With Smart Canvas, Google Looks To Better Connect Workspace Apps
With smart canvas, Google looks to better connect Workspace apps
Google is expanding the capabilities of its Workspace productivity software suite with new "smart canvas" features that enable new ways to connect and share contextual information between apps such as Docs and Sheets.
Rather than introducing entirely new products, the Workspace smart canvas features are being marketed as a "new product experience" that enhances the collaboration capabilities of existing apps.
"We're bringing the content and connections that transform collaboration into a richer, better experience in Google Workspace with smart canvas,” Erika Trautman, director of Google Workspace, said ahead of this week's Google I/O conference. “We're improving the apps that hundreds of millions of people use on a daily basis, such as Docs, Sheets, and Slides, to make them more flexible, interactive, and intelligent.”
Among the new features, Google noted, are interactive "building blocks" that automatically update data between applications, preventing users from switching screens frequently.
This includes the new "smart chips" feature in Google Docs. Just as it is already possible to "@mention" a coworker in a document, smart chips enable users to insert additional data, such as a more extensive list of recommended people within their organization, as well as files and meeting information.
This means, for example, that you can use the Google Workspace People API to import contact data from a contacts list or corporate directory into Docs, including detailed information about a person's location, title, and how to contact them to initiate a conversation.
Additionally, the smart chips connect to Google Drive and Calendar for file storage and meeting scheduling. And, while the smart canvas capabilities are currently focused on Workspace apps, Google has stated that it intends to open the APIs to third-party platforms as well.
“Google did not reinvent Docs, Sheets, and Slides; they simplified meeting while using them — and integrating other elements into the Smart Canvas,” said Wayne Kurtzman, an IDC research director. “Google appears to have focused on developing a single pane of glass to simplify collaboration over work - without reinventing the proverbial wheel.”
The announcements this week are part of Google's effort to tighten the integration of its various apps; the company rebranded G Suite as Workspace last year.
“The concept of documents, spreadsheets, and presentations as distinct applications feels increasingly archaic in today's cloud-based environment, and this complexity obstructs productivity,” said Angela Ashenden, a principal analyst at CCS Insight.
“The initial smart chip features are only the tip of the iceberg in terms of where this strategy is likely to go, with Google also integrating its communications and productivity tools in more beneficial and seamless ways.”
Additionally, Docs now includes a "table templates" function that enables simple polling within the document to elicit feedback from team members, as well as "checklists," which enables the creation of action items within the document that can be assigned to colleagues. The company said that adding these action items simultaneously updates checklists within Google Tasks, assisting teams in keeping track of shared projects.
Additionally, Docs now supports a "page-less format," which eliminates the page's boundaries, making it easier to access large images and detailed comments when working on devices of varying sizes, as well as a "assisted writing" AI feature that warns users against using offensive language and words when drafting text. Later this year, assisted writing will be available.
Sheets also gains new smart canvas capabilities with the addition of "views" to streamline interactions within a spreadsheet, including a timeline view for task tracking. Additionally, there is a "assisted analysis" function that provides formula suggestions to facilitate the extraction of insights from data.
“The whole point is that these are tools that people are already familiar with,” Trautman explained. “We don't want anyone to have to expend too many brain cells figuring out how to implement this new functionality; we want it to be as simple and intuitive as possible for them to incorporate the power of smart canvas into their daily work.”
In addition to its focus on smart canvas, Google has made progress on plans to integrate its Meet video meeting tool more deeply into the suite; users will be able to embed video feeds directly into productivity apps to facilitate collaboration on specific documents. Google stated that the feature will be available in the fall.
According to a Google spokesperson, the majority of the smart canvas features will be available to all Workspace customers, but did not specify which features would be restricted.
While Google was the market leader in collaboration when it launched its cloud-based productivity suite in 2006, a number of competitors entered the market, including Microsoft's Office suite and Salesforce's Quip; and startups such as Airtable, Coda, and Notion introduced their own innovative approaches (while attracting significant investor attention).
Google's challenge — which had 6 million paying customers as of April 2020 — is to stay ahead of the curve without alienating existing users.
In Conclusion
“Being first to market is not critical; having the best approach and strategy is,” Ashenden explained. “These are critical features for Google to offer, and I anticipate that incremental additions along these lines will continue over the next year or so.
“Because customers will need time to adjust to the new features, it makes sense to roll them out gradually and collect feedback and maintain customer support along the way " She stated.
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