One hot summer in our Central Region


We’ve had quite a big summer in our Central Region. With service launching in new areas and lots of activities in all of our cities, our team has been busy throughout the region! 

First up, in July, GFiber launched service in Lawrence, Kansas - the birthplace of basketball! We were excited to meet residents at Uplift Coffee on Mass Street and sign them up for great internet just in time for a new school year in this college town.

This summer our team also got to work to help our communities get ready for back-to-school in other ways. In Omaha, we helped the United Way of the Midlands blow past their goal of 5,000 hygiene kits for local students.


Our team joined fellow volunteers for Shine Bright, the organization’s annual back-to-school initiative.

Having hygiene needs covered can make a pivotal difference, and according to school counselors, 72% of students who receive a kit appear more focused at school. We funded and packed kits to go to kindergarten, sixth, and ninth-grade students in the Omaha, Council Bluffs and Papillion La Vista school districts so they can start the year feeling secure and supported.

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The GFiber team helped the United Way of the Midlands surpass the goal of 5,000 hygiene kits alongside hundreds of community volunteers at this four-day event.





Our commitment to our communities remains stronger than ever in the Central Region and beyond. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue growing service and connecting communities with GFiber. 

Read about GFiber’s community impact and more at www.gfiber.com/blog.

Rachel Hack Merlo
Central Region | Orange County, CA
Head of Government and Community Affairs
Head of Local Government Affairs Strategy - US


Google Pics brings pro-level AI image creation and editing to Google Workspace

We are thrilled to announce that Google Pics is generally available starting today, bringing advanced AI image generation and precise, object-based image editing directly into your Workspace creative workflow. To get started, open Pics and simply type in a prompt to generate any image using Google’s best AI imaging models, or import an image from your computer, Google Drive, or Google Photos to edit with AI.




Pics provides a range of precision AI-powered image tools to help you refine your images to perfection. Users will be able to:

  • Generate or refine images using text prompts—Pics offers multiple variations to ensure you always capture the perfect visual
  • Hover over and select specific elements for precise, local editing
  • Edit, reformat, or even translate individual text elements
  • Crop your image for web, social media, print, or digital
  • Upscale your image to 2K or 4K
  • Maintain a persistent version history so you can easily revert unwanted changes, and more.

With Pics, you can also edit visuals in the tools you’re already using. Simply select an image in Google Docs or Slides, and a single click lets you edit it using Pics' full suite of precision AI tools without having to switch apps or tabs. Pics also provides the collaboration features you know from other Workspace apps: you can invite teammates to collaborate, share images via a link, and create or open Pics images in Google Drive. And, in the coming weeks, you’ll also be able to use Pics to open and edit nearly any image you’ve saved in Drive with a single click.

Getting started

Rollout pace

Availability

  • Business: Business Standard and Plus
  • Enterprise: Enterprise Standard and Plus
  • Consumer: Google AI Pro and Ultra
  • Education Add-ons: Google AI Pro for Education
  • Other Add-ons: AI Expanded Access

Usage of generative AI features in Google Pics is subject to usage limits. At least through February 28, 2027, your users will have higher access to generative AI features in Google Pics. Access to these generative AI features may be limited afterward. We’ll notify you of any changes before they take effect.

Usage of Google Pics from other Workspace surfaces (such as Google Slides) is subject to existing image generation limits.

Resources

Transitioning Google Meet room hardware to focus on Android (AOSP), ongoing ChromeOS support unchanged and up to September 2030

We're transitioning our Google Meet hardware portfolio from ChromeOS to Android to deliver features faster, broaden device choices, and increase flexibility. We're working closely with hardware partners, including Logitech, Neat, and HP Poly, to offer Google Meet-certified devices for spaces of any size, with several exciting Android devices intended for large-format spaces planned for 2027.

Support and transition timeline for ChromeOS

Existing investments in ChromeOS devices are protected. The support timelines for these devices have not changed and will continue to be fully supported through a multi-year transition period, extending up to September 2030 for recent models. We will continue delivering security patches, stability updates, and ChromeOS releases for all Google Meet hardware running ChromeOS.

To help you plan room refresh cycles, hardware partners will gradually end manufacturing and sales for ChromeOS-based hardware according to the following timelines:

  • Logitech / CTL Google Meet Compute System: February 2027
  • ASUS Google Meet Compute System: April 2027

For customers looking to purchase ChromeOS devices to complement their existing fleet, particularly for large event spaces, we encourage you to purchase devices as soon as possible.

Benefits of Android in meeting rooms

Adopting Android as the foundation for Google Meet hardware provides several benefits:

  • Device variety: Android-based room hardware offers a broader range of form factors, including compact all-in-one devices, video bars, and integrated room solutions. Whether equipping a focus room, collaborative huddle space, or boardroom, you have options to find the right fit.
  • Enterprise stability: Android-based devices deliver the performance, responsiveness, and stability you rely on with ChromeOS.
  • Hardware flexibility: Certified AOSP devices can run multiple video conferencing solutions, protecting your investment by allowing rooms to be repurposed without replacing equipment.
  • Long lifecycles: Devices certified for Google Meet are engineered for long-term reliability and predictable software support.

The portfolio of supported hardware is growing as we actively work with partners to certify additional next-generation devices and qualified peripherals.

Partner collaboration

Our partners already offer Google Meet-certified AOSP options. Together, we're simplifying deployment, accelerating AI features like Take notes for me, and making meeting rooms more collaborative. Explore devices options and find contact information for our partners on the links below.

Getting started

Resources

Add co-presenters in Google Meet with one click

Previously, adding a co-presenter in Google Meet required multiple manual steps. Now, Gemini will intelligently suggest a co-presenter in the Ask Gemini in Meet panel, and with just one click, a user can allow another user to co-present their Google Slides presentation.



Note that this “nudge” will only appear for the main presenter of a Google Slides presentation in Meet if they’re on a Chrome or Edge browser and if another participant uses a trigger phrase like, “Can you please add me as a co-presenter?” or “Next slide please.”

Getting started

Rollout pace

Availability

  • Business: Business Standard and Plus
  • Enterprise: Enterprise Standard and Plus

Resources