Google Calendar to Implement New Time Management Feature

Google is adding a feature to its calendar, allowing users to see how much time they're spending in meetings.

Google has announced a new feature called Time Insights for the Google Calendar. Once this feature is released, users will be able to browse various data regarding their meetings, as long as they are viewing their calendar through a computer.

While Google Calendar used to mainly serve as just that, a calendar, the exodus from office life has lead to a massive increase in Google Hangouts as a vessel for meetings. Google Hangouts has existed for a while, but it was usually used for occasional meetings when someone couldn't attend physically.

But now that multiple businesses are either working from home entirely or conducting their business through a hybrid style, virtual meetings have become a necessity for many office-based businesses. This necessity means that employees have a lot more to gain from in-depth analytics about their meeting behavior.

How Will this New Feature Work?

Businesses who pay to use Google Workspace will be able to show each individual employee a personalized report that tells them how much time they're spending in meetings or working with collaborators.

This can be as general as “how much time per week do I spend in meetings?” or as specific as “which day do I usually have the most meetings?” This will allow people to plan ahead, spreading out their workload to accommodate for busier days.

Users will also be able to see the people that they are most frequently in meetings with, allowing quick access to their calendars in case they want to set up a call.

Other Noteworthy Information on Time Insights

Time Insights is expected to roll out between September 6th and September 20th. For now, it will be usable only under certain Google Workspace plans. These plans are Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Plus and Nonprofits.

It's worth noting that only employees will be able to see their own Time Insights report. Managers will not have free access to their reports' calendars, unless those reports have enabled the “manage sharing access” permission. Workspaces as a whole can also turn this off for every employee, should they feel inclined.

The Future of Remote Working

Google Hangouts is one of many virtual meeting platforms that have all found footing during the work from home boom. While Time Insights is a great add-on for Google Hangouts, it doesn't make it the indisputable best platform on the market.

In fact, competition is fierce in the web conferencing space, with the likes of Microsoft, Google, Zoom, and countless others all vying for your business.

If you're in the market for a web-conferencing software platform, here is our list of the best web-conferencing platforms on the market. They all have different strengths and weaknesses, so each platform will suit different businesses.

0 out of 0
Price from
The lowest starting price for a paid plan. The lowest price available for your business will depend on your needs.
Best for
Free plan
Breakout Rooms
Whiteboard
Audio-Conferencing
Pros
Cons

Zoho Meeting

GoTo Meeting

Zoom

RingCentral

Webex

Google Meet

Microsoft Teams

Lifesize

BlueJeans

Value

Sound and video quality

Beginners

Security

Larger businesses

Google Workspace users

Microsoft 365 users

Users that need hardware

Users that need customer support

Yes (paid plan) – VoIP, Phone & Toll-Free

Yes – VoIP, Phone & Toll-Free

Yes – Add-on audio plan allows you to add Call Out, global Toll-free & local dial-in for premium countries

Yes – Companies get a single audio conferencing bridge dial-in phone number for easy universal access.

Yes – Audio-only calls can be created when a host generates an Audio pin

Yes – Just call the number listed on the meeting invite, or join via the link and turn off your camera

Yes – but only in selected countries, and each user dialing into meetings will need an audio-conferencing license.

Yes – in a meeting contact card, users can tap the phone number under Details to call using their default phone or voice app

Yes – Easy access to audio conferencing is provided via a traditional PSTN number

  • Low cost, flexible pricing
  • Browser functionality
  • SSL/128-bit AES encryption
  • High quality video and audio
  • Reliable and secure
  • Lower cost than competitors
  • Easy to use
  • Feature-rich free version available
  • Intuitive interface
  • Lots of customizability
  • Affordable
  • Feature-rich software
  • High quality video
  • Easy setup
  • Google Calendar compatibility
  • Saves chat logs
  • Easy integration with Google apps
  • Completely free
  • 300 participants
  • Integrates with Microsoft 365
  • 1080p video and HD audio,
  • Integrates with third-party apps
  • Good value
  • Amazing sound quality
  • Lots of features
  • Many software integrations
  • Recording costs extra
  • No free plan
  • Poor audio quality
  • No analytics
  • Free – no single sign-on
  • Occasional bandwidth issues
  • Spotty connectivity
  • No gallery view for guests
  • Steep learning curve
  • Unsophisticated chat function
  • Connectivity issues without update
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Written by:
Duncan (BA in English Textual Studies and Game Design) is an Australian-born senior writer for Tech.Co. His articles focus on website builders, and business software that allows small businesses to improve their efficiency or reach, with an emphasis on digital marketing or accounting. He has written for Website Builder Expert and MarTech Series, and has been featured in Forbes. In his free time, Duncan loves to deconstruct video games, which means that his loved ones are keenly concerned about the amount of time he spends looking at screens.
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