The feature is currently being rolled out and is expected to be available to all Google Calendar users in approximately two weeks. It's worth noting that administrators don't need to take any action to activate this feature, as it will be updated automatically.
Google Chat Introduces Interoperability with Slack and Microsoft Teams
Google is partnering with Mio to improve and streamline communication across different platforms, addressing the challenges of using multiple chat tools.
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Earlier this week, Google unveiled a significant update to its Chat online service, which now includes a feature allowing messages from Google Chat to be automatically relayed to other chat platforms, notably Microsoft Teams and Slack. This development was highlighted on the official Google Workspace blog, which detailed the beta launch of this new capability.
Collaboration with Mio
The integration is made possible through a partnership with Mio, a prominent provider of interoperability solutions. Google emphasized the challenges faced by organizations that utilize multiple communication tools, stating on their official blog, “We know that communication and collaboration happens over multiple channels and tools. This can cause missed messages, silos of communication, and a frustrating experience monitoring multiple chat tools.” By collaborating with Mio, Google aims to streamline communication across various platforms, enhancing productivity for its users.
Google Chat users can now type messages and have them automatically sent to their accounts on Microsoft Teams, Slack, Webex, and Zoom Team Chat. This allows users to remain on Google Chat while messaging colleagues on other platforms. The feature supports functionalities such as secure file sharing, editing and deleting messages, emojis, GIFs, reactions, and threaded messages across these platforms.
However, there's a catch. To access this feature, users will need a subscription to the Mio interoperability service. Google Workspace business account holders can register for the beta test of this interoperability feature on Mio's website. Discussions regarding the pricing of this feature are also available there. The feature is expected to be available to all business users by early 2024.
It's worth noting that this new messaging feature is primarily aimed at businesses. It will be accessible to a range of Google Workspace customers, including Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, Essential Starter, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Essentials Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Frontline Starter, Frontline Standard, and Nonprofits.
Recent Outlook Integration Improvement in Google Workspace
This is the second focus on improving integration with third party services for Google Workspace this week. The company also updated Google Calendar to show Microsoft Outlook usernames in an attendee list.