Tag Archives: Other

New alert management and collaboration features in the alert center beta

This announcement was made at Google Cloud Next ‘19 in San Francisco. Check out Next OnAir to tune into the livestream or watch session recordings following the event.

What’s changing 


We’re launching a beta for the alert center for G Suite which will enhance the existing alert center and make it easier for admins to manage and collaborate on alerts. Specifically, the beta will mean you’ll be able to:

  • Set status, assignee, and severity of alerts: Add key information to help your team take ownership of, assess, and collaborate as you work through security investigations. 
  • Use a more powerful search: Find alerts more easily by searching for alerts that contain a specific email address. 
  • See related alerts: The alert detail view will show other alerts related to the same actor or user to help discover possible related security incidents. \
  • See alert change history: See the history of metadata or content updates to that alert. This includes when status, assignee, or severities have changed. 

Find out more and sign up for the alert center beta here.

Who’s impacted 

Admins only

Why you’d use it 

The alert center already provides a single place to see notifications about potential issues within your domain, and take action to resolve the issues. We hope the enhancements in this beta will improve collaboration between admins and related teams with status, severity, and assignee information now available. We also hope it will make it easier to find patterns within alerts by adding more specific search capabilities and surfacing related alerts proactively.

How to get started 



Helpful links 




Availability 

G Suite editions 
Available to all G Suite editions.

Beta sign up 
Find out more and sign up for the alert center beta here.

Stay up to date with G Suite launches

What’s New in G Suite – March 2019


Check out the latest "What's New in G Suite" launch recap (pdf) for a roundup of all G Suite launches from March 2019. Archive and translated versions (coming soon for March issue.)

Stay up to date with G Suite launches

New Drive file suggestions in Chrome launching in beta

What’s changing 

We’re launching a beta program for a new feature that allows users to search for Google Drive files that they have access to when using the Chrome Omnibox (search/URL box). Users in the beta can now search for files in Drive by owner or type, where previously they could only search for a title or URL of a webpage. This feature is similar to what users see when searching for files in Google Drive.

Admins for G Suite Business, Enterprise, Education, Enterprise for Education, and Nonprofits can learn more and apply for the beta here.


Who’s impacted 

Admins only

Why you’d use it 

This feature will give users faster access to the files and data they need while searching in Google Chrome. Users will now be able to see Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, PDFs, and other file type suggestions from both “My Drive” and “Shared with Me” when searching in Chrome browser. This will help people get work done faster.

How to get started 

  • Admins: For more details and how to apply for the beta, see this form. 
  • End Users: No action required. 

Additional details 

This feature will be available to users signed into a Chrome profile on any operating system: Chromebook, Mac, Windows, etc.

Helpful links 

For more details and how to apply for the beta, see this form. 
Learn what sync settings users can manage and how they are managed. 
How to enable or disable chrome Sync. 

Availability 

G Suite editions 
  • Available to G Suite Business, G Suite Enterprise, G Suite for Education, G Suite Enterprise for Education, and G Suite for Nonprofits 
  • Not available to G Suite Basic. 

On/off by default? 
  • This feature will be ON by default for beta participants and can be controlled at the OU level.

Stay up to date with G Suite launches

An updated plan & resources for upcoming changes to Groups settings

What’s changing 

Based on your feedback following our previous announcement, Changes to Google Groups settings starting May 6, 2019, we’re making the following changes:


  • Additional improvements to the Groups Settings API to help you plan for and manage the changes (see more details below). 
  • “Post as the group” will remain a separate setting - it will not be merged as we previously stated. 
  • “New member posts are moderated” will remain an option for moderation - it will not be deprecated as we previously stated. 
  • “Take topics” will be merged into the content metadata settings. 


To help you plan for these changes, we’re also sharing a Google Sheet which can help identify what the new settings will be for a group. In addition, we’re changing the rollout schedule so the new settings will start to take effect in Scheduled Release domains on June 3, four weeks after Rapid Release domains.

Use our Help Center to see details of these changes and see how you can prepare for the update.

Who’s impacted 

Admins and end users

Why you’d use it 

We hope these resources will help you better understand and prepare for the changes to Groups settings.

How to get started 




Additional details 

Groups API improvements 
On March 25th, 2019, we’ll be updating the Groups Settings API. These updates align the API with the product changes we’re making (outlined in our previous announcement and this post) and mean it’s easier to use the API to prepare. API updates include:


  • All settings that are to-be merged will be exposed via the API. This means you can audit your current groups via API, and make changes to ensure new settings are inferred as you want them to be. 
  • New merged settings will be exposed via the API. This means you can query the new merged settings and ensure they are going to be inferred as expected. Note that It will be read-only (i.e. inferred value) until launch, at which point it will also support write. 
  • New bit for custom roles exposed. If you use custom roles, API queries may return incorrect values. The new bit will highlight if a group uses custom roles for one of the merged settings and so will help you identify groups that require manual review. 
  • New bit for collaborative inbox exposed. We will expose a new bit that represents whether collaborative inbox will be enabled for a group. If you expect your group to have collaborative inbox functionality (e.g. topic assignment), ensure that this bit is true. You may do this by enabling any of the collaborative inbox features. Note that it will be read-only (i.e. inferred value) until launch, at which point it will also support write. 
  • New bit for who can discover group exposed. We will expose a new bit that represents who the group will be visible to. This setting will replace show in group directory. Note that it will be read-only (i.e. inferred value) until launch, at which point it will also support write. 


See our Cloud blog post for more details on these API changes and how to use them.

“Post as the group” will not be merged into the content moderator setting 
Previously we stated that this setting would be merged. However, you told us that it was valuable and we should keep it separate, so we’re updating the plans and will not merge it.

“New member posts are moderated” will continue to be supported. 
The “New member posts are moderated” setting, exposed in the API as MODERATE_NEW_MEMBERS, will continue to be supported as a value for moderation.

“Take topics” will be merged with content metadata 
We previously suggested that “Take topics” would remain a standalone setting. However, this will now be merged as part of the content metadata settings.

New worksheet to help visualize changes
We’ve created this Google Sheet which will show you what the new settings will be for any group if you input the current settings. This can help you check the settings will be inferred as you want them.

Helpful links 




Availability 

Rollout details 


G Suite editions 
Available to all G Suite editions.

On/off by default? 
This feature will be ON by default.
Stay up to date with G Suite launches

Google Drive is getting a new look on iOS and Android

What’s changing  

Google Drive is getting a new look and feel on iOS and Android, making it easier to communicate and collaborate across files in Drive on mobile devices.



This Material redesign is part of a larger effort to bring the look and feel of our G Suite apps together as a whole, with ease-of-use in mind.

Some improvements you’ll see include:
  • New Home tab and bottom navigation 
    • Similar to Drive on the web, the Home tab will surface the files that are most important to you, based on things like: 
      • The last time you accessed or edited a file 
      • Who specific files are frequently shared with 
      • What files are used at specific times of day.
  • A more intuitive bottom navigation bar that features options to switch between Home, Starred, files shared with you (Shared), and all files (Files), allowing for quicker access to your most important items.

  • Expanded search bar 
    • The search bar is now more accessible across the application, including from the Team Drives page.
  •  My Drive, Team Drives and Computers in Files view 
    • Team Drives will be now be displayed as a tab next to My Drive in the Files view. Users will also see a Computers tab if they have backed up content from a local machine to their account. 

    •  New account switching experience 
      • The feature to switch accounts is moving from the left navigation menu to an icon in the top right.


      •  Revised actions menu 
        • A revised actions menu attached to every file and folder emphasizes the most frequently used actions at the top. Toggles for starred and offline are now changed to buttons.

        Who’s impacted 

        End users

        Why you’d use it 

        We know that mobile devices are critical to getting work done, whether it’s at our desk, in a meeting, sending an email, or collaborating. Drive is not just a way to backup files to the cloud, but a critical way to easily share work, make last minute changes to content, or review important content on the go. The Drive Mobile redesign aims to make these workflows easier.

        How to get started 

        • Admins: No action required. 
        • End users: You’ll see the new look coming your way soon. 

        Additional details

        iOS users will begin seeing the redesign starting on March 12, 2019. Android users will see the redesign starting on March 18, 2019.

        To help your users navigate this redesign, see this change management guide or download this PDF.

        Helpful links 

        View the change management guide for this update. Also available as a PDF.
        Using Google Drive on Android
        Using Google Drive on iOS 

        Availability 

        Rollout details 
        • iOS: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) rollout starting March 12, 2019.
        • Android: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) rollout starting March 18, 2019. 
        G Suite editions 
        Available to all G Suite Editions.

        On/off by default? 
        This feature will be ON by default.

        Stay up to date with G Suite launches

        Keep data secure with Gmail confidential mode (beta)

        What's changing

        We’re opening a beta program for Gmail confidential mode. With confidential mode, it’s easier to protect sensitive content in your emails by creating expiration dates or revoking previously sent messages, and removing options for recipients to forward, copy, print, and download.

        Who’s impacted

        Admins and end users

        Why you’d use it

        Built-in Information Rights Management (IRM) removes the option to forward, copy, download or print messages. This helps reduce the risk of confidential information being accidentally shared with the wrong people.

        In addition to protecting sensitive content in your emails by creating expiration dates, you can also require additional authentication via text message to view an email. This makes it possible to protect data even if a recipient’s email account has been hijacked while the message is active.

        How to get started

        • Admins: Gmail confidential mode Beta is available as an opt-in to all G Suite customers. Admins can opt-in to the beta by going to the Admin console and navigating to Apps > G Suite > Settings for Gmail > User settings. Here they will be able to select the option to Enable confidential mode.

          • End users: Once Gmail confidential mode is activated in the Admin console, users can send Gmail confidential mode emails. When they compose an email, there is a button to enable confidential mode for the email.


            If users click on the button, it opens the Gmail confidential mode user settings dialog box where they can modify the settings:



            Additional details

            At the beta launch, Gmail confidential mode will:

            1. Allow users to set an expiration date for messages or revoke access at any time
            2. Disable options to forward, copy, print, and download the email body and attachments
            3. Allow users to set SMS passcodes wherein recipients will get a passcode by text message to be able to access the email sent using confidential mode
            4. Let users choose to remove access early before the expiration date.
            Note: Although confidential mode helps prevent the recipients from accidentally sharing your email, it doesn't prevent recipients from taking screenshots or photos of your messages or attachments. Recipients who have malicious programs on their computer may still be able to copy or download your messages or attachments.

            Additionally, if your users send or receive messages in Gmail confidential mode, Vault will retain, preserve, search and export confidential mode messages. The message body of received messages will be accessible in Vault only if the sender of the message is from within your organization. Learn more about how Vault works for confidential mode messages here.

            Helpful links

            Help Center: About Gmail confidential mode:

            Availability


            G Suite editions

            • Available to G Suite editions.

            On/off by default?

            • This feature will be OFF by default and can be enabled by the admin via the Admin console.

            Stay up to date with G Suite launches

            What’s New in G Suite – February 2019




            Check out the latest "What's New in G Suite" launch recap (pdf) for a roundup of all G Suite launches from February 2019.

            Archive and translated versions (coming soon for February issue)

            Stay up to date with G Suite launches

            Whitelist trusted apps for your domain to ensure apps work properly

            What’s changing 

            To give end users more granular control over what account data they choose to share with each app, we’re changing how users give apps permissions to access their information. See our Google Developers blog post for more details on what’s changing. These changes may impact how well an app functions should a user choose not to provide certain permissions.

            As a result, we recommend that G Suite admins whitelist apps they trust and want their users to be able to use.

            Who’s impacted 

            Admins only

            Why you’d whitelist apps 


            Whitelisting an app means admins assign permissions at the domain level, and that end users don’t have to make choices on permissions for those apps. By whitelisting apps admins can ensure apps have the permissions they need to work properly.

            How to get started 

            Helpful links 


            Help Center: Whitelisting connected apps 

            Availability 


            Rollout details 
            Different apps will implement updated app permission controls at various times over the next several months. Some apps will make this change immediately, but the most commonly used apps will implement them after April 2019. To minimize disruption, we recommend admins whitelist trusted apps before April.
            G Suite editions 
            Available to all G Suite editions.
            On/off by default? 
            Whitelisting apps is OFF by default. Apps can be enabled at the domain level.
            Stay up to date with G Suite launches

            Changes to Google Groups settings starting May 6, 2019

            What’s changing 

            In May 2019, we’ll make some changes to the settings in Google Groups. In response to your ongoing feedback, we are updating Groups’ settings to make it easier for you and your users to manage and configure groups. Specifically, we will remove settings and features that are rarely used, and combine settings that cover similar functionality. These changes will affect the groups.google.com interface and also the APIs used to manage groups.

            Your existing groups may be affected by the upcoming settings changes. When the changes take effect, we’ll update the settings for existing groups. These updates may change how groups can be accessed and used.

            Use this Help Center article to see details of these changes and see how you can prepare for the update.

            The changes will start to roll out on May 6, and may take up to 15 days to reach all domains.

            Who’s impacted 

            Admins and end users

            Why you’d take action 

            Some users who are not group owners or group managers but who currently have access to specific group management features may lose that access. We recommend you audit groups in your organization and adjust the settings before May 6 to make sure these users don’t lose access.

            When the new settings take effect:
            • Existing group settings will be updated to conform to the new controls available. 
            • Group owners will still be able to change the settings that apply to their group at any point. 
            • New groups will be subject to the same default controls that they are today. 


            How to get started 


            Additional details 

            In the next few days, users will see an in-product message about the upcoming changes when they use Groups. The message will direct them to the Help Center for an overview of the changes and change timeline.

            Most groups will be affected in some way by these changes. You can use the Groups API to get a list of all groups and get a list of group owners in your organization, which might help you prepare for the changes.

            Helpful links 


            Availability 

            Rollout details 
            • Rapid Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on May 6, 2019 
            • Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on May 6, 2019 G Suite editions Available to all G Suite editions On/off by default? This feature will be ON by default. 

            Stay up to date with G Suite launches