Today's mobile devices make it possible to
video chat almost anywhere on Earth. You can take care of business remotely wherever you have internet access, schedule meetings with clients in different time zones, and send projects as soon as they're completed.
The best video conferencing services can handle all of these important tasks in a single interface, and Google Hangouts Meet is in the top tier. Before Google introduced a Business and Enterprise plan to the Hangouts platform, it was a popular messaging and video chat service that anyone could use for free. With the introduction of Hangouts Meet and Hangouts Chat, Google has upped the ante, providing a business-grade conferencing solution that integrates seamlessly with
the entire G Suite. In this guide, we've outlined the strengths and weaknesses of Hangouts Meet, so you can decide whether it's the right tool for your small business or enterprise.
Google Hangouts Video Conferencing Strengths
Google software is known for being extremely user-friendly and easy to use. Hangouts Meet doesn't require a lengthy installation or special plug-ins; you just need to click on a custom link to join the meeting. Whether you're using a laptop, smartphone, or tablet, the entire video conference takes place inside the browser. There's even a dial-in feature for participants who want to call directly into the meeting from any phone.
Most businesses use at least a few G Suite tools (like Gmail, Drive, and Docs), and these are all designed to work flawlessly with Hangouts Meet. For example, you can schedule a special meeting event on Google Calendar, and then send an invitation to your guests with a custom meeting link. All they have to do is tap the "Join" button when the event notification pops up on their screen.
Fortunately, Google Hangouts Meet works with other conferencing platforms as well, such as Microsoft Teams, Cisco, and Polycom. Any office using conferencing software based on H.323 or SIP standards can join a Hangouts meeting, so Google's platform is more open-ended than other competitors.
Is Google Hangouts Video Conferencing Right for Small Businesses?
Currently, there are three service tiers for Google Hangouts Meet: Basic, Business, and Enterprise. We recommend the Business tier for most small businesses. It offers unlimited cloud storage, audit reports for tracking user activity, robust security controls, and smart search across the entire G Suite. Every service tier also comes with 24/7 technical support and integration with Google Calendar, Docs, Gmail, and more.
At only $10/month per user, it's a great deal for most businesses.
Is Google Hangouts Video Conferencing Right for Enterprise?
At the Enterprise level, up to 50 participants can join a Hangouts Meet meeting. You also have the ability to record any meeting and send it directly to your Google Drive for archival purposes. For $25/month per user, you get access to the entire G Suite at the Enterprise level, with data loss prevention features, enterprise-grade encryption, and more. Every plan offers robust technical support, but the added administrative controls and meeting participants might be worth the extra monthly cost for a large company.
Products that Use Google Hangouts Video Conferencing
Finally,
Google Hangouts Meet is compatible with a wide variety of hardware systems for professional-grade conferencing. Yamaha UC and Google have a
strategic partnership to achieve the best possible user experience. For example, the
FLX UC 500 conference phone is fully integrated with Google Chrome and Hangouts Meet, with call functions synchronized to the Yamaha hardware.
All in all, Google Hangouts Meet is a powerful and flexible video conferencing tool for any organization.