Google Workspace Changes

Gemini-based models for data classification are now available in closed beta for Google Drive, enabling automated file labeling via administrator-defined prompts.

Google Workspace is introducing Gemini-based models for data classification in Google Drive, now in closed beta. This new capability streamlines the data classification process by allowing administrators to use Gemini models to interpret prompts, evaluate files, and apply appropriate data classification labels, eliminating the previous requirement for manual model training with labeled files. This aims to enhance data protection and compliance by achieving high accuracy in file classification at scale.

Gemini Deep Research now integrates with Google Workspace content (Gmail, Chat, Drive) for more comprehensive reports.

Gemini's Deep Research feature now integrates with Google Workspace apps, allowing it to gather information from your content in Gmail, Chat, and Drive (including Slides, Sheets, and Docs files) in addition to the web. This eliminates the need to manually upload individual files, making research more efficient and context-aware for end users, students, educators, and small businesses.

Enhanced Admin audit log events with improved schema and event modeling for better clarity and detail.

Google is updating the schema and event modeling for several Admin audit log events, particularly those related to account security, Gmail, and Drive settings, as well as other admin-defined setting audit logs. These enhancements are designed to make the logs more comprehensible, detailed, and accurate. The changes include modifications to event names, event types, and the overall volume of the affected log events. While some legacy events may become redundant, both new and old events will remain available during the transition period to allow administrators to adjust their existing queries, alerts, and reports. This update significantly improves the depth of analysis possible for cybersecurity incident investigation and data usage understanding.

Admins can now control and manage AI credit overages for Google AI Ultra for Business users in Gemini for Google Workspace.

Google Workspace administrators now have enhanced control over AI credit consumption for users with a Google AI Ultra for Business license within Gemini for Google Workspace. This update allows admins to enable users to exceed their default monthly AI credit limit of 25,000, with any overages being billed. Admins can also set a maximum limit for these overages. The Admin console setting for this control is available immediately, and the billing for credit overages will commence on November 1, 2025.

Gemini in Google Sheets can now understand and analyze multiple tables within a single tab, enabling cross-table analysis, formula generation, charting, and data editing.

Gemini in Google Sheets now supports understanding and analyzing data across multiple tables within a single spreadsheet tab. This enhancement enables users to generate complex formulas that reference several tables, analyze data scattered across different tables to uncover insights and create visualizations, and apply changes to multiple tables simultaneously. Users can also target specific analysis by making selections within tables, enhancing the accuracy and power of their queries.

Google Workspace introduces Business Continuity Plus edition, a full-featured 'hot' standby solution for enterprise customers with extensive data syncing capabilities.

The Google Workspace Business Continuity Plus edition is a full-featured 'hot' standby solution designed for organizations requiring a more readily available environment with extensive data syncing to minimize disruption and drive immediate adoption and productivity. In addition to active directory syncing, this edition supports data syncing across various products including email, calendar, drive, and chat. It provides extended access to Google Workspace and generative AI tools for up to 60 days per year. Google recommends a partner-based solution for implementation.

Google Workspace introduces Business Continuity edition as a disaster recovery solution for non-Google Workspace primary collaboration platforms.

The new Google Workspace Business Continuity edition serves as a robust 'cold' standby disaster recovery solution for organizations using non-Google Workspace primary collaboration platforms. It provides a secure, isolated environment to ensure leadership and critical teams can communicate and collaborate during a crisis. Key functionalities include active directory syncing for user directory availability. This edition is intended for limited use, offering access to Google Workspace and generative AI tools like Gemini and NotebookLM for up to 21 days per year.

Gemini in Google Sheets now supports multi-step tasks and has expanded editing capabilities.

Gemini in Google Sheets has been updated to execute multiple actions from a single prompt, allowing users to describe complex, multi-step goals in plain language. This expansion includes automating complex formatting and data cleaning, performing multiple simultaneous formatting requests, combining analytical and structural changes, and complex structure updates. Additionally, Gemini now supports an expanded library of actions covering formatting, data entry & manipulation, structure & organization, and filtering, enabling more intuitive and powerful editing tasks within Google Sheets.

Existing reporting rules convert to activity rules for Business and Education Fundamentals customers, allowing notification frequency configuration and descriptive alerts.

For Google Workspace Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, and Enterprise Essentials customers, all existing reporting rules will automatically be converted to activity rules. Admins will now have the ability to configure notification frequencies and access more descriptive alerts. However, it's important to note that applying thresholds and actions to rules will not be available for these specific Workspace editions. This change aims to provide a more streamlined workflow for managing alerts.

Reporting rules are combined with activity rules for Enterprise and Education Plus customers, adding threshold-less rules and a new event-based threshold mode.

For Google Workspace Enterprise Plus, Enterprise Essentials Plus, Education Plus, Cloud Identity Premium, Chrome Enterprise Premium, and Enterprise Standard customers, reporting rules are now combined with activity rules. This change allows admins to create rules without thresholds and introduces a new threshold mode that triggers a rule every time a relevant event occurs. This aims to simplify the admin experience for creating rules and monitoring alerts within the Admin console.

Google Workspace is implementing a Shared Signals Framework (SSF) Receiver to enhance security by ingesting Continuous Access Evaluation Profile (CAEP) signals, currently in closed beta.

The Shared Signals Framework (SSF) is an initiative by the OpenID Foundation to standardize cross-system communication between security platforms, facilitating the sharing of security insights and events. Google Workspace is supporting this initiative by implementing an SSF Receiver to ingest Continuous Access Evaluation Profile (CAEP) signals. This feature is currently available in a closed beta for Google Workspace customers and interested partners. An example use case for this enhancement is session revocation, where a signal to revoke a session will automatically invalidate the user's session, thereby reducing the window of access for potentially compromised users. This improves security by enhancing cross-system communication and accelerating responses to security incidents.

Google AI Pro for Education subscription consolidates Gemini Education offerings and provides advanced AI features for Workspace for Education customers.

Google AI Pro for Education is now available as a single add-on subscription for Workspace for Education customers, consolidating the previous Gemini Education and Gemini Education Premium offerings. This new subscription includes all advanced features from Gemini Education Premium, such as access to Gemini in Google Workspace apps, AI-powered note-taking and summaries in Google Meet, expanded access to premium models and features in Gemini for Education and NotebookLM, and enhanced proactive security with AI-enhanced data loss prevention. This aims to provide more value and simplify access to advanced AI features for education institutions.

Increased limits to Gemini 2.5 Pro for Gemini for Education users, free of charge.

Gemini for Education now offers significantly higher limits for Gemini 2.5 Pro, making premium AI models more accessible to students and educators free of charge. This update, building on last month's announcement of Gemini for Education, provides enhanced capabilities like personalized quizzes, step-by-step topic breakdown, and brainstorming tools. Gemini 2.5 Pro is available by default to all Gemini app users within Google Workspace Education Fundamentals, Standard, and Plus subscriptions, providing enterprise-grade data protection.

Enterprise security and privacy controls for Google Workspace with Gemini, including prompt injection mitigation and granular admin controls.

Google Workspace with Gemini offers robust enterprise-grade security and privacy, ensuring customer data confidentiality and compliance with regulations like HIPAA and FedRAMP High. It features a layered defense strategy against prompt injection attacks and provides granular user access and data security controls, empowering administrators to safely deploy AI tools like the Gemini app, Gemini in Workspace apps, and NotebookLM.

Migration of files from Microsoft SharePoint Online to Google Drive is now generally available via the New Data Migration service.

The functionality to migrate files from Microsoft SharePoint Online to Google Drive, previously in open beta, is now generally available through the New Data Migration service. This service allows admins to transfer data from SharePoint Online sites, including document libraries, folders, files, and associated permissions, facilitating a smooth transition to Google Workspace. The migration process supports up to 100 SharePoint Online sites at a time to Shared Drives, provides comprehensive reporting, and offers delta updates for newly added or modified files.