How Google Gemini Enterprise Brings AI to Businesses

Google has unveiled its Gemini Enterprise platform, an initiative designed to integrate artificial intelligence across business operations. The announcement was made by CEO Sundar Pichai and Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian at Google's Gemini at Work event.

The platform consolidates several of Google's AI technologies, which could provide businesses with a new way to approach AI integration in the workplace. Sundar described the product as “the new front door for AI in the workplace”.

Gemini Enterprise represents Google’s move towards a more comprehensive tool than basic chatbot technology. It allows employees to use natural language to interact with company data documents and applications.

The platform also gives them the tools to build and deploy their own AI agents. Thomas explains that the first wave of AI “has been stuck in silos, unable to orchestrate complex work across an entire organisation”.

True transformation, he argues: “requires a comprehensive platform that connects to your context, your workflows and your people”.

Building on core AI components

The platform is a comprehensive suite that includes six main components. These are advanced Gemini models, a no-code workbench for agent creation, pre-built agents for specific functions, connections to enterprise data sources, central governance and an ecosystem of over 100,000 partners.

This structure is intended to provide businesses with a unified system for developing and managing AI within their organisations.

By offering a no-code workbench, Google aims to make AI development accessible to employees without specialised technical skills, which could empower HR and other departments to create their own solutions.

Early adopter success and workforce impact

Before the official launch, Google tested the system with several organisations. Virgin Voyages deployed over 50 specialised AI agents, with one agent, Email Ellie, reducing the time taken for campaign copy creation by an estimated 40%.

Virgin Voyages also reported that AI-generated campaigns contributed to a 28% year-over-year increase in sales for July.

“What excites me most about this partnership with Google Cloud is how it gives our teams back time to do what they do best – create joy, build connections and bring our brand to life,” says Nirmal Saverimuttu, CEO of Virgin Voyages.

Elsewhere, Gordon Food Service, a 127-year-old foodservice distributor, has equipped nearly 12,000 employees with Google Workspace and is using Gemini Enterprise to support its IT and developer teams.

Brendan Bonthuis, CIO at Gordon Food Service, explains: “We’ve been around for more than 127 years because we know innovation matters, and that spirit is what makes our partnership with Google Cloud so incredible.”

In the finance sector, Macquarie Bank in Australia rolled out Gemini Enterprise to all employees in its retail banking division.

The bank is developing two types of custom agents: personal agents for individual productivity and enterprise agents for complex business challenges.

“Retail banking is a highly competitive industry, and ultimately we need to scale fast and scale smartly,” says Richard Heeley, Head of Technology at Macquarie’s Banking and Financial Services group.

Within six months, Macquarie Bank aims for all employees to be using AI in their daily work, noting that 99% of its current staff have already completed generative AI training.

Other examples cited by Google include HCA Healthcare, which is piloting a Gemini-powered solution for nursing shift handovers and Best Buy, which reported a 200% increase in customers independently rescheduling deliveries.

Infrastructure and market positioning

The launch comes as Google Cloud reported it had surpassed a US$50bn annual revenue run rate in the second quarter.

According to Google, 65% of its cloud customers are already using Google's AI products.

Google's strategy relies on a "full-stack" approach that covers infrastructure, research models and products.

This infrastructure includes Nvidia GPUs and Google’s own Tensor Processing Units, with the latest Ironwood generation offering a 10-fold performance improvement.

Gemini Enterprise will be available in all countries where Google Cloud products are sold, supporting 48 languages.

Pricing starts at US$21 per user per month for the Gemini Business edition, with Gemini Enterprise Standard and Plus editions for larger organisations starting at US$30 per user per month.

Thomas positions the platform against competitors by noting that other vendors “are handing you the pieces, not the platform” leaving businesses to handle the integration themselves.

The platform's adoption will likely hinge on whether businesses see greater value in an integrated AI system compared to individual tools.