Jamboard was one of Google’s most underrated products: a virtual whiteboard that was excellent for collaboration, both in-office and around the world. As of 31 December 2024, it will no longer be available. So what’s the alternative?
By now, most of us are familiar with Google Workspace. This suite of Google-developed applications is designed to enhance the way we work. From boosting productivity to easing collaboration; from maintaining high-level security to meeting sustainability goals, Workspace has become the tool for modern businesses.
What is Jamboard and what does it do?
You doubtless know the “classic” Workspace apps like Docs, Sheets, and Slides, as well as globally popular features like Gmail, Calendar, Chat, and Meet. Jamboard wasn’t nearly as well-known as these, but it still developed something of a cult following.
And no wonder, because it’s an extremely useful thing: a clean and intuitive creativity tool that acts as a digital whiteboard for teams. Most Jamboard fans choose to use it via the Google Workspace cloud-based app, optimised for desktop and mobile. But you could also buy a physical, 55-inch Jamboard device.
Like everything in Workspace, Jamboard is simple, versatile and useful. In fact, it works much like a standard whiteboard, allowing you to write or draw using a stylus or your mouse/trackpad. You could also insert and move around images and text blocks, and add in your own Workspace files. It even had integrated handwriting and shape recognition technologies, transforming your rough squiggles into something much more legible.
But that sounds great! Why is Google shutting it down?
Although Jamboard reached a number of devoted fans, it was never the hit Google was hoping for. In their announcement about Jamboard’s retirement, they say frankly that Workspace users found other, non-Google tools more useful for collaborative whiteboarding.
Although this may be disappointing, it’s a perfect expression of the pragmatic, future-forward ethos behind Workspace. And the good news is that, not only do you have a whole year left to use Jamboard, it’s simple to transition to another app at the end of it.
So what are the alternatives?
Google has made it very easy for Jamboard lovers to move on. They’ve partnered with three super-popular applications – FigJam, Lucid and Miro – to make it as easy as possible to migrate your existing content to a new system. You can already start doing this in the first quarter of 2024.
While we at Innovo are sorry to see Jamboard go, one of the many things we love about Google is their commitment to providing users with the best possible tools. FigJam, Lucid, and Miro are all cutting-edge whiteboarding apps that are only going to keep evolving, so you can use any of them with confidence.
At Innovo, it’s our mission to help businesses realise the full value of their tools, and make sure they’re using what they have in the best possible way. From our home in Kent, we’re supporting businesses across the UK and Ireland to really embrace their technologies, and we can help you, too. To find out more, just get in touch!
