Dive Brief:
- Just days after announcing Google would discontinue Google+ for consumers, the company is revamping its version for the enterprise, according to a company announcement Thursday.
- The "new direction" of Google+ will feature the same "enterprise-grade manageability" like the rest of the G Suite. In an effort to help employees find and direct content, Google+ will add identification tabs.
- Employees and administrators will be able to receive "topical communications" by defining customer conversation streams, according to the announcement. Post analytics will also be available so employees can see their posts' engagement levels.
Dive Insight:
Google announced it was discontinuing Google+ Monday after disclosing a bug that potentially impacted 500,000 users. The platform's low usage was also revealed. About 90% of the platform's user sessions were less than five seconds, according to the company, which contributed to its demise.
Yet Google+ is getting a second chance at life and may have found more purpose in an enterprise setting. The company has been working on shifting the focus of Google+ more toward the enterprise for the past year, according to the announcement.
Last year the company added additional admin capabilities to the G Suite which defined permissions in Google+ pertaining to the creation of internal-only networks. Moving forward, Google wants to see companies break down silos for an inclusive experience for business employees.
The collaboration platform market is competitive — highlighted by Microsoft's steady involvement and Slack's recent acquisition of Hipchat and Stride's intellectual property.
Google is emerging as a competitor in the enterprise communication space, setting itself up for the G Suite version of Microsoft Teams. Microsoft wants customers who already use Office 365 to shift to its communication platform, and Google is hoping for a similar effect on G Suite customers. Facebook also has this familiarity among employees, making Workplace an attractive option for the enterprise.
