Google has announced new changes in the making for its Workspace users. At the moment, these features are only available to developers who are part of Google’s Developer Preview Program.
The announcement talks about users being able to read working location data from the Calendar API. Hence they can be notified when others change the locations they are working from by setting a specific location from within the “working location data" option. Users can also update the data on a weekly basis or set one-time locations. Previously, Google mentioned that the feature would come as a separate API called the Working Location API, but now, to provide a “more streamlined experience,” it has integrated it within the Calendar API.
Google also added that reading users' working location data from the API can provide employers with the ability to manage tasks and resources better. Thus, it stated that the capability helps to:
- “Analyze the flow and volume of people through physical campuses, helping you adapt on-site resources to the needs of your employees.
- Share whereabouts across other internal or third-party surfaces, making it easier to enable tasks such as hot desk booking or schedule in-office or remote working days.”
The company expects write support for the API in the third quarter of 2023. While the API is available to all developers, they must be running eligible Workspace editions to access the working location feature. These editions include customers running Google Business Plus, Google Workspace Business Standard, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Plus, Education Standard, Education Fundamentals, legacy G Suite Business, and the Teaching and Learning Upgrade and Nonprofits customers.
However, the capability is not available to customers running G Suite Basic, Google Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Enterprise Essentials, and Frontline. Interested individuals who wish to test more upcoming features from Google can join the beta program for developers here.
