Google announced this week two additions to Google Apps for Work that makes managing and finding information even easier for businesses. The search giant is now rolling out its Springboard search and digital assistant service and has launched a redesigned Google Sites.
Google Springboard
Google Springboard brings the power of the Google Search engine to the Google Apps for Work platform. It aims to help businesses save time searching for emails, documents and other types of information and files on Google Apps.
"It’s no secret that the growth of information inside the enterprise continues to accelerate," wrote Prabhakar Raghavan, vice president of engineering at Google Apps, in a blog post. Citing a study by the McKinsey Global Instituted, Raghavan added that the average knowledge worker today spends the equivalent of one full day a week searching for and gathering information.
Although the suite of products included in Google Apps already have their own search features, Springboard unifies the search function across the platform. This means users can now find information throughout Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Drive, Contacts and other Google Apps products using a single search tool.
Springboard can also assist users during the workday by "proactively providing useful and actionable information and recommendations," Raghavan wrote. This feature functions a lot like Google Now, the company's intelligent personal assistant feature. [See Related Story: How to Use Google Now for Business]
Google Sites Redesign
In addition to launching Springboard, Google has also revamped Google Sites, its intranet, information portal and project management service for business users.
"With the new Google Sites, you can build beautiful, functional pages to aggregate and distribute content across your enterprise, optimized for every screen," Raghavan announced.
The rebuilt Google Sites now includes intuitive drag-and-drop editing and flexible themes and layouts that are responsive and fit any screen size, from smartphones to large monitors.
Additionally, the redesign supports real-time collaboration by multiple users, much like the real-time editing features in Docs. Google Sites now also gives users access to all content on other Google Apps for Work products, including Docs, Calendar, Drive, Maps and more.
Get Started
Google Springboard and Google Sites is available via Google's Early Adopter Program. To get started, Google Apps for Work admins can sign up at the Google Springboard Early Adopter Program and the Google Sites Early Adopter Program.
