Soon it will be easier for people who don’t have a Google Account to work together on G Suite documents. Currently, the feature is still in the beta phase, but soon it will be possible for people without a G Suite subscription or Google account to work on files.
The new functionality works by means of a PIN code that is sent to people without the account. By using a PIN code, people who are invited can view, respond to, recommend changes and make changes to Google Docs, Sheets and Slides immediately.
New function
Google also allows administrators of G Suite files to use an activity log to monitor what the invited person is doing. Access to documents can be revoked at any time. Administrators can also set which department or domain will receive permission.
It is an interesting feature that is also desperately needed to make Google’s G Suite an attractive alternative to the very dominant Office 365. Since Google shifted its focus to business customers, the number of companies with a subscription has grown to four million. In the meantime, it is still expanding this customer base and adding all kinds of new features to attract and retain customers.
Office 365 vs G Suite
By way of comparison, according to Reuters, Office 365 generated 13.8 billion dollars in turnover in 2016. That same year, Googles G Suite accounted for only 1.3 billion dollars. In recent times, Google has added numerous new features to ensure that the two software packages are basically interchangeable. For example, Google Drive users can also respond to Office files without having to leave the Google Drive or convert the documents.
This type of feature will not persuade Microsoft Office 365 users to switch directly to the G Suite software. Especially if they’ve been using Office for decades. But it does make G Suite an increasingly interesting alternative.
This news article was automatically translated from Dutch to give Techzine.eu a head start. All news articles after September 1, 2019 are written in native English and NOT translated. All our background stories are written in native English as well. For more information read our launch article.