Google Workspace Changes

Shared drives are being introduced to Google Workspace Business Starter.

As a benefit of the transition to pooled storage, Business Starter customers will gain access to shared drives, enabling better team collaboration through shared file storage and access. While users can create shared drives and add members, certain advanced admin-level and security controls will not be available for the Business Starter edition. This feature will become available after pooled storage has rolled out to all existing Business Starter customers.

Google Workspace Business Starter is transitioning from per-user storage to pooled storage.

Google is updating the storage model for Business Starter from per-user storage to pooled storage, allowing storage to be shared across the entire organization. This change simplifies storage management and provides admins with better monitoring tools. New customers will have pooled storage starting May 15, 2023, and existing customers will transition starting May 22, 2023.

Google Drive introduces a dedicated spam folder for unwanted and abusive shared files.

Google Drive is introducing a dedicated spam folder to host unwanted files shared with users that contain spam or abusive content. Automatic classifiers will redirect suspected spam, and users can manually move Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Sites, and Forms files in and out of the folder. Once a file is moved to spam, the user is unsubscribed from notifications and comments, and the file is permanently removed after 30 days.

Google Workspace admins can now control access to Bard (now Gemini) via the Early Access Apps setting.

Google Workspace admins now have the ability to enable or disable access to Bard (now Gemini) for their users through the Admin console under Apps > Additional Google services > Early Access Apps. This feature is off by default and can be enabled at the domain, organizational unit, or group level. It is important to note that services managed by the Early Access Apps control are Additional Google services and are not covered under the Google Workspace agreement, Data Processing Agreement, or HIPAA Business Associate Addendum.