Tag Archives: Google Slides

New templates in Google Docs: for a head start, at school and beyond

Posted by Brian LeVee, Product Manager

Writing a book report or creating a lesson plan from scratch is no easy task. Sometimes it’s even difficult to know where to start!

That’s why today, we’re introducing new templates in Docs, Sheets, and Slides, designed by experts like Reading Rainbow and Google Science Fair to make your schoolwork even better, easier.

Reading Rainbow, the third longest running children's TV series in US history and award-winning digital service, has been inspiring children to read for over 30 years. Reading Rainbow created a lesson plan and a book report template in Docs to help teachers and students get things done.

The Google Science Fair is an annual online science and engineering competition open to teens globally. In the competition, young scientists have tackled issues like world hunger, life-threatening diseases and the energy crisis. Use GSF’s science fair template in Slides for a head start on your next project—or for this year’s GSF.

So whether you’re working on your next project at home or on the bus ride home - get a head start with new templates in Docs, Sheets, and Slides - all available on the web, Android and iOS.


Spruce up your spreadsheets and presentations with the latest versions of the Google Sheets and Slides apps for Android

New versions of the Google Sheets and Slides apps for Android are now available on Google Play, making it even easier to work from your mobile phones and tablets. Read on for details.

We recognize that images can be the difference between a spreadsheet that’s difficult to interpret and one that effectively tells a story. To help you better convey your spreadsheet’s message on mobile, images will now render in the Google Sheets Android app. (Note that images in frozen rows and columns may not show properly.)


Similarly, themes allow you to quickly and easily craft engaging and effective presentations, so you need to be able to swap them in and out whether you’re working on your phone or your laptop. Starting today, as long as you’re online, you can change the theme of your presentation in the Google Slides Android app. There are 18 themes to choose from.



Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release

Rollout pace:
Gradual rollout (potentially longer than 3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center: Customize a slide with layouts and themes

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

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Launch detail categories
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Are all clouds created equal?

Posted by Sebastien Marotte, VP, Google Apps for Work

Cloud-based workplace tools are no longer niche. Companies from small startups to Fortune 500 giants like Whirlpool and PWC have realized that servers are expensive, teams need real-time collaboration and employees need access to email, calendar and collaborative editing tools on their phones. For many companies, deciding to move on-premises systems to the cloud is a no-brainer. Figuring out which cloud solution delivers the most return on investment when both major providers claim their tools are “mobile-friendly” and offer “real-time collaboration” is the tough part.

To provide customers with concrete data on the benefits that productivity, mobility and collaboration can bring to an organization (even after moving to the cloud), Google commissioned independent market research firm Forrester Consulting to conduct a Total Economic Impact (TEI) study. Forrester surveyed seven companies in North America, EMEA and APAC in a range of industries — including professional services, retail, real estate, IT and media — who migrated from an alternate cloud solution to Google Apps. For a composite organization based on feedback from the interviews, Forrester found that switching to Google Apps for Work resulted in the following benefits in a three-year period:

  • 213% return on investment (ROI)
  • Payback in just 1.9 months
  • Nearly $1 million in collaboration and productivity gains

In addition to these hard numbers, Forrester uncovered a few common themes that customers experienced after switching from their previous cloud solution to Google Apps for Work:


Google Apps “just works”

People crave simplicity. With Google Apps, teams can create a new document in seconds or add a conference room to a calendar invite with a single click. Customers reported there are no headaches with Google Apps — whether on a desktop, laptop, mobile phone, tablet, Android or iOS, Google Apps works exactly as they expect it to.

Quick adoption results in speedy ROI

It’s no surprise that most companies want their employees to use the tools they pay for. Popsugar reported that Going Google saves the organization $100 thousand each year in annual enterprise volume software licenses — an agreement that their IT director says included software the company neither wanted nor needed.

After switching to Google Apps, customers reported that overall platform adoption increased significantly compared to engagement with the previous solution. Many interviewees attributed this rise in engagement to the intuitive nature of Google Apps and broad employee familiarity with Google products like Gmail.

Collaboration is a breeze

While the interviewees’ previous cloud solution claims users can work together at the same time, their former customers told Forrester they struggled with browser and device compatibility, and had difficulties working with colleagues who had different license types. Google Apps works from any device on any modern browser, and all users can work together, regardless of what type of license they have.

Easier collaboration means that employees are productive, and when employees are more productive, companies save money. When it comes to creating content, Forrester found that productivity increased by 20% due to the ease and mobility of real-time collaboration offered by Google Apps — particularly when it comes to Docs, Sheets and Slides.

Customers’ voices matter

Everyone likes to be heard. Customers said they felt more supported by Google than their previous provider: issues are resolved faster, customers feel like they’re an important part of the product development process, and they reported they were happy to find that feedback can be easily submitted directly from the admin console.

One customer described Google’s 24/7 phone, email and chat support like this: “The previous platform provider resolved only 3 of 10 issues satisfactorily and often took 12 to 14 hours to do so against an 8-hour SLA. Google is closer to 9 of 10 and always within the 8-hour window.”

Notification settings and more in the latest Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides Android apps

The latest versions of the Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides Android apps include several new features that make working on your mobile phone or tablet easier and more efficient. Check out some of what’s new below:

Notification settings in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides Android apps
As of last November, you can receive mobile notifications when a Drive file is shared with you or someone requests access to a Drive file you own. Previously, the only way to disable those notifications was via a setting in Drive. With this launch, we’ll allow you to enable or disable those notifications from the Settings menus in the Docs, Sheets, and Slides Android apps as well.

View existing Named Ranges in the Google Sheets Android app
In Google Sheets on the web, you can name a range of cells so that they’re easier to keep track of and find later and to simplify the process of creating formulas. With this launch, you can now view those named ranges and quickly navigate to their locations in the Google Sheets app for Android.

Launch Details 
Release track:
Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release

Rollout pace: 
Gradual rollout (potentially longer than 3 days for feature visibility)

Impact: 
All end users

Action: 
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center: Turn mobile notifications on or off
Help Center: Name a range of cells

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

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Launch detail categories
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Support for more formats, languages, and filtering functionality in the Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides apps for Android

Updated versions of the Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides Android apps are now available on Google Play. These versions include the following new features:

  • Import and export additional file formats in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides - As long as you’re online, you can now import and export the following file formats in and from the Docs, Sheets, and Slides Android apps:
    • Import - .txt, .rtf, and .html (in Docs)
    • Export - .docx, .rtf, .pdf, .txt., and .html (from Docs), .xlsx, .pdf, .html, .csv, and .tsv (from Sheets), and .pptx, .pdf, and .txt (from Slides)

  • Open CSV and TSV files in Google Sheets - In the latest version of the Android app for Sheets, you can open, view, and edit spreadsheets that are formatted as .csv or .tsv files.

  • Read from right to left in Google Sheets - If you use a right-to-left language (e.g. Hebrew) in Sheets, you’ll now see an option in the Android app to format your spreadsheet in that same direction. Once enabled, your columns will progress from right to left (starting with “A”), and your row numbers will appear on the right-hand side of your screen.

  • Filter data in Google Sheets - You can now apply new filters to spreadsheets in the Sheets Android app, as well as view and change existing ones. (NOTE: This feature became available in the app’s previous release.)
Check out the Help Center articles below for more information.

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release

Rollout pace:
Gradual rollout (potentially longer than 3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information

Quick and easy commenting in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides

Work with others, with ease. Today’s launches make it super simple to comment on your colleagues’—and your own—Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides files on the web and mobile. Check out what’s new below:

  • Instant comments in Google Docs on the web - Highlight text or hover over the edge of a page to surface a small commenting icon, then click on that icon to quickly add a comment to that area of the document.
  • Instant mentions in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides on the web, Android, and iOS - Start typing someone’s name or email address in a comment, and a list of suggested contacts will appear. Select anyone from that list to trigger an email notification to them—there’s no need to type “+” or “@” before their name!
  • Comments in the Google Sheets and Slides apps for Android and iOS - Add new and reply to existing comments in the Sheets* and Slides mobile apps—just like you can in the Docs apps for Android and iOS.

  • Comment swiping in the Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides apps - Simply swipe to move from one comment to the next in the Docs, Sheets, and Slides iOS apps, as well as the Slides Android app (you can already do this in the Docs and Sheets Android apps!).

Try out these new features in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides, and collaborate with fewer clicks!

Launch Details
Release track:
Mobile features - Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release
  • Instant mentions in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides on Android and iOS
  • Comments in the Google Sheets and Slides apps for Android and iOS*
  • Comment swiping in the Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides apps for iOS
Web features - Launching to Rapid release, with Scheduled release coming on February 10th
  • Instant comments in Google Docs on the web
  • Instant mentions in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides on the web

*NOTE: Comments in the Google Sheets Android app launched on November 12th, 2015.

Rollout pace:
Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center: Comment in Docs, Sheets, & Slides
Google for Work Blog

Collaborating on mobile has never been easier

Posted by Ryan Weber, Product Manager, Google Docs

If you’re like most of our Google Apps customers, there’s a good chance you’re working from different locations throughout the day. Whether you’re on a tablet at the breakfast table, a phone on the train or a laptop at the office, it’s important to have a suite of apps that allow you to be productive from wherever you are. So starting today, you can use the same rich commenting experience across Google Docs, Sheets and Slides on your Android and iOS devices. You can now also quickly add a teammate to the conversation just by starting to type their name in a comment.

For the times when you’re at your desk, you’ll notice the new commenting experience makes it easy to instantly insert a comment using the comment bubble that appears on the right side of a doc.

At Google, we know that mobility is critical for today’s professionals. That’s why we continue to invest in features that make being productive on the go simple, such as the Research feature in the Docs Android app, or making the Google Docs app on mobile fullscreen so you can see all the info you need and hide the controls you might not want immediately (although they’re only ever a click away).

Docs, Sheets and Slides are just part of the mobile experience for Google Apps. Join a video meeting from your phone with Hangouts, check your agenda in Calendar, or see your most important emails in Gmail — your apps are in easy reach and help you collaborate from anywhere. Google Apps for Work also includes advanced security and control with complete Device (MDM) and App (MAM) Mobile Management.

Learn more about Google Docs, Sheets and Slides.

Increased control over Google Drive file sharing

When you share Google Drive files using Google Apps, we try our best to ensure that your recipients can actually access them. For instance, if you link to a Google Slides presentation in Gmail and that presentation hasn’t been shared with your recipient, we show you an option to share it before sending the email.



We also do this if you “+” someone into a comment in Docs, Sheets, or Slides, if you add someone to a protected range in Sheets, or if you attach a Google file to a Calendar invite (provided the person on the other end doesn’t already have access).

We’ve heard from many Apps admins, however, that they want greater control over the sharing options their employees have in these scenarios. In response to that feedback, today we’re introducing new Access Checker settings in the Admin console (Admin console > Apps > Google Apps > Settings for Drive > Sharing settings).

If an admin allows external, public file sharing (i.e. they’ve checked the box next to Allow users in XYZ domain to publish files on the web or make them visible to the world as public or unlisted files), that admin will now be able to say which of the following three options their users will have when sharing files in the scenarios described above:

  • Option 1: Recipients only, their domain, or public (no Google account required)
  • Option 2: Recipients only or their domain
  • Option 3: Recipients only



For example, if an admin chooses option 1 and an employee in their domain attaches a Google Sheets spreadsheet to an event in Calendar, that employee will be asked if they want to share that spreadsheet with guests of the event only or one of two additional options: (1) anyone in their domain with the link (if all guests are in their domain), or (2) anyone with the link (if any guests are in different domains).





At launch, for admins who allow external, public file sharing, “recipients only, their domain, or public” will be the option selected by default.

Alternatively, if an admin prohibits external, public file sharing, that admin will be able to choose which of the following two options their users see when sharing files in the scenarios described above:

  • Option 1: Recipients only or their domain
  • Option 2: Recipients only



For these admins, “recipients only or their domain” will be the option selected by default.

It’s important to note that the sharing options shown to users will be determined based on the settings in the document owner’s domain, which may not be the same as the settings in the domain of the person sharing the file. If someone tries to share multiple files and different policies apply to each (e.g. because the document owners are in different domains), we'll abide by the least permissive policy when showing options to users.

Consider this example: a user tries to send an email with three files attached—one file allows public sharing, and two allow sharing with recipients only. In that case, we’ll only offer the option to share with recipients, as that option abides by the least permissive policy associated with the files being shared.

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release

Rollout pace:
Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
Admins and end users

Action:
Admin action required

More Information
Help Center

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

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Launch detail categories
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Romania’s Raiffeisen Bank transforms itself with Google Apps and Android for Work

Posted by Carl Rossey, COO, Raiffeisen Bank

Editor's note: Today’s guest blogger is Carl Rossey, COO of Raiffeisen Bank, one of the top five banks in Romania and a unit of Raiffeisen Bank International. See how Raiffeisen Bank uses Google Apps for Work and Android for Work to work better together across its 527 branches and offer innovative banking services to two million customers.

The way people manage their bank accounts today stands in stark contrast to a decade ago, or even just a few years ago. Where they once walked into branches to deposit or withdraw money and check on their balances, they now use laptops and mobile devices, and they do it from anywhere and at any time of day. As a business, we know we need to change with them, to be as mobile as they are, so we’re on a constant quest to transform both how we work with our customers and how we work ourselves. Moving to Google Apps for Work and using Android for Work are two steps we’ve taken to further that digital transformation. We’re proud to be one of the financial services industry’s earliest adopters of Google to create true mobility for both customers and our team.

Before moving to Google, we were relying on tools that held us back rather than pushed us forward. We were using Lotus Notes, which lacked the necessary collaboration tools and required people to be at their desks to do their work. We had to shuffle presentations and reports back and forth between employees, so new products took months to get to markets.

Our deployment to nearly 5,400 employees took just 90 days, and with the help of our implementation partner Netmail, we’re already on our way towards becoming a completely new bank. During the rollout, for example, we created a Google+ community called “Simply Coll@borate,” and invited employees to share advice and tips on using Google. It quickly became the fastest and most useful channel for seeking guidance on our new tools. And our Project Management Office, the first department to shift all its work to Google, now creates and shares Google Docs and Google Sheets in Google Drive, and builds monthly project reports using Google Slides.

Our Human Resources department used to gather feedback on training and hiring by using paper forms or sending out emails that generated few responses. Now they use Google Forms to make data collection easier and more seamless – like gathering suggestions for improving the quality of HR services. They’re also replacing phone interviews with interviews via Google Hangouts, as meeting candidates over video helps hiring managers get more accurate first impressions. The retail bank sales team also uses Hangouts for sales meetings, saving travel time and costs.

We’ve also completed rolling out smartphones equipped with Android for Work to every employee, and we believe we’ll see our vision for the mobile Raiffeisen Bank team come to life. No longer tied to our desks, we’re free to work in new ways for our customers. We save them time and offer them a higher level of customer service by meeting where they work — or from anywhere using Hangouts on mobile devices. We put the rigid ways of traditional banking behind us and have our sights set on a more flexible, innovative future.

Search quickly and easily across Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides

We know that when you’re working in Google Docs, you’re often working in Google Sheets and Google Slides at the same time. With that in mind, we’re making it easier to find and switch between your documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. Starting today, when you search from the Docs, Sheets, and Slides home screens on the web, your results will contain files from all three Apps.

At the top of the results screen, you’ll see Top results, which will contain a mix of files, if relevant. Just below that you’ll see Recent documents (or Recent spreadsheets, or Recent presentations, whichever is applicable), which will only contain files from the App you’re working in.



Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to Rapid release, with Scheduled release coming in two weeks

Rollout pace:
Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates