Google is launching a major update to its G Suite productivity tools that will see a deep integration of Gmail, Chat, Meet and Rooms on the web and on mobile, as well as other tools like Calendar, Docs, Sheets and Slides. The four tabs at the bottom will be Mail, Chat, Rooms, and Meet. Mail is the typical Gmail interface, Chat is for instant messaging conversations, Rooms is Google’s Slack-like team/group messaging service, and Meet is for video calling. The integration is deeper than just tabs, too. Chat and Rooms will also send follow-up reminders if you don’t respond in time. These four tabs will make their way to the web version of Gmail as well. They will be in the left sidebar and each service will get its own section with shortcuts to folders, conversations, rooms, and calls. The web version will also get additional integration with Google Docs, meaning you can collaborate on documents from inside Gmail. Essentially, Google is hoping to turn Gmail into a one-stop-shop for productivity.
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