Google Workspace Updates: March 2014

New Google Calendar events will now have a Hangout video call link

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

New calendar events will now have a Hangouts video call link added automatically to save time and reduce last minute confusion and delays when event creators forget to add a Hangouts link. Additionally, you can add names to your Hangouts video links to make it easier for everyone to join the video call.

Please note the following:

Hangout video calls are only added if the event creator has an active Google+ profile.
Admins can disable this feature through the calendar settings page in the Admin console. Users will still be able to add or remove Hangouts video call links from events, but will not be able to set their own defaults.
The Admin console setting is launched to both Rapid and Scheduled release domains but it only affects users in Rapid release domains. Scheduled release ___domain admins have at least two weeks to test this feature before it launches to their end users.

Release track:
Rapid release

Editions included:
Google Apps for Business and Education

For more information:
https://support.google.com/a/answer/4362302

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Edit images right in Google Slides and Drawings

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Slides and Drawings will now let you crop, apply shape masks, and add borders to your images right within your presentation and drawings.

Release Track:
Rapid release

Editions included:
Google Apps for Business, Education and Government

For more information:
http://googleenterprise.blogspot.com/2014/03/edit-images-right-in-google-slides-and.html

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Admin default setting for Google+ profile discoverability

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Google Apps admins now have the ability to set the default state for profile discoverability in their ___domain through a control in the admin console. The setting is available for customers who have enabled Premium Features. It is checked by default (i.e., profiles are discoverable in public web searches).

At launch:

All users with discoverability on will get the admin default
All users with discoverability off will be unaffected by the default (since they explicitly set it off)

Example 1: User has set profile to be discoverable prior to launch, admin changes default setting to not be discoverable, user’s setting changes to not be discoverable
Example 2: User has set profile to not be discoverable prior to launch, admin changes default setting to not be discoverable, user’s setting does not change

Going forward:

Changing the admin default will change the users setting if the user has not yet set discoverability
Once a user manually sets their profile discoverability setting (off or on), that setting persists even if the admin default is modified

Example: User has set profile to be discoverable after launch, admin changes default setting to not be discoverable, user’s setting does not change

Note: In domains where an admin sets profile discoverability to be off by default (i.e., unchecks the setting), users may still want to be able to discover their co-workers in the same ___domain. To enable this functionality, we extended Google+ to leverage contact sharing. If the admin has enabled contact sharing for services such as Gmail then co-workers will be suggested in autocomplete results irrespective of their discoverability setting.

Editions included:
Google Apps for Business, Education and Government

For more information:
http://support.google.com/a/answer/4524919

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The new Google Sheets is now the default option

Friday, March 21, 2014

Back in December we announced the launch of the new Google Sheets. This new version is faster and can support larger spreadsheets. Over the next couple of weeks, rapid release ___domain users will automatically be upgraded to the new Sheets. Spreadsheets created after the upgrade will use the new version. Users may opt-out of this experience through the settings menu in Sheets.

The new Sheets will be available to Schedule release domains in the next four to six weeks.

Release Track:
Rapid release

Editions included:
Google Apps for Business, Education and Government

For more information:
https://plus.google.com/+googleenterprise/posts/GdikJcYEZ8S

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Your emails are even more secure with 100% encrypted HTTPS connections

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Starting today, Gmail will always use an encrypted HTTPS connection when you check or send email. Gmail has supported HTTPS since the day it launched, and in 2010 we made HTTPS the default. Today's change means that no one can listen in on your messages as they go back and forth between you and Gmail’s servers—no matter if you're using public WiFi or logging in from your computer, phone or tablet.

In addition, every single email message you send or receive—100% of them—is encrypted while moving internally. This ensures that your messages are safe not only when they move between you and Gmail's servers, but also as they move between Google's data centers.

Release Track:
Rapid release

Editions included:
Google Apps for Business, Education and Government

For more information:
http://googleenterprise.blogspot.com/2014/03/staying-at-forefront-of-email-security.html

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Bring a little something extra to Docs and Sheets with add-ons

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Today we're launching add-ons—new tools created by developer partners that give you even more features in your documents and spreadsheets. To browse through add-ons for Docs and Sheets, select Get add-ons in the Add-ons menu of any open document or spreadsheet. Once you install an add-on it will become available across all of your documents or spreadsheets and you can start using it right away. Note that add-ons for spreadsheets are only available in the new Google Sheets.

Add-ons are enabled by default. Google Apps admins have the option to disable add-ons through Drive settings in the Admin console. Users will always see the Add-ons menu and can browse them but will not be able to install them if the feature is disabled by the admin.

Scheduled release ___domain admins have the option to disable the feature in the Admin console before it launches to their users in a few weeks.

Release Track:
Add-ons menu: Rapid release
Admin console setting: Rapid release and Scheduled release

Editions included:
Google Apps for Business, Education and Government

For more information:
https://support.google.com/a/answer/4530135
http://googleenterprise.blogspot.com/2014/03/bring-little-something-extra-to-docs.html

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Ending support for the Google Apps Connector for BlackBerry Enterprise Server

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Google Apps Connector for BlackBerry Enterprise Server allows BlackBerry 7 OS and older devices to connect to Google Apps through the BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES). However, BlackBerry no longer supports the version of BES that the Connector needs. The latest BlackBerry devices also do not require a BES. As a result, we’re ending support for the Google Apps Connector for BlackBerry Enterprise Server on March 5, 2015.

Who does this affect?
This will affect any Google Apps user with a BlackBerry OS 7 or older device connecting to Google Apps with a BlackBerry Enterprise Server version 5.0.3.

What are my options?
Android and iOS
Android and iOS devices have native apps that support Google Apps.

BlackBerry 10 OS
If you update your device to BlackBerry 10 OS, you can connect to Google Apps using established sync protocols like Google Sync or IMAP / CalDAV / CardDAV.

BlackBerry 7 OS and older devices
If you'd like to continue connecting to Google Apps with BlackBerry 7 OS and older devices after March 2015, you can access mail.google.com and calendar.google.com from your browser.

When will this take effect?
On March 5, 2015, we will end support and turn down the underlying services used by the Google Apps Connector for BlackBerry Enterprise Server.

Editions included:
Google Apps for Business, Education and Government

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Additional admin controls for Hangouts

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

In November we announced a suite of new admin features in Hangouts. Today, we are announcing a few more features that make Hangouts work better for businesses, schools and governments.

Administrator setting to warn users when chatting out of the ___domain
Admins can now enable a setting that will show users a warning that they are chatting with someone outside of their own ___domain. When warnings are enabled for users chatting outside of their ___domain, group chat conversations will be split when the first person from outside the ___domain is added to the discussion. This will prevent external users from seeing previous internal discussions.

Note that these features are only available in the desktop UI. We are working on adding them to the Hangouts mobile apps soon.

Editions included:
Google Apps for Business and Education

For more information:
https://support.google.com/a/answer/4213661

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Updates

New Google Calendar events will now have a Hangout video call link

Edit images right in Google Slides and Drawings

Admin default setting for Google+ profile discoverability

The new Google Sheets is now the default option

Your emails are even more secure with 100% encrypted HTTPS connections

Bring a little something extra to Docs and Sheets with add-ons

Ending support for the Google Apps Connector for BlackBerry Enterprise Server

Additional admin controls for Hangouts

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