October 25, 2017
Google announced yesterday the integration of add-ons with Gmail.. These are third party tools used to add more functionalities to Gmail. The same concept was already applied to Google Drive services such as Sheets, Docs and recently Slides. Gmail add-ons are introduced with the purpose of enhancing your workflow, ‘rather than toggling between your inbox and other apps, use add-ons to complete actions right from Gmail. With Gmail Add-ons, your inbox can contextually surface your go-to app based on messages you receive to help you get things done faster. And because add-ons work the same across web and Android, you only need to install them once to access them on all of your devices. Click the settings wheel on the top right of your inbox and then “Get add-ons” to get started.’
Most of the add-ons available now are business oriented and are meant to help businesses ‘connect with customers, track projects, facilitate invoicing’, etc. We went through the selection and handpicked for you the ones we think are relevant for us as teachers and educators.
1- Asana
‘Turn communication with clients, customers and teammates into tasks that can be tracked with your team in Asana, all from your inbox.’
2- Dialpad
‘ Message or call colleagues on your device, any time. Automatically view recent communications or save a new contact straight from Gmail. ‘
3- DocuSign (coming soon)
‘Sign and execute contracts, agreements and other documents directly in Gmail using the DocuSign add-on.’
4- Smartsheet
‘Add email content and desired attachments directly to Smartsheet without leaving Gmail.’
5- Trello
‘Turn email into actionable tasks in Trello to give your team a shared perspective on the work that needs to be done.’
