Google further boosts Workspace’s compatibility with Office files

Even though Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace might be battling out to win the hearts and minds of the new work-from-home labor force they still want to get along. Interoperability is a user-friendly feature that makes life easier for everyone involved, particularly those who have to deal with clients and workers outside of their own organization. That is why Google recently made it possible to edit, comment and collaborate on Office files using Docs, Sheets and Slides. Today we have news that Google is further enhancing these interoperability features. Here is what you need to know.

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Google has announced in a Google Workspace blog post that is improving the notification system that will provide updates to users collaborating on Office files using Docs, Sheets, and Slides.

The new system includes an Office-formatted warning symbol that will let users know that some features won’t be available due to the fact that the document is an Office document and not a Google Doc. Of course, not all Office documents will have compatibility issues so there will also be a new notification screen indicating that everything is working perfectly too.

On top of this, Google is also making it easier to view historical versions of the document too and restore older versions.

The feature is gradually rolling out to all Google Workspace customers, legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers, and users with personal Google Accounts now and should be available for all users by August 25^th. Google says that the new feature will be on by default and will always be present when a user opens a Microsoft-formatted document.

This added interoperability marks another step in the right direction for Google as it attempts to shorten the gap between Google Workspace and Microsoft 365. Other recent moves include improved scheduling options when assigning meetings, improved location-based services to help with scheduling, and improved Workspace security protocols.