Google just dropped a bunch of updates to Workspace, and a few of them are genuinely useful for businesses here in Trinidad and Tobago. Let's run through what matters.
Block Calendar Spam Once and For All
You know those random meeting invites that show up out of nowhere? Maybe it's someone trying to sell you something, or just a persistent contact you'd rather not hear from. Google Calendar now lets you block users directly. When you block someone, their current invite disappears and they can't send you new ones. Simple, effective, and long overdue.
Better Control Over What's Shared Externally in Drive
For IT admins managing company data, this one's significant. Drive Inventory Reporting in BigQuery now shows you exactly what's being shared outside your organisation—and it consolidates all the messy permission types (direct shares, group access, public links) into clear, readable data. If you've ever tried to audit who has access to what in a busy Drive environment, you know how painful that can be. This makes it much easier to spot files that shouldn't be public.
Record Presentations Directly from Google Slides
Need to send a presentation to a client who couldn't make the meeting? Or maybe you're onboarding new staff and want to walk them through a process? You can now record yourself presenting directly in Slides using Google Vids. Hit record, do your presentation, and get a shareable link immediately. No need to schedule a call or export files to another platform.
Gemini Comes to Google Chat
Starting August 26th, you'll be able to ask Gemini questions right inside Google Chat. Think of it as having an AI assistant sitting in your team conversations—pull up information, draft responses, or get quick answers without switching apps.
Admin Controls Keep Getting Better
A few updates for the IT folks:
- Workspace Studio security controls: If your team is building automations with Workspace Studio, admins now have more granular control over identity, data protection, and governance settings.
- Chat space restrictions: You can now limit who can create Chat spaces while still letting everyone use direct messages. Useful if you want to keep things organised.
- Admin Assist with Gemini: The Admin Console now has AI-powered help built in—search overviews and a sidepanel to help troubleshoot issues faster.
Meeting Room Display Mode
If your office uses a "bring your own laptop" setup for conference rooms—where someone connects their laptop to the TV or projector—there's a new Room Display mode in Google Meet. It creates a dual-window experience designed specifically for that scenario. Currently in beta.
Want help getting the most out of Google Workspace for your business? Whether you're looking to roll out new features, tighten up security settings, or just need some guidance on what's possible, we're here.
Give us a call at 1 (868) 609-2288, send a WhatsApp message at wa.me/18686092288, or email us at [email protected]. You can also reach out through our contact page.
