Google Hangouts, currently found only within Google Plus, is a multi-party video chat service that could shake-up enterprise conferencing and collaboration in a big way.
It's impressive and of course free. Hangouts support HD video and include the ability to selectively mute participants and override the automatic video switching based on the speaker. Hangouts are currently available to G+ users only (as of today), but Google supports it on multiple desktop browsers and also offers Android and iPhone clients.
Skype has offered a similar service for some time now, but Skype charges for multi-party video and Google does not. But since its launch, the capabilities within Hangouts has already expanded--specifically three added features position Hangouts as a suitable-for-business alternative.
The first of these features is the ability to broadcast a hangout, known as Hangouts On Air (limited availability). Here's Google's description:
The setup is simple enough: just start a normal hangout, and you'll have the option to broadcast and record your session. Once you’re "On Air," up to nine others can join your hangout (as usual), and anyone can watch your live broadcast.
This broadcast capability is a simple and attractive way to get the message out. It blurs the boundary between conferencing and broadcasting and enables an extremely open-door meeting. But no collaboration tool is complete with video only. Google addresses this with Hangouts with extras which adds:
* Screen sharing
* Sketchpad
* Integration with Google Docs
Last week, extras got a new feature: the ability to include up to two audio participants via telephone. There is no dial-in number, but rather the Hangout can dial-out. The calls are free. Extras blurs the distinction between conferencing and collaboration as well a video and audio conferencing.
These are powerful and innovative features and extensible too. Google published a Javascript API that allows developers to create collaborative applications that run inside of a hangout. These apps are similar to normal web apps, but offer real-time capabilities such as controlling the user interface, listing participants, synchronizing data among participants, and responding to various Hangout events. The API blurs the lines between SaaS and PaaS..
Hangouts, by design, makes it easy to include colleagues outside the firewall. including mobile devices. But Google is still a consumer service--in beta. Participation requires an active Google account, and there are no links or PINs for external users. Google is making strides in SMB, education, and government sectors, but has not positioned its products for the enterprise (yet?).
Dave Michels is a frequent contributor and blogs about telecom at www.TalkingPointz.com.
