, Google Workspace Individual subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts 

Resources 

Build a Dialogflow CX Google Chat app that understands and responds with natural language

This announcement was part of Google Cloud Next ‘24. Visit the Workspace Blog to learn more about the next wave of innovations in Workspace, including enhancements to Gemini for Google Workspace.


What’s changing

Earlier this year, we introduced the integration between Google Chat and Dialogflow CX through the Google Workspace Developer Preview Program. 


Dialogflow helps developers build and host Chat bots that understand natural language with minimal coding effort. The enhanced Dialogflow CX version, now generally available, provides a new way of designing virtual agents by taking a state machine approach to agent design. Now, developers have clear and explicit control over a conversation, enjoy a better end-user experience, and gain access to an improved development workflow. 


The Dialogflow CX integration with Google Chat allows developers to easily create Google Chat apps that are useful in all kinds of interactions, especially those that require natural human speech. For example, consider a Chat app that helps people rent cars. A user might write, "I'd like to rent a car". The Chat app might respond with a question like "Where would you like to pick up the vehicle?" which starts a human-like conversation with the user in which the Chat app both understands and responds with human speech while booking the car rental. 
Build a Dialogflow CX Google Chat app that understands and responds with natural language

Who’s impacted 

Developers 


Why it’s important 

Dialogflow CX enables developers to create Chat apps with virtual agents that are more conversational and capable of performing specific tasks. 


Getting started 


Rollout pace 


Availability 

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers 

Resources 

Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap – April 12, 2024

2 New updates

Unless otherwise indicated, the features below are available to all Google Workspace customers, and are fully launched or in the process of rolling out. Rollouts should take no more than 15 business days to complete if launching to both Rapid and Scheduled Release at the same time. If not, each stage of rollout should take no more than 15 business days to complete.


Address access permissions for Google Drive embeds in Google Sites 
When adding embedded content from Google Drive into a Google Site, such as a PDF, document or presentation, site editors will now be prompted to address potential access permissions. The notification will also appear when site editors are publishing the site or sharing it with other site collaborators and viewers. This will ensure other site collaborators or viewers have permission to edit or view embedded Drive content when collaborating on a site. | Rolling out to Rapid Release domains now; launch to Scheduled Release domains planned for April 25, 2024. | Available to Google Workspace customers, Google Workspace Individual subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts. | Learn more about adding Google files, videos, website content, & more.
Address access permissions for Google Drive embeds in Google Sites

Track usage for Gemini for Workspace users in the Admin console
We recently announced the Gemini Business add-on which provides a subset of generative AI features, subject to monthly usage limits. Gemini Business customers can now check a user’s Gemini limit status in the admin console. For Gemini Enterprise and Gemini Business customers, admins can check their user’s last Gemini usage date as well. | Gemini usage and limit status reports are now available. | Learn more about Usage limits in Gemini for Google Workspace.




Previous announcements

The announcements below were published on the Workspace Updates blog earlier this week. Please refer to the original blog posts for complete details.


Introducing the AI Meetings and Messaging for Google Workspace add-on 
As we continue to expand our Gemini for Google Workspace offerings, we're excited to introduce the AI Meetings and Messaging add-on, which will help you have richer meetings and foster more meaningful collaboration. | Learn more about the AI Meetings and Messaging add-on. 

Introducing a new AI Security add-on for Google Workspace  
The AI Security add-on will give customers access to the AI Classification capability in Google Drive. AI Classification allows IT teams to automatically and continuously identify, classify, and label sensitive files across the organization. | Learn more about the AI Security add-on. 

Control your users’ access to new Gemini for Google Workspace features before general availability
We’re introducing a new setting in the Admin console which will give Gemini customers the ability to test Gemini for Google Workspace alpha features before they become generally available. Specifically, admins will be able to turn on alpha features for all Gemini provisioned Workspace users or for a subset of Gemini users in a particular Organizational Unit (OU) or Group. | Learn more about accessing Gemini for Google Workspace features. 

Protect sensitive admin actions with multi-party approvals 
To protect our customers from malicious actors taking sensitive admin actions, we’re launching multi-party approvals where one admin must approve certain sensitive actions initiated by another. | Learn more about multi-party approvals.

Changes to displaying the “deprovisioned” status for Google Meet hardware devices 
We are removing the “deprovisioned” state from the Admin console. You’ll no longer see devices in this state from the device status page (Devices > Google Meet Hardware > Devices), nor will you be able to filter for those labels. | Learn more about statuses for Google Meet hardware devices.



For a recap of announcements in the past six months, check out What’s new in Google Workspace (recent releases).   




Changes to displaying the “deprovisioned” status for Google Meet hardware devices

What’s changing 

Back in 2021, we introduced the “enrollment privilege”, which restricts who in your organization can enroll or re-enroll Google Meet hardware devices. Prior to introducing this privilege, Admins had to put devices in a “deprovisioned” state to prevent end users from re-enrolling devices until they were moved to a “pending” state. 



Since the enrollment privilege makes those labels obsolete, we are removing the “deprovisioned” state from the Admin console. You’ll no longer see devices in this state from the device status page (Devices > Google Meet Hardware > Devices), nor will you be able to filter for those labels.


Getting started

  • Admins: 
    • Visit the Help Center to learn more about enrolling and re-enrolling  Google Meet hardware devices into your organization, as well as licensing FAQs.
    • To prevent unauthorized users from re-enrolling devices, opt in to Enrollment Privilege Enforcement: Menu > Google Meet hardware > Settings > Service Settings and toggle ‘Require enrollment privilege’ to ON.
  • End users: There is no end user impact or action required.

Rollout pace

  • Available now.

Availability


Protect sensitive admin actions with multi-party approvals

This announcement was part of Google Cloud Next ‘24. Visit the Workspace Blog to learn more about the next wave of innovations in Workspace, including enhancements to Gemini for Google Workspace.

What’s changing

To protect our customers from malicious actors taking sensitive admin actions, we’re launching multi-party approvals where one admin must approve certain sensitive actions initiated by another. Multi-party approvals will be required for the following settings:
  • 2-Step verification
  • Account recovery
  • Advanced Protection 
  • Google session control
  • Login Challenges
  • Passwordless (beta)
This feature is available for eligible Workspace customers with multiple super admin accounts — see the “Getting started” section below for more information.


Who’s impacted

Admins


Why it’s important

Multi-party approvals adds an extra layer of security for sensitive actions taken in the Admin console by ensuring no sensitive action happens in a silo and, most importantly, helps prevent unauthorized or accidental changes from being made. This added layer of approval helps ensure actions are being taken appropriately and not too broadly or too often. Additionally, this is more convenient for admins because the action is executed automatically after approval and the requester doesn’t need to take additional action. Multi-party approvals makes super admins aware of what changes are being attempted and gives them the opportunity to accept or reject these sensitive actions.


Outlined below is an example of the feature in action, in this case there is an attempt to make a change to 2-step verification policies:

When 2-step verification changes are attempted, admins will be required to submit the change to a super admin for approval.

Super admins can review and take action on these requests in the Admin console by navigating to Security > Multi-party approval. Super admins will also receive email alerts when a 2-step verification change is requested or any other protected action is attempted.

Admins can open a specific approval request to view more information including who is impacted by the change, what the configuration was before the change and what it will be after the change.

Getting started

  • Admins: 
    • This feature is available for eligible Workspace customers with two or more super admin accounts. Multi-party approvals are OFF by default and can be turned on in the Admin console by going to Security > Multi-party approval settings. Visit the Help Center to learn more about multi-party approvals for sensitive actions.


Rollout pace


Availability

  • Available to Google Workspace Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Standard, Education Plus, and Cloud Identity Premium customers


Control your users’ access to new Gemini for Google Workspace features before general availability

This announcement was part of Google Cloud Next ‘24. Visit the Workspace Blog to learn more about the next wave of innovations in Workspace, including enhancements to Gemini for Google Workspace.


What’s changing

We’re introducing a new setting in the Admin console which will give Gemini customers the ability to test Gemini for Google Workspace alpha features before they become generally available. Specifically, admins will be able to turn on alpha features for all Gemini provisioned Workspace users or for a subset of Gemini users in a particular Organizational Unit (OU) or Group.

To configure Gemini access features, go to Account settings > Gemini for Google Workspace



Who’s impacted

Admins and end users


Why it matters

As our Gemini for Workspace offerings continue to evolve, you may consider allowing your users to test Gemini features in alpha. This will give your users a head start on leveraging our latest AI features and provide Google with helpful feedback to improve Gemini features before they’re generally available. Alpha features get the same robust data protection standards that come with all Google Workspace services.

Getting started

        Please consider the following before configuring alpha access for your users:
    • Your users will receive all Gemini for Workspace alpha features — it is not possible to enable a subset of features or opt-out of specific features. 
    • Features will appear in alpha as soon as they are available — there is no advanced notice of these features appearing for Gemini  for Workspace alpha provisioned users.
    • As these features are not yet generally available, we will not offer full support for these features. Alpha features get the same robust data protection standards that come with all Google Workspace services.
    • You can also help us improve Gemini for Workspace by allowing users at your organization to provide feedback via research studies and surveys. 
Additionally, we strongly recommend that you and your users sign up for the Google Workspace alpha community page. Subscribing to this page will help users stay on top of the latest Gemini for Workspace alpha features. You can also ask questions about the features on this page.

Rollout pace


Availability

Introducing a new AI Security add-on for Google Workspace

This announcement was part of Google Cloud Next ‘24. Visit the Workspace Blog to learn more about the next wave of innovations in Workspace, including enhancements to Gemini for Google Workspace.


What’s changing

As we continue to expand our Gemini for Google Workspace offerings, we're excited to introduce the AI Security add-on for Google Workspace customers. 

At launch, the AI Security add-on will give customers access to the AI Classification capability in Google Drive. AI Classification allows IT teams to automatically and continuously identify, classify, and label sensitive files across the organization. This capability is powered with privacy-preserving AI models that can be uniquely trained for the specific needs of your organization. Classified files can then be protected with existing data loss prevention (DLP) controls. 

Who’s impacted

Admins

Why it matters

Drive Labels enable Workspace Administrators to up-level their security posture by closely monitoring activity on labeled files, and using labels as a vehicle for data loss prevention and lifecycle management policies. The challenge with label-based policies is that they are only effective on files that are correctly identified and labeled. Further, labeling files placed a considerable manual burden on Admins.

This is where AI Classification can help. By training models on customer-identified examples of content that match their data classification definitions, AI Classification can evaluate files where text can be extracted to see if it should be labeled.  This enables organizations to achieve label coverage at a scale and accuracy that is very difficult to accomplish through traditional means and manual Admin intervention. Once labeled, the organization's data can be protected by fine-grained security policies. 


Availability

The AI Security add-on is available for the following Google Workspace Editions:
  • Business Standard and Plus
  • Enterprise Standard and Plus
  • Enterprise Essentials and Essentials Plus
  • Frontline Starter and Standard
  • Google Workspace for Nonprofits 

Resources


Introducing the AI Meetings and Messaging for Google Workspace add-on

This announcement was part of Google Cloud Next ‘24. Visit the Workspace Blog to learn more about the next wave of innovations in Workspace, including enhancements to Gemini for Google Workspace.

What’s changing

As we continue to expand our Gemini for Google Workspace offerings, we're excited to introduce the AI Meetings and Messaging add-on, which will help you have richer meetings and foster more meaningful collaboration.


At launch, the AI Meetings and Messaging add-on will give customers access to Google Meet features such as studio look, studio lighting, studio sound, and take notes for me (coming soon in Alpha) allowing customers to have more effective and efficient meetings. In the future, AI Meetings and Messaging will also provide access to Gemini features in Google Chat features such as on-demand conversation summaries and automatic translation of messages.


Who’s impacted

Admins


Why it’s important

The AI Meetings and Messaging add-on, along with the new AI Security add-on also announced at Google Cloud Next ‘24, give our customers more ways to work with AI that best suits the needs of their organization. The AI Meetings and Messaging add-on can help enhance collaboration across Meet and Chat with a variety of features such as:

  • Generative backgrounds in Google Meet
  • Studio look, studio sound, and studio lighting in Google Meet
  • Real time translated captions in Google Meet
  • Take notes for me in Google Meet (coming soon in alpha) 
  • And upcoming features like:
    • Translate for me in Google Meet and Chat for automatic language detection and translation 
    • Adaptive audio in Google Meet for synchronized audio and no feedback when multiple users join a meeting from a room using only their laptops
    • Screenshare watermark in Google Meet to help discourage the copying and unauthorized distribution of shared content
    • On-demand conversation summaries in the home view of Google Chat to get you caught up quickly

Visit our Help Center for a complete list of features available for the AI Meetings and Messaging add-on. Keep an eye on the Workspace Updates blog for new feature launches in the future.


Additional details

Some announced Meet and Chat features for this add-on will be available later this year. More details on timing will be shared in the coming months here on the Workspace Updates blog. This announcement on the Workspace Updates blog has more information about how to enable alpha testing for your end users.


Getting started

Availability

The AI Meetings and Messaging add-on is available for the following Google Workspace Editions:
  • Business Starter, Standard, and Plus
  • Enterprise Starter, Standard, and Plus
  • Frontline Starter and Standard
  • Enterprise Essentials, Essentials Plus
  • Nonprofits

Resources


Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap – April 5, 2024

1 New update

Unless otherwise indicated, the features below are available to all Google Workspace customers, and are fully launched or in the process of rolling out. Rollouts should take no more than 15 business days to complete if launching to both Rapid and Scheduled Release at the same time. If not, each stage of rollout should take no more than 15 business days to complete.


Simplified troubleshooting of user issues in the Admin console
When viewing a user’s detail page in the Admin console, you’ll notice new “Investigate”, “Security”, and “Groups” tabs. Within these tabs, you can find all user-related information from security alerts to audit logs, group memberships, and security policies applied to the user. You can click out to the relevant sections of the Admin console where you can find more information on the event and take action if needed. Centralizing this information should reduce the time and effort required by admins to assess and take action on user issues. | This is available now to Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Essentials Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, Education Plus, the Teaching and Learning Upgrade and Frontline customers. | Learn more about investigating user problems with log events.
Simplified troubleshooting of user issues in the Admin console



Previous announcements

The announcements below were published on the Workspace Updates blog earlier this week. Please refer to the original blog posts for complete details.


Assign the audit and investigation privilege on a per-application basis 
When delegating admin privileges for the Audit and Investigation Tool, you can now restrict access levels to audit data on a per application basis (eg: Admin, Drive logs etc.). This change ensures that access isn’t too broadly provisioned and delegated admins only have access to the apps relevant to their scope. | Learn more about assigning privileges.



Completed rollouts

The features below completed their rollouts to Rapid Release domains, Scheduled Release domains, or both. Please refer to the original blog posts for additional details.


Rapid Release Domains: 
Scheduled Release Domains: 
Rapid and Scheduled Release Domains: 

For a recap of announcements in the past six months, check out What’s new in Google Workspace (recent releases).  

Assign the audit and investigation privilege on a per-application basis

What’s changing

When delegating admin privileges for the Audit and Investigation Tool, you can now restrict access levels to audit data on a per application basis (eg: Admin, Drive logs etc.). This change ensures that access isn’t too broadly provisioned and delegated admins only have access to the apps relevant to their scope.

Assigning access levels for audit data on a per application basis



Getting started


Rollout pace