As it goes in the world of tech, tools and processes are constantly being replaced with modern solutions that address ever-changing user needs and expectations. Remarkably, organisational email is one such technology that seems to have stood the test of time. Despite modern methods of communication (such as instant messaging) revolutionising correspondence with colleagues; email remains as the main pillar of communication for many. Especially with external parties or for particularly formal purposes. 

So, it seems that as a concept, email shouldn’t be messed with. This, however, doesn’t mean that it can’t be improved, augmented and transformed to suit the new ways in which we work. And this is exactly what Google has done with Gmail. 

What is Gmail?

In its very simplest form Gmail is an email service provided by Google. However, it is so much more than that. Google understands the importance that email, as a form of communication, continues to hold throughout organisations. Most often, it is the first tool that employees consult in the morning and the last thing they check at the end of day. This is why Gmail is positioned as the centre point of Google Workspace, whose robust integrations enable users to access many other tools such as Chat, Meet or Calendar without ever leaving the Gmail interface. Moreover, email is made easy and secure thanks to Gmail's powerful features. Let's take a look at some of these now.

Gmail Security Features 

Spam detection & protection

Spam is a frustration that we’ve all dealt with - the cluttering of your inbox and missing important emails. Unfortunately, as email is an open standard technology, it is impossible to stop spam at the source. Instead, effective filters and blockers are required to prevent spam from making its way to your inbox. Luckily for Gmail users, Google has these in spades.

Gmail provides users with best-in-class spam detection and protection through implementation of Artificial Intelligence. The algorithm employed by Google will learn your inbox and the type of emails you typically receive. This information is then used to categorise the potential danger of an email and how, in turn, it should be presented to the user. There are various levels of spam protection. Emails which are undoubtedly spam will be held in quarantine and will never actually make it to your inbox. Meanwhile, emails whose authenticity are not certain will be directed to a users spam folder with relevant warnings in place. Finally, 'unusual emails' (those not typically associated with your mailbox) that appear to be safe will enter a users inbox with an amber warning banner. This banner will encourage the user to assess the safety of the email and sender, and then either mark as safe or report as spam or potential phishing. Google’s AI will then learn from this and deal with similar future emails accordingly.

Gmail’s security doesn’t stop there. There’s a huge number of different security settings that can be enabled in the Admin Console in order to protect employees. These include initiatives such as anomalous attachment and hyperlink scanning to prevent users from clicking on dangerous sources unknowingly. Importantly, Gmail security features never compromise its usability, users will be able to get on with their tasks, all the while being protected.

Gmail User Features

Aside from top-class security, Gmail also offers a host of features that will serve the modern needs of users whilst helping you to be more productive and efficient. Here are some of our favourites: 

Rules & Filters  

You can manage incoming mail by creating bespoke rules and filters. For example, you can direct emails from a certain address straight to a label or automatically forward it to another address. This enables your inbox to be organised automatically without any effort from you. 

Snooze

The snooze function is a great one for those with extremely busy inboxes. Essentially, snoozing an email temporarily removes it from your inbox and makes it reappear as unread at a time chosen by you. This allows you to put replying to emails on hold without the risk of completely forgetting about it! 

Undo Send

We all know the pain of clicking ‘send email’ and realising instantly that you’ve made a mistake. With undo send, Gmail gives you the opportunity to recognise and fix any errors before it reaches the recipient. You can set this delay for a period of 5, 10 or 30 seconds. This means that when you click send, your email will be held from sending for the determined period of time. During this time an ‘undo’ button will appear at the bottom left hand side of the Gmail interface. If you click ‘undo’ then your email will bounce back into compose mode and will not be sent to your recipient. 

Confidential Mode

Using confidential mode in Gmail you can protect sensitive information from unauthorised access. Emails marked as confidential will prevent recipients from downloading, copying, forwarding or printing the contained data. In addition, the sender can set an expiration date for the email, at which point it will self-destruct in the recipient's inbox. The sender can also require 2 factor authentication, meaning that the recipient will have to request an SMS code in order to gain access to the email.

Search in Gmail

Gmail provides powerful search functions which enable you to quickly and easily find emails using a variety of criteria. Data within Google Workspace is pre-indexed and contextualised meaning that when you search for something, the results will be relevant to you and your recent activity. This prevents you from wasting huge amounts of time searching through masses of emails and allows you to get on with your important work.

Gmail has so many great features that put it at the top of its game. State of the art AI not only keeps our inboxes secure, but also contributes to an enhanced user experience which addresses the needs and expectations of the modern ways in which we work. With ongoing updates and extra features being added, it's exciting to think of what Gmail will offer us in the future!

Got some questions about Gmail, or Google Workspace? Please get in touch.