Google, integrating Gemini into Workspace... targeting small and medium-sized enterprises for "AI practical application" promotion

In previous major technological activities, discussions about artificial intelligence (AI) mainly focused on large corporations, but this trend is now changing. Small and medium-sized enterprises, which are the backbone of the U.S. economy, are moving beyond the experimental phase and beginning to apply AI in real business operations, making “SMEs adopting AI” a new growth axis.

Google Vice President Sharon Porath stated at the recent Google Cloud Next event that the adoption of AI by SMEs is rapidly expanding. She pointed out that large companies have accumulated experience in multiple stages of adoption, while SMEs previously lagged behind in cloud and AI transformation due to costs, manpower, and lack of technical expertise. However, she explained that now, with more accessible tools and an ecosystem of partners, the full diffusion phase has begun.

Porath views “familiar business tools” as the core approach for SMEs to adopt AI. Last year, Google integrated the Gemini model into its Workspace suite of products, including Gmail, Docs, Drive, and others. As a result, millions of SME users can directly use AI features without additional learning burdens. She emphasized that through Gemini Enterprise, companies can connect their own data and build AI agent platforms for knowledge workers to utilize within minutes.

Practical cases are also emerging. Brazilian dairy company Tirol built an interactive knowledge base using Gemini Enterprise that allows easy querying of supply chain data. This enables on-site employees to access information that was previously confined to specific departments. Reportedly, design firm WATG shortened proposal writing time from several days to just a few minutes. This indicates that AI applications are extending beyond mere productivity assistance to fundamentally changing workflows.

Google believes that, compared to the product itself, “execution capability” is a more important issue. It explains that the reason why AI projects in SMEs have not accelerated as expected is less about functionality and more often attributed to a lack of internal expertise. To address this, Google is providing tailored support through a network of over 100,000 partners to help each enterprise adopt AI according to their own circumstances.

Porath emphasizes that SMEs’ AI adoption must show quick results. Since they cannot conduct lengthy reviews and complex trial-and-error like large enterprises, it is crucial to start with areas that have more documentation or cumbersome workflows to create “perceivable outcomes.” She added that, from this perspective, Gemini Enterprise can be an ideal tool for SMEs to begin their first AI experience.

The market is paying attention to whether the focus of AI competition is shifting from large enterprises to a broader range of companies. Especially if AI adoption among SMEs becomes widespread, it could not only boost productivity but also drive growth in software subscriptions and cloud usage. Whether Google can quickly seize this market with its familiar Workspace and partner ecosystem remains highly watched.

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