What Is Included In Google Workspace?

Google Workspace is a collection of apps designed to become a digital office. This collection aims to transform the way users approach the workspace by empowering them with a set of different tools. Those interested in this may wonder exactly what is included in Google Workspace.

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As a whole, Google Workspace offers an integrated experience through cloud computing, collaboration tools, and productivity apps. Gmail, Google Docs, and Google Drive are among the products included, but there are many more.

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Google Workspace can facilitate the work experience, especially in this current era, with remote offices flourishing. If you are interested in Google Workspace, read on below to find out what apps are included and what they can do for you. 
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What Is Included In Google Workspace?

Google Workspace was originally known as Google Apps when it was launched in 2006. It then became the G Suite, and was ultimately rebranded as the Google Workspace in 2020. This app collection focuses on providing users with the best tools to streamline work.

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Among many others, Google Workspace includes the following popular Google products:

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• Gmail
• Google Drive
• Google Docs
• Google Sheets
• Google Slides
• Google Chat
• Google Meet
• Google Sites
• Google Calendar

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Google Workspace makes it easy for users to manage their workload in-depth. Armed with products designed to enhance collaboration and organization, those using Google Workspace can enjoy a wide range of benefits. 
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Gmail

Gmail is Google’s popular free email service, and it is also included in Google Workspace. Since its launch in 2004, Gmail has been offering a convenient email solution that currently has over 1.5 billion users worldwide.

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Gmail can be accessed on a desktop browser or via the practical mobile app. This Google Workspace product has cloud access and can be enjoyed from any device with minimal effort and maintenance.

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The Gmail app included with Workspace allows you to customize your email address, and once you create a Gmail account, that will remain as your main Google user access. You have 30 GB of storage on Gmail (you get more storage with higher workspace subscription plans), along with comprehensive spam filters and plenty of organization features.

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With Workspace, Gmail also has a 99.9% guaranteed uptime for business emails, and interoperability with Outlook. 

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Google Drive

Google Drive is a file sharing platform that also offers personal cloud storage. It was launched by Google in 2012 to provide users with access to their files in the cloud, synced across devices. 

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It adds a range of storage plans based on your Google Workspace Subscription:

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• Google Workspace Business Starter : 30 GB of storage per user.
• Google Workspace Business Standard : 2 TB of storage per user.
• Google Workspace Business Plus : 5 TB of storage per user.
• Google Workspace Enterprise : Unlimited Storage per user.

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Using Google Drive has the main benefit of giving you cloud access to files you store there, as well as keeping your Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides documents in one easy to access location.

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It has a straightforward interface and enables easy sharing with customizable privacy settings. With Google Drive you can also organize your documents in folders and edit them with ease, and the Microsoft Office compatibility adds even more convenience.  

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The added Workspace benefits included with Drive are twice the amount of storage, 24/7 support via chat and email, and additional security features.

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Google Docs

Google Docs is an online word processor that allows you to create, edit, and share documents. It was launched in 2006 and provides a Microsoft Office-compatible alternative to Word.

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Google Docs usually requires an active internet connection to work, but if you use Google Chrome you’ll have offline access to your documents. When connected to the internet, Google Docs automatically saves your data to the cloud and allows access to version history.

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With Google Docs, you have free access to many benefits, including:

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• Easy collaboration teams and editors
• A voice typing feature for enhanced functionality
• A library of Google fonts ready to use

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Google Docs also has practical formatting options and a bookmark feature. You can create a table of contents and you can use a convenient template to make the process even simpler.
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Google Sheets

Google Sheets is a spreadsheet app first launched in 2006 that offers basic spreadsheet editing functionality. You can create and share a Google Sheet document with others, which allows for a cohesive collaborative contribution to the file.

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While it doesn’t provide spreadsheet features as comprehensive as Excel, Google Sheets is:

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• Easy to use
• Customizable
• Free

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The collaborative aspect makes it a great app to include in Google Workspace, as it can be a helpful tool for work teams.

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You can have different versions and copies of your Google Sheets documents that can be worked on and edited by different people in real time on different devices. Google Sheets also automatically saves your documents in the cloud.
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Google Slides

Google Slides is a presentation editing program akin to and compatible with Powerpoint. This Google Workspace product allows users to create stand-out collaborative presentations. 

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Real-time editing and straightforward sharing allow teams to work together on delivering impactful visual data for meetings or presentations. Google Slides has:

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• A straightforward presenter view
• Live captions
• Speaker notes

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As part of the Google Docs editing suite and Google Workspace, Google Slides easily integrates with other Google apps. This adds enhanced functionality that can be accessed on different devices and autosaved in the cloud. 

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The integrated Microsoft Office compatibility enables easy editing of Powerpoint documents without the need to convert them first. 
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Google Chat

Google Chat was released in 2017 as Google Hangouts, then rebranded in 2020. While it was originally only available to Google Workspace users, it has since become available to the general public while remaining a useful Workspace tool.

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Google Chat is divided in two sections:

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• Spaces: Collaborators can share files, organize and delegate tasks, and create threads. 
• Chat: Includes your messages and direct conversations with coworkers, including your group messages.

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Using Google Chat makes collaborating and sharing files easy, and it is also seamlessly integrated with Gmail. It can be accessed through its separate app and via the browser, depending on what is most convenient. 
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Google Meet

Google Meet is included in Google Workspace and works in tandem with Google Chat to fully replace what was once Hangouts. This product is designed for setting up and participating in video meetings.

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Google Meet offers the options of:

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• Having one on one meetings or group ones
• Allows for a quality of up to 720p
• Call encryption 
• Screen sharing
• Noise-canceling audio filters
• Low-light mode

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If you use Google Meet, you can benefit from a simple collaborative tool that is ideal for work meetings. The host of a meeting can add participants or deny access to those who shouldn’t be involved in it. 
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Google Sites

Google Sites is a streamlined web creation tool that is included in Google Workspace. It is a convenient tool for creating team sites and internal project hubs, and you won’t need IT assistance on hand to be able to use it.

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A new website built through this app will automatically be saved in Google Drive, which will save your work as you go. You can also create websites for the public that represent your brand or provide information on services offered.

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Google Sites simplifies the web creation process by empowering you to get what you need from a site without the need for extra help. 
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Google Calendar

The popular time management app Google Calendar can also be found in Google Workspace. Available for the general public since 2009, the Calendar has provided an easy way to create events and organize work schedules.

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With Google Calendar, you can set up events that are recurrent or a one-off occasion. You can also add start or stop times, as well as an all-day option. Notifications are optional, and can be customized.

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Google Calendar allows you to set your preferred time zone and privacy settings, as well as enabling or disabling visibility filters. You can invite others to the event, which will automatically be added into the schedule of other Google Calendar users. 
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Google Forms

Included in Google Workspace, Google Forms can help you manage and create surveys. This useful tool was launched in 2008 and has since been helping businesses around the world to access well-structured forms and surveys.

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With Google Forms, you can create online forms to gauge customer satisfaction or to analyze charts and insights. You will be able to customize the look of the forms and surveys you make.

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Adding data to a form can have a real-time response that allows you to update the information accordingly, and you have access to them from anywhere, on any device. This tool helps with adapting business models by using relevant information. 
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Google Tasks

Google Workspace includes Google Tasks, the efficient management application. Now also a standalone product, Google Tasks was originally created to assist with Google Calendar and Gmail organization.

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With Google Tasks, you can create to-do items in: 

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• Chat
• Drive
• Calendar
• Gmail
• Docs
• Slides
• Sheets

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Google Tasks allows you to manage even further by creating lists and reordering or hiding them.
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Google Currents

Google Currents is part of Google Workspace, and was initially released in 2019 as part of the now obsolete Google+ social platform. Currents allow internal communication to flourish in businesses.

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The product can be arranged around:

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• Interests
• Polls
• Various discussions

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Users can create posts and use this as a private enterprise social media. This bulletin board approach encourages communication and team building.

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Currents is currently in public beta for Workspace users. Google is planning to wind the service down and slowly integrate it into Google Chat, but for now users can still enjoy it, and all data will be migrated. 
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Google Vault

Google Vault is exclusive to Google Workspace. Regular Google users with an @gmail.com account do not have access to this tool. Only Google Workspace accounts provided by an administrator can unlock this retention and e-discovery app.

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With Google Vault, users can keep track of information and prevent organization data loss. The Vault lets you preserve data as long as needed, and then you can use it to safely  remove what is no longer in use, especially if it is sensitive information. 

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Internal company emails and messages, video recordings, and other data can be stored permanently to help fulfill retention purposes. 
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Google Keep

Google Keep is a practical note-taking app. It was initially released in 2013, and is currently included in Google Workspace. The Keep allows you to create all kinds of notes, from voice to audio to text.

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If you make a voice note with Google Keep, it will be automatically transcribed. There is a single column view and a multi-column view, and text notes can easily be turned into checklists. 

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There are several color customization options available to help with visual management of the notes in Keep. Filtering is easy, and reminders can be set up to help with organization. 
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Marketplace

Google Marketplace is an exclusive service available to Workspace users. The Marketplace allows you to browse through apps designed specifically for enterprises and businesses. These apps can help you enhance the functionality of your business model.

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This online store includes both free and paid apps that use the Google API or Google Apps Script to easily work with Workplace, as well as other products. One of the filters you can use to narrow the search includes which Google products each app works with.

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Using the Marketplace facilitates access to apps that cater to businesses without the extra research and hassle.
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Jamboard

Jamboard is a digital interactive whiteboard created to add functionality to Google Workspace. This product allows collaborators to work together in real time, or ‘jam’ at the same time.

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Up to 50 user sessions can be used for Jamboard, and there are several ways to access it. Jamboard devices allow you to use the board with a stylus or fingers, while on a computer you can use a mouse or trackpad, and on mobile the touchscreen.

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Jamboard is great for collaboration, entertainment, team building, and even for developing critical thinking strategies that help with ongoing productivity.
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Conclusion

Google Workspace includes many other Google apps, some created exclusively for it and others also available to the general public. Among others, Workspace includes Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, and Sheets, as well as more specific apps like Vault and Marketplace.