The Best Communications Apps for G Suite

Google’s G Suite isn’t just one of the most appealing productivity suites in the world today because it’s reliable and easy to use. People turn to Google because they know that they’re going to get a product that’s flexible and extensible. Google, like many other brands in the age of digital transformation, knows that if it wants to appeal to the widest possible audience, it needs to give them endless opportunities to use the tools that they love.

The G Suite marketplace is Google’s way of offering modern enterprises a multitude of exciting extensions to the G Suite experience. Within the marketplace, businesses can find everything from task management tools and HR applications, to services that enhance communication.

Today, we’re going to be looking at some of the communication applications available from the G Suite marketplace. These apps will help businesses of all shapes and sizes to stay connected as they embrace trends like remote working, mobile employment, and even enhanced user experience.

1. Zoom for Gmail/ Calendar
2. Dialpad
3. GoToMeeting
4. RingCentral Office
5. Slack

Zoom for Gmail and Calendar

Google App Store rating: 4-4.2 (Over 4 million users)

Quote: #EPIC

Zoom has quickly emerged as one of the best-known conferencing and collaboration tools in the marketplace today. If you need a quick way to set up a meeting with your colleagues, you can invite them to a Zoom meeting and have access to reliable video in seconds. In recent years, Zoom has become so synonymous with video chat, that it’s become the go-to way to collaborate in many business landscapes.

If you love the simple functionality and accessibility of Zoom, then the Zoom for Gmail and Zoom for Calendar extensions for G Suite simply take that performance and embed it into your favorite G Suite tools. You get everything you need from Zoom for a happy meeting, including flawless video, clear audio, and simple content sharing. However, it’s all embedded directly into your G Suite environment, so you can waste less of your time jumping between apps.

Zoom for Gmail simply lets you launch your Zoom conferences from directly within the Gmail inbox. Just click on a meeting to get started and go. Zoom for Google Calendar offers features like:

• Easy scheduling with details for all participants
• One-click joining across all devices
• Support for mobile, desktop and conference room
• Manage your Zoom with centralized deployment
• Easy access to Zoom functionality.

The Zoom solutions for the G Suite tie everything that modern businesses need for quick and seamless collaboration into an easy-to-use platform. Whether you need to host a webinar with your team, or conduct a one on one meeting, Zoom has you covered. What’s more, thanks to the G Suite application, you won’t have to switch out of your G Suite environment to get started.

Dialpad

Google App Store rating: 3.9 (70,260 users)

Quote: Easy to use.

Dialpad is another application for the G Suite environment that’s all about bringing simple and accessible communications to the masses. At its core, Dialpad is a state-of-the-art cloud communication system. It brings together messaging (for real time conversations), video, voice, and meetings into an easy-to-use single platform. You can access Dialpad from any internet-enabled device, which means that keeping your remote and mobile teams connected is simple too.

Dialpad comes with some of the latest cloud communication technology on the market, including Opus and the WebRTC codec, so you get an unparalleled level of clarity in every call. Additionally, the system includes features like live call transferring, simultaneous ringing, and powerful end-to-end analytics too.

The G Suite application for Dialpad brings all of the functionality of this cloud calling and communication system into your G Suite environment. That includes:

• 3-way calling and conferencing
• Text replies
• Call waiting functionality
• Simultaneous ringing
• HD audio and video
• MMS and SMS messaging
• International calling
• Easy setup and user provisioning
• Calls from your browser

Dialpad’s app for Google is the pure cloud Business Phone system solution designed by the creators of both UberConference and Google Voice. Referenced as the leading service for G Suite phone communications, Dialpad transforms the modern workforce by making it easier for anyone to dial into an immersive and reliable conversation.

Dialpad is also the only business phone system that integrates with the G Suite natively. That means that you don’t need to fiddle with APIs and other integrations to make things work smoothly. If you’re looking to transform your workforce, or make team members more productive, then you can combine Dialpad and G Suite in an instant. There’s no need to even have your own desk phone already. You can view call history and launch conversations directly from your Gmail interface.

GoToMeeting

Google App Store rating: 4 (598,721 users)

Quote: It was easy to install at the Domain Level for my G Suite Domain. (Individual install is not available at this time) Now I can easily select my Personal Meeting Room from the Add Conferencing drop-down ... or can click 'more options' from the Google Calendar pop-up and click the GoToMeeting Add button for a unique meeting ID.

Looking for something simple and accessible to add communication features to your G Suite experience. You can’t go wrong with GoToMeeting, one of the top-rated solutions for meetings and collaboration in the current cloud environment. Designed to help businesses seamlessly and painlessly schedule and manage meetings on the go, GoToMeeting is ideal for the modern business.

GoToMeeting is one of the industry’s leading collaboration tools, giving today’s businesses an easy way to keep their colleagues connected. Even in today’s era of remote and mobile working, you’ll have no trouble using this application to strengthen relationships and boost productivity. What’s more, with Google’s Calendar Integration for GoToMeeting, life gets instantly easier.

The GoToMeeting add-on for Google G Suite slips into your calendar functionality with incredible ease. Essentially, it places the GoToMeet.me personal meeting room into the “add conferencing” drop-down menu that’s included as an option for digital meetings on the G Suite. Features include:

• HD Video
• Crystal clear audio
• Easy meeting scheduling at the push of a button
• Direct access to meetings via Google Calendar
• Personal video conferencing
• Reliable meeting functionality

All you need to do is add the GoToMeeting plugin to your Google Calendar experience, and the rest works naturally out of the box. With just one click, you can set a schedule, arrange a meeting and jump into a conversation, all while staying inside of the G Suite environment. What’s more, to help people get started, there’s even a demo for beginners.

You can get a fourteen-day free trial of the GoToMeeting solution and add it to your Google landscape to see how your colleagues react before going all-in with your new technology.

RingCentral for Google

Google App Store rating: 4.1 (700,870 users)

Quote: I am a huge fan of RingCentral! This app is so easy to use my 5 year old can work it... and the features are comprehensive! Great job RingCentral...

Today, businesses of all shapes and sizes are beginning to recognize just how important it is to have an adaptable communication strategy. The modern world requires people in an enterprise to stay connected through everything from video conferencing, to email, instant messaging and more. A comprehensive phone and communication system that combines everything together into one environment can help any organization to thrive.

RingCentral offers one of the most popular cloud phone systems in the world. Trusted by over 350,000 businesses around the globe, RingCentral is an all-in-one communication solution that gives businesses access to everything from phone calls and business SMS, to voice mails and more. With the RingCentral Office G Suite edition, you can tap into all the features and functionalities that RingCentral has to offer, within your Gmail environment.

RingCentral Office G Suite edition is available to use on any computer, tablet, or device you choose, and it comes with all the basic features that a company needs to enhance its professional image, including custom greetings, on-hold music, and even promotional announcements. Features include:

• New or toll-free numbers
• Unlimited calling and texting in the US or Canada
• Low international rates
• Place and answer calls from Gmail
• Transfer calls
• Set up G Suite conference calls
• Listen to voicemails in Gmail
• Auto-route your calls
• Manage Business SMS conversations
• Access corporate phone directory
• 24/7 customer service and support
• Upgrade with a wide range of integrations

Because RingCentral Office, like the G Suite is built in the cloud, it can scale with your business, offering you the flexibility that you need to thrive in this competitive landscape. There’s even a thirty-day free trial available to get you started. Whatever you need from your communications experience, RingCentral has a world of professional features to offer.'

Slack for G Suite

Google App Store rating: 4.1 (819,393 users)

Quote: Just joined but so far it's great

In a world where collaboration is crucial to business success, Slack is the brand behind some of the simplest and most recognizable collaboration experiences in the world. Slack changed the way that teams looked at teamwork, with a digital hub for sharing ideas, thoughts, files, and messages. The Slack Add-on for G Suite and Gmail allows you to keep track of your conversations and expand the context of crucial discussions too.

You can pull information from an email into a Slack channel instantly or move content into a direct message to a colleague. All you need to do is install the Gmail add-on, and you’ll see the Slack icon located towards the right-hand side of your inbox. From there, you can choose the person or channel that you want to forward your Gmail message to instead of Slack. You can even add message attachments if you want. Features include:

• Easy access to Gmail messages from Slack
• Send messages to channels or private messages
• Flag teammates in Slack
• Add attachments and other content to forwarded emails

The Slack for Gmail add-on is a simple addition to the G Suite experience. Still, it’s one that a lot of companies will find very helpful – particularly if they already use Slack for their instant messaging and collaboration strategies. Slack has quickly emerged as the go-to collaboration hub for a lot of workplaces. If you and your team use the application to send messages every day, then the Slack for Gmail add on will allow you to bring more immediate context to those conversations.

At the same time, you could even use your Slack integrations to coordinate with team members on a response to a customer query or request. You can flag your teammates in Slack and use the email content to come up with a solution together.

Communicate Better in 2020

As we move into the new year, which G Suite add ons and extensions will you be using to help your team members communicate more efficiently? The five applications above are just some of our favorite apps from the G Suite marketplace for communication. As the new year progresses, we’re likely to see even more exciting new tools worth experimenting with.

Tell us about your favorite communication apps in the comments, or reach out to Coolhead Tech if you want to find out more about upgrading your communication and collaboration strategy with G Suite in 2020.