Google Workspace Changes

New Admin console setting to control whether Working Hours is enabled for users.

Google is adding a setting in the Admin console that allows administrators to control whether the Working Hours feature is enabled for users in their domain. This setting can be managed by navigating to Admin console > Apps > G Suite > Settings for Calendar > Sharing Settings, where a new checkbox 'Allow users to set working hours' has been added. The setting is enabled by default and can be configured at the organizational unit level.

Recurring Calendar events will migrate their video conferencing from classic Hangouts to Meet.

Migrating the video conferencing for recurring Calendar events from classic Hangouts to Meet. Previously, new events scheduled in Calendar used Meet. Now this change updates previously scheduled events in Calendar as well.

Google Calendar now indicates when all guests have declined a meeting.

Google Calendar now provides a visual indication when all guests have declined a meeting, allowing users to identify events with no attendance without checking event details or RSVP emails. From this indication, users can choose to cancel the meeting, reschedule it, or dismiss the notification.

Ability to book Microsoft Exchange resources directly in Google Calendar.

G Suite users will soon be able to view and book resources, such as meeting rooms and equipment, that are stored in Microsoft Exchange and Office 365 directly within Google Calendar.

Google Calendar introduces native support for third-party conferencing add-ons.

Google Calendar is adding support for third-party conferencing add-ons, allowing providers such as Cisco Webex, GoToMeeting, and RingCentral to enable users to create, view, and join video conferences directly from a Calendar event on web or mobile without requiring downloads or plug-ins.

Automatically generated meeting join instructions for third-party calendar clients.

Google Calendar now automatically adds text to event descriptions for users utilizing G Suite Sync for Microsoft Outlook, Google Sync, or third-party Android clients that rely on Calendar Provider. This text provides clear instructions on how to join meetings via Meet or Hangouts, allowing users of clients that do not natively display meeting instructions (such as Samsung S Planner) to join meetings without needing to access Google Calendar on the web.

Include a message when changing or deleting meeting details in Google Calendar.

Google Calendar now allows users to enter a custom message in a dialog box when editing or deleting an existing meeting. This message is then included in the email notification sent to other guests, facilitating better communication regarding meeting changes.

Calendar Interop now uses a restricted set of known IPs for Exchange server communication.

To enhance security for coexistence setups, Google Calendar Interop now utilizes a restricted set of known IPv4 and IPv6 addresses when communicating with Microsoft Exchange servers. This allows G Suite customers to block all incoming traffic to their on-premise Exchange servers via firewalls, except for requests originating from Calendar Interop.

Improved Google Calendar audit logs for third-party ICS-related changes.

Google Calendar has enhanced its audit logs in the Admin console to provide more detail for changes originating from third-party systems, such as Microsoft Exchange or IBM Notes, via ICS files. New information added to the logs includes the email sender's address, the message ID for cross-referencing with Gmail audit logs, the specific third-party system that sent the message, and the email recipient. Admins can filter these activities by selecting 'Gmail ICS Parser' in the API Kind field.

Event details now supported by Calendar Interop for Microsoft Exchange

Google is rolling out support for event details in availability lookups for Calendar Interop with Microsoft Exchange. G Suite admins can now opt in to share event titles, locations, and guest response statuses when users utilize Google Calendar's 'Find a Time' or Outlook's 'Scheduling Assistant'.

Automatic room suggestions in Google Calendar

Google Calendar is introducing automatic room suggestions to help organizations collaborate more effectively. The tool suggests rooms optimized for attendees based on their building and floor location, previous booking history, audio/video equipment needs, and room capacity requirements. To unlock this feature, administrators must input detailed meeting room information into Calendar.

Automatic upgrade to the new Google Calendar web UI begins January 8th, 2018.

Google will begin automatically upgrading users to the new Google Calendar web UI starting January 8th for Rapid Release domains and January 15th for Scheduled Release domains. Users on automatic rollout can opt out until February 28th, 2018, while those in manual rollout domains will be upgraded on February 28th without an opt-out option.

Update Google Calendar resources using the Calendar Resource, Buildings, and Features APIs.

Google has updated the existing Calendar Resources API and introduced two new APIs—Buildings and Features—to make it easier for G Suite admins to add and edit structured data about buildings and resources, ensuring synchronization with other facility management systems.

Classic Google Calendar Interop tool will be shut down on February 28, 2018.

Google is shutting down the classic version of the Calendar Interop tool on February 28, 2018. Organizations that have previously configured the classic version must migrate to the new version of Calendar Interop by this date to ensure continued availability lookup functionality between G Suite and Microsoft Exchange or Office 365 environments.

Easily copy and paste Hangouts Meet conference details across Google Calendar events.

Google Calendar now allows users to copy and paste Hangouts Meet conference codes or full URLs across different events. This is particularly useful for scheduling multiple events that require the same conference link, such as separate events for interviewers and candidates or back-to-back meetings, ensuring all participants join the same video conference. This feature is available in the new Calendar for web.