As previously announced, Google Apps for Work admins can easily migrate their employees’ emails to Google Apps using the cloud-based data migration service available in the Admin console—no additional tools are needed. Today we’re launching that same capability for contacts. Admins can migrate their employees’ contacts from Microsoft Exchange (2007 and above) and Microsoft Office 365 to Google Apps directly from the Admin console, without needing to install and configure any client tools. 

With straightforward set-up flows and the auto-discovery of mail server connections, our data migration service greatly simplifies the contacts migration process for Apps admins. Check out the Help Center for more information on getting started.

Release track:
Rapid release and Scheduled release

More information:
Help Center

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates

Contacts delegation allows enterprise users to delegate full access to the contacts in their “My Contacts” group without granting access to their mail or anything else in their accounts. This is a common delegation practice between some executive users and their assistants and may be used in any situation where a user wishes to share all of his or her contacts with another user.

To save users time when locating specific delegated contacts, we’ve now added search functionality. Delegates can search delegator contacts by selecting the delegator contact group in the navigation pane, and then searching.

Note that delegator contacts will not show up in the autocomplete drop down, or in searches when the delegator group is not selected.

Release track:

Rapid release and Scheduled release

For more information:

https://support.google.com/a/answer/2590392?hl=en

whatsnew.googleapps.com
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates

The following features are now available to domains following the Scheduled Release track:

-Docs: Research pane which allows you to look up information and search from inside your document.
-Gmail: Quick access to contact details: When searching for an email address, the results will now show you contact details in addition to that person's profile photo and the emails sent from and to them. From here, you can start a chat, call their phone and more. Plus, if your contacts have a Google+ profile, this information will stay up to date automatically.
-Gmail: More circle integration and circle search: Users on Google Plus will also now see profile photos of people in their selected circle and circles are now supported in search and filters.
-Contacts: Contacts delegation allows users to delegate full access to the contacts in their “My Contacts” group without granting access to their mail or anything else in their accounts.

The following features are intended for release to these domains on June 5th:
-Gmail: Graduation of the "Nav bar drag and drop" lab, which allows the user to reorder gadgets inside the gadget pane.

Release track:
Scheduled*

Editions included:
Google Apps, Google Apps for Business, Government and Education

*Scheduled Release track: Domains with ‘Scheduled Release’ option enabled in the administrator control panel. Learn more.

whatsnew.googleapps.com
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates

Users on Google+ can now manage their contacts more efficiently in Gmail.

- See user details in a new right-hand side box
- Sort Gmail messages and Contacts by Circle
- Google+ contact information is automatically updated to users in shared circles
- Users can easily share images in Gmail messages to Google+
- See details from your Google Contacts when you view someone's Google+ profile

Release track:
Rapid or Scheduled

Editions included:
Google Apps, Google Apps for Business, Government and Education

Languages included:
All languages supported

For more information:
http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/gmail-and-contacts-get-better-with.html
https://plus.google.com/101994211282765276238/posts/aafrYUxx1Ee

whatsnew.googleapps.com
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates

The following features are now available to domains following the Scheduled Release track:
- No new features to announce

The following features are intended for release to these domains on Mar 6:
- Contacts: Google Contacts integration with profiles and Google+ circles

- Presentations: New presentations editor is now the default editor, also has discussions just like in Docs

- Spreadsheets: Menu options are now supported in right-to-left languages

Release track:
Scheduled

Editions included:
Google Apps, Google Apps for Business, Government and Education

*Scheduled Release track: Domains with ‘Scheduled Release’ option enabled in the administrator control panel. Learn more.

whatsnew.googleapps.com
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates

The following features which were previously launched in Gmail, are now available to Google Apps users:

- Connected profiles. If your contact has a Google profile, their contact entry will be updated with the profile information they’ve shared with you, including phone numbers, email addresses and more. If they change it in the future, you’ll get those updates automatically. (This has worked for profiles internal to the domain for quite some time, but now we've enabled it for profiles external to the domain as well.)

- Circles in Contacts. If you are a Google+ user, your circles will appear in your contact list, making it easier for you to view the contact information for all of the members of a circle in one place

Release track:
Rapid

Editions included:
Google Apps, Google Apps for Business, Government and Education

Languages included:
All languages supported by Gmail

For more information:
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/gmail-and-contacts-get-better-with.html

whatsnew.googleapps.com
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates

Users can browse the entire Google Apps directory for their domain from within Contacts without having to search. This is especially useful when a user doesn’t know the exact name or spelling of the person they’re looking for or wants to see a complete list of contacts for their domain in alphabetical order. Just click “Directory” in the left sidebar from within Contacts in Gmail to get started.

Release track:
Rapid*

Editions included:
Google Apps, Google Apps for Business, Government and Education

How to access what's new:
- To enable / disable the ability to browse the Google Apps directory, enable / disable Contact Sharing: Control Panel -> Settings -> Contacts -> Enable / Disable contact sharing.
- To hide specific users (or resources) from being visible to other users from within Contacts: Control Panel -> Organization and Users -> User information -> Contact Sharing checkbox.
- To set the Google Apps directory to be alphabetized by first or last name: Control Panel ->Settings -> Email -> Name format.

- Reload Gmail
- Go to "Contacts"
- In the left sidebar, click "Directory", above "New Group..." at the bottom.
- Browse by using either the next/prev arrow buttons or open the drop down to the left of the next/prev arrow buttons to jump directly to a specific alphabetical range.

For more information:
http://www.google.com/support/a/bin/answer.py?answer=1628008

*Rapid Release track: Domains with ‘Rapid release’ checkbox enabled in the administrator control panel. Learn more

New look available for Gmail, Calendar, Docs and Sites! Find out more at whatsnew.googleapps.com/new-look

whatsnew.googleapps.com
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates

Administrators have the ability to hide a user’s contact information from the rest of the domain even if contact sharing is enabled. This was previously only available using the administrator control panel.

This can now be done programmatically via the Google Apps Profiles API.

Editions included:
Google Apps, Google Apps for Business, Government and Education

For more information:
http://googleappsdeveloper.blogspot.com/2011/08/unshare-domain-users-contact.html
http://code.google.com/googleapps/domain/profiles/developers_guide.html

New look on the way for Gmail, Calendar, Docs and Sites! Find out more at whatsnew.googleapps.com/new-look

whatsnew.googleapps.com
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates

Google Apps administrators now have the option to hide nicknames from the global address list/autocomplete. They can choose one of the following options:

- Show all email addresses
- Hide nicknames
- Hide the primary email address if the user has a nickname

Editions included:
Google Apps, Google Apps for Business, Government and Education

Languages included:
US English Only (Next Generation Control Panel)

How to access what's new:
In the administrator control panel, select “Domain Settings”, then “User Settings” and “Contact Sharing” to access the new options.

Note:
- The setting can take up to 24 hours to propagate.
- Email addresses based on domain aliases will not be affected by this setting - they will continue to be hidden.
- Email addresses that the user already has in their contact list will not be affected by this setting - they will continue to appear in autocomplete unless that contact is manually deleted.
- This setting also controls whether nicknames will appear in Contacts search and Contacts details view.

For more information:
http://www.google.com/support/a/bin/answer.py?answer=60218

whatsnew.googleapps.com
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates

This release of Contacts brings all of the improvements that were previously available to consumer users.

The following business-specific features have also been added to help you and your colleagues get in touch with contacts more easily. You can now:
- Add new contact information that will default to “Work” instead of “Home” field types.
- View domain directory contact details interwoven inline with any contact details you’ve added yourself.
- Add contacts from the domain directory to your “My Contacts” list in a single click.
- Manage groups more easily by quickly adding email addresses to groups, and picking from a contact’s multiple email addresses to use on a group-by-group basis.
- Revert changes to your Contacts for up to 30 days in case you need to restore deleted or merged contacts, or undo an import.

Note: These improvements do not affect the standalone version of Contacts outside of Gmail but we hope to make them available soon.

Editions included:
Google Apps, Google Apps for Business, Government and Education

Languages included:
Administrator Control Panel: US English Only (Next Generation)
Gmail: All languages supported by Gmail

How to access what's new:
- To see the new Contacts interface, admins must opt-in in the administrator control panel to enable the new Contacts features.
- In the administrator control panel, go to ‘Services’, then ‘Contacts' and select the checkbox ‘Preview the new contact manager in Gmail’.

Note: In order to see the opt-in checkbox, the control panel must be set to the ‘next generation’ version which is US English only.

For more information:
http://googleenterprise.blogspot.com/2011/02/get-in-touch-faster-with-new-gmail.html


Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates

Domains using the shared contacts functionality can have up to 50,000 entries, up from 25,000. Shared contacts are part of the organization’s global address list (GAL), and these contacts auto-complete across Google Apps.

We also made updates to the Shared Contacts API to make uploading much more quicker.

Editions included:
Google Apps for Business, Government and Education

How to access what's new:
- Information on the Shared Contacts API

For more information:
http://googleenterprise.blogspot.com/2010/11/google-apps-shared-contacts-now-with.html
http://www.google.com/support/a/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=138760

Ideas for Tasks! If you're using Tasks, you've probably thought about something you'd like us to improve or an additional feature you wish you had. We really want to hear your ideas - whether they're for Tasks in Gmail, in Google Calendar, or on your phone.

For the next few weeks, we're running a poll for Tasks feature requests. Admin feedback is very important to us, so if you have a few minutes, please visit this product ideas page and vote to help us improve Tasks functionality for you and your users.

Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates

Administrators now have the ability to remove individual users from appearing in contact sharing when that option is enabled. Contact sharing is also sometimes referred to as the global address list.

Editions included:
Premier and Education Editions

Languages included:
US English

How to access what's new:
- In the Google Apps control panel, click the ‘Users and groups’ tab, then click on the individual user’s name to access the user’s settings.
- Under ‘Contact sharing’, disable/enable the checkbox to remove/include the user from appearing in contact sharing.
- If contact sharing is enabled, then the user’s contact information is shared by default.
- If contact sharing has not been enabled, then this new option will not be visible.

Note: The control panel needs to be the ‘Next generation’ version.

For more information:
http://www.google.com/support/a/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=60218

Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates

Premier Edition administrators can now add contacts that aren't employees of their own company to the contact list that each user can access in the new standalone contact manager. These shared contacts are managed with the Shared Contacts API.

Editions included:
Premier Edition

Languages included:
US English

How to access what's new:
Administrators can learn more about how to manage shared contacts that aren't employees of their own company through the Shared Contacts API documentation. (See link below.)

For more information:
http://code.google.com/apis/apps/shared_contacts/gdata_shared_contacts_api_reference.html

Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates

Administrators of all editions can now allow users to access their contacts outside of Gmail with the new standalone contact manager. Premier Edition is required for the standalone contact manager to include shared contacts from outside of the organization.

Editions included:
Standard, Premier, Education, Team and Partner Editions

Languages included:
All languages supported by Gmail

How to access what's new:
To enable the standalone contact manager, sign in to the control panel, click 'Add more services', and enable the 'Contacts' service. A new 'Contacts' link will then begin to appear for users in the row of links at the top left of each application.

For more information:
http://www.google.com/support/a/bin/answer.py?answer=134378

Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates

BlackBerry users can now synchronize their BlackBerry's built-in address book with their Google Apps contacts. Two-way sync happens automatically over the air.

Editions impacted:
Standard, Premier, Education, Team and Partner Editions

Languages impacted:
US English

How to access what's new:
To use Google Sync or upgrade from the older version, visit m.google.com/sync from your BlackBerry browser.

For more information:
http://www.google.com/mobile/blackberry/sync.html

Get these updates by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed

Gmail now automatically adds people that you corresponded with to 'Suggested Contacts'. You can move people you correspond with regularly to 'My Contacts'. Gmail's address auto-complete feature works for all of your contacts, whether they're in 'My Contacts' or 'Suggested Contacts'.

Furthermore, to ensure that only the right contacts are synced with your mobile device in the future, Gmail is moving previously auto-added contacts in 'My Contacts' back into 'Suggested Contacts'. Only contacts that you've moved to 'My Contacts', edited, imported or added to a group will remain in 'My Contacts' for syncing.

Editions impacted:
Standard, Premier, Education and Partner Editions

Languages impacted:
US English

How to access what's new:
Sign in to Gmail and click 'Contacts' to manage 'My Contacts' and 'Suggested Contacts'.

For more information:
http://mail.google.com/support/bin/topic.py?topic=12867

When composing a message in Gmail, users can now just click the 'To:' link to access Gmail's contact list. Before, the Gmail contact list was available through a link labeled 'Choose from contacts'. Contact sharing must be enabled in the control panel for this feature to appear.

Editions impacted:
Standard, Premier, Education and Partner Editions

Languages impacted:
US English

How to access what's new:
To select recipients from your contact list when composing a message in Gmail, click the 'To:' link next to the box for recipient addresses. Similar 'Cc:' and 'Bcc:' links are available if you click 'Add Cc' or 'Add Bcc'. Contact sharing must be enabled in the control panel for this feature to appear.

For more information:
http://www.google.com/a/help/intl/en/users/gmail.html

In Gmail and Google Docs, each user can now see all the other users from their business, school or organization in their contact list, making it easier to communicate and share with contacts by just typing the first few letters of people's names.

Editions impacted:
Standard, Premier, Education and Partner Editions

Languages impacted:
US English

How to access what's new:
In Gmail or Google Docs, compose a message or share a document and type the first few letters of a contact's name in the Gmail to: field or the Google Docs sharing box. Contacts from your domain will auto-complete.

For more information:
http://google.com/support/a/users/bin/answer.py?answer=6597