Google announced that G Suite is expanding Google Drive's comment capabilities to include Microsoft and other files such as PDFs and images.

The functionality will let users comment on and assign tasks to any file, including PDFs and images, right from the Drive preview pane. With Microsoft specifically, the expanded integration will allow users to comment on Microsoft Office file formats without requiring Microsoft Office or Adobe Acrobat Reader local applications and user licenses.

What's more, comments made in Drive Preview can now be exported to the underlying file so that they remain visible when the file is opened using the local client application.

"When you're collaborating with an external agency, negotiating a contract with a client or coordinating a sales agreement with a supplier, chances are you're dealing with multiple file formats," Google wrote in a blog post. "With this update, you can now comment on those files in Drive the way you're used to in Google Docs."

Google says the ability to comment in Drive preview mode extends the interoperability between G Suite and Microsoft Office products, following existing ties between Drive and Outlook.

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