Google Workspace has unveiled an upgrade to its spreadsheet software, Google Sheets, with the aim of providing users with an even more powerful and versatile tool. In its ongoing rivalry with Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets has received a series of recent updates to enhance data management capabilities.
One of the notable additions is the integration of “smart chip” technology, which enables users to quickly access information or data from other Google Workspace files, seamlessly integrating popular tools such as Slides, Docs, and Gmail for seamless collaboration.
After an initial rollout in February 2023, Google Sheets has already introduced smart chips, offering users richer experiences and expanded functionality when embedding YouTube clips in spreadsheets. Building on these advancements, Google has announced further enhancements.
Moving forward, users will have the ability to extract information from smart chips, providing additional details and analysis to their work. This includes extracting information from people, file, and event chips, allowing users to pull metadata associated with specific smart chips into separate cells while maintaining a connection with the source chip.
For instance, users can easily track a set of documents, identify their owners, and access details such as creation time and the last modifier of the file. This information can be extracted from the relevant file chips, enabling streamlined organization and deeper data analysis.
Google Workspace stated in a blog post, “Smart chip data extraction allows you to track and organize data more easily and perform deeper analyses using data that is derived from smart chips.” The update offers useful actions like understanding document update history using file chips or sorting and filtering employees based on job location using people chips to assign region-specific tasks.
The feature is currently being rolled out for users on Rapid Release domains, with a wider release planned for June 14th. Data extraction from chips will be available to all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google Accounts. However, certain limits on data extraction will be imposed on users with personal Google Accounts and those with specific Google Workspace account types.
With these improvements, Google Sheets aims to strengthen its position and compete with Microsoft Excel as a comprehensive and intelligent spreadsheet solution for users across various domains.
