Today, Google rolls out Google Cloud Search, which used to be known as Springboard, to its G Suite Business and G Suite Enterprise editions customers. This solution brings machine learning-enabled search to everyday actions, and could enable new efficiencies or innovations for companies that already benefit from collaborative tools in G Suite. Some might be wondering how to use Google Cloud Search in business environments.

According to a study from McKinsey, the average knowledge worker spends 20 percent of their day just trying to find and consolidate information—improving these processes, particularly at professional services or software companies, could have major gains.

How to use Google Cloud Search: the basics

Beginning to take advantage of Google Cloud Search is fairly straightforward—just open up the Cloud Search application on your mobile device, laptop, or desktop, and you’ll immediately see some of your important information organized into “cards” that will help intelligently inform you about important information.

Let’s say, for example, you have a conference call coming up at 3:00pm—just informing you about that isn’t too special. What’s more unique is Cloud Search’s ability to pull documents from your or your company’s shared Google Drive space into that card. That’s where the machine learning and intelligence comes in.

Google says that as more people use Cloud Search, they’ll be able to create new cards and make existing ones more intelligent. It’s not difficult to already see how bringing together once-discrete pieces of information could create major efficiencies in someone’s day. If they don’t have to spend 15 minutes discovering and preparing each document they’re going to use for their three meetings that day, they can better utilize those 45 minutes on more important.

You’ll also be able to instantly search for other people in your company’s directory. Their contact information will appear alongside any relevant content or conversations, which means you can see at-a-glance what you might need to know, and then send an email or start a Hangout.

How to use Google Cloud Search

How to use Google Cloud Search, in gif form!

What to be aware of

It’s important to reiterate that users can only search for documents they have access to—administrators can still set up and enforce standard Google Drive permissions to ensure that employees can read important files without getting distracted by anything else.

Cloud Search is available only to Suite Business and G Suite Enterprise editions, which proves that it’s particularly focused on businesses that hope to gain new efficiencies. If you don’t have a G Suite plan for your business yet, we can help you leverage the cloud to gain efficiency and improve collaboration.

For those on the Rapid release and Scheduled release tracks, and those who have opted-in to automatically get new services, Cloud Search will be available starting today, Tuesday, February 14, 2017. Those who choose to manually enable new services will have to turn Cloud Search on by going to Apps > G Suite > Cloud Search on or after today.

The next steps

For those who are already G Suite-enabled, all that you need to do is get searching or enable the feature for your business. Starting today, you’ll be able to see what Google’s machine learning algorithms are capable of.

For those who don’t have G Suite yet, maybe it’s time to start thinking about it. Here at Bi101, we’ve help hundreds of companies migrate into the cloud to leverage real-time collaboration tools to improve utilization and enable mobility. Get in touch and we’ll show you the G Suite way. Or, take our cloud readiness quiz to see how ready your business is for the cloud.