Google will be shutting down the Jamboard whiteboard app late next year. In a blog post today, the company mentioned new partners with whom it will be collaborating to continue offering its productivity tools and collaborative experience.
Google stated that over the past few years, users had mentioned whiteboarding tools like FigJam by Figma, Lucidspark by Lucid Software, and the visual workspace Miro, which had helped them work better together. Considering this, the company has decided that on October 1, 2024, support for the Jamboard whiteboard tool will be phased out, and continue with the previously planned end of support for Google Jamboard devices.
Google mentioned that it will be supporting users during this change by:
- Deeply integrating the whiteboarding tools you know and love like FigJam, Lucidspark, and Miro across Workspace, so you can include them when scheduling in Calendar, collaborating in Meet, or sharing content in Drive.
- Bringing these whiteboarding solutions to the Series One Board 65 and Desk 27 devices by Avocor, so you can visually collaborate using a physical device and stylus.
- Providing a retention and migration path for Jamboard data so you don’t lose any of the collaborative work that’s been created within your organization.
With the announcement, users will be able to launch whiteboards on FigJam, Lucidspark, and Miro directly within a Google Meet call. These tools will provide advanced whiteboard experiences, templates, drawings, reactions, and comments to facilitate productivity and collaboration. Users can download these platforms from the Google Worksplace Marketplace.
Earlier this year, Avocor launched two next-generation video conferencing and whiteboarding devices, the Series One Board 65 and Desk 27, which were to succeed the Jamboard device. With the update, the three aforementioned partners will create integration for these devices with expected delivery at the end of 2023 and early 2024, depending on the partner.
Users will, hence, get the choice of three robust third-party whiteboarding experiences inside a Meet call and use them outside a call as standalone whiteboarding tools on Board 65 and Desk 27.
For current Jamboard users, Google is providing transition support to retain or migrate Jamboard data to alternative platforms. While the Jamboard application and devices will work fine until October 1, 2024. The app will become view-only after October 1 and all data on the app will be deleted after December 31, 2024. You can read more on the specifics here.
To prevent losing data, users are recommended to download their Jamboard files before December 31, 2024. If you’re a Jamboard device admin, you can learn more about the end of support and auto-update expiration for Jamboard, here, and Series One Board 65 and Desk 27 here.
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