Google has rebranded its G Suite collection of office productivity tools, renaming it Google Workspace and changing product logos to align with the colours associated with Google. The move is being pushed as a response to how the novel coronavirus has forced many to change the way they work.

With the rebrand, Google has launched new features aimed at making products – such as Gmail, Drive, Docs, and Meet – more closely integrated with one another. And some of these features are directly aimed at making collaboration easier between teams all working from different locations.

Features debuting in the coming weeks and months include the ability to collaborate on documents with guests in a Chat room – making it easier to share content with people outside of your organisation – and the expansion of the ability to use Meet picture-in-picture to Docs, Sheets, and Slides.

More immediately, G Suite users will be able to preview linked files without having to open a new tab in Docs, Sheets, and Slides. And, when users @mention someone in a document, a smart chip will show contact details and suggest actions.

On the icon front, Gmail, Drive, Calendar, Meet, Docs, Sheets, and Slides will all be getting a facelift in the coming weeks, each becoming four-colour icons to further push the idea of integration across the products.

The transition from G Suite to Google Workplace has already begun for Google’s paying business customers. As previously, the cheapest plan, Business Starter, starts at $6 a month. And this doubles to $12 for Business Standard, which offer more storage and larger meetings. What’s new is a Business Plus offer for $18 that promises increased security and compliance features.

For Google’s education and non-profit customers, and users of the free version of G Suite, the makeover will be delivered ‘in the coming months’.