Google is pushing out an update for its calendar app that should help users minimize unnecessary back-and-forth over email.
Courtesy of an integration with Google Chat, calendar markers will now give users the option to quickly message other attendees in the run-up to a meeting, provided they work for the same organization.
According to a Google blog post, the feature is ideal for notifying coworkers if you are running late or sharing documents and other resources in advance of a session.
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“Previously, the main way to communicate with Calendar event attendees was via email. However, there are times when Chat may be preferred to email for communication,” explained Google.
“Now, the email and chat options are side-by-side on the calendar event. This can help you quickly choose whichever form of communication you prefer, and start conversations with just a few taps.”
The new feature is currently rolling out to members of the Google Workspace Rapid release track, who have opted to receive all new features immediately. For everyone else, the chat option will begin to appear from October 4 onwards.
New Google Workspace synergies
Since the birth of G Suite in 2006, Google has competed directly with Microsoft in the office software space, going up against the famous Microsoft 365 suite, which houses the likes of Word, PowerPoint, Excel etc.
One of the defining features of Microsoft’s offering is tight integration between apps and services, extending all the way out to the Windows operating system on which most business devices run. And although Google stole the march on Microsoft when it came to the SaaS model, the individual G Suite apps felt more isolated.
When Google rebranded its suite as Workspace last year, however, the company announced it would make a concerted effort to create a more “deeply integrated user experience”, by improving the level of interoperability of its various productivity apps.
The new Google Calendar feature is the latest example of this ambition put into practice; Google wants to give customers as wide a range of communication options as possible, and to build out fresh synergies between its services.
The company’s latest update might appear minor, but will contribute towards stitching together Google Workspace in a way that, in theory, should make the overall user experience feel less disjointed, more coherent.
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