Google Workspace adds Jira and AppSheet integrations

Google unveiled more app integrations and security controls for its Workspace productivity suite during its Cloud Next 21 conference on Tuesday.

The company unveiled two new third-party integrations for its Workplace suite and more customer control for Google Meet encryption.

There are now around 5,300 third-party apps available for users to integrate with various Workspace tools, according to Google. One of the newest is an integration of two collaboration tools, Chat and Spaces (formally Chat Rooms), and Atlassian's popular work management app Jira. This is a bot integration that lets Jira users create new tickets within the Chat and Spaces apps and also monitor issues and view Jira previews.

"Modern work requires people to switch contexts and tools faster than ever before," said Joff Redfern, the CEO of Atlassian. "We believe an open ecosystem and tight integrations among the tools that users rely on every day is vital to their success.

"Since 2017, our Trello integration with Gmail has been installed by more than seven million people. Today, we are excited to build on the partnership between Atlassian and Google to propel work collaboration further with the integration of Jira with Google Chat and Spaces."

The tech giant has also added an integration that connects Google's email platform, Gmail, with its no-code dev offering AppSheet. Google acquired AppSheet in January 2020, and it lets users create visual applications based on data in Workspace apps. Its Gmail integration lets Workspace users interact with AppSheet apps directly from their inbox, making it easier for workers to input relevant data or approve requests without switching screens.

There were also a number of security updates for Workspace, such as client-side encryption for Google Meet, which aims to give customers more direct control over encryption keys and the identity service they use to access them. Additionally, the firm also announced Data Loss Prevention (DLP) for Google Chat which should help prevent sensitive and confidential information from leaking outside of an organisation.