People who use Google are most likely familiar with Google Hangouts. It is an instant messaging and video chat platform developed by Google. It replaces three messaging products that Google had implemented within its services, including Google Talk and Google+ Messenger and Hangouts, a video chat system present within Google+.
In the past, Google has stated that Hangouts is designed to be the future of its telephony product, Google Voice. The company has integrated some of the capabilities of Google Voice into Hangouts. In current versions of Android, Hangouts is the default application for text messaging.
Hangouts allows people to connect with others via HD video, voice or text and allows for up to 15 people to join a video chat session. The screen automatically focuses on whoever is speaking while intelligent muting prevents background noise. Everyone can join the same Hangout from their desktop, laptop, tablet or phone. Hangout also supports built-in screen sharing.
However, it seems that this is not enough for Google. On Wednesday, April 8, 2015, 9to5Google reported that Florian Kiersch spotted information regarding GMeet on Google+. Essentially, online reports are pointing toward Google building a new teleconferencing tool called Google Meetings, which will be known as GMeet.
In all likelihood, GMeet will use Google Hangouts for its base functions with additional functionality added for enterprise customers. As Google continues to challenge Microsoft and other office suite products, it seems that GMeet will be offered as a companion for users of Google Apps for Work.
Lately we have seen a lot of companies begin to offer Internet telephony options as competition to the four major telecom carriers. WebRTC is clearly gaining some momentum in the telecom industry, as is Voice over IP (VoIP). Most of what was once considered a lot of hype from these two technologies has been proven to have matured and become a reliable method of conducting browser-to-browser and Internet voice calling and video chatting.
In an attempt to keep pace, some telecom operators are beginning to invest money in order to evolve basic points of contact towards WebRTC. WebRTC makes it feasible for web developers to enable VoIP into their Web-based applications. As both these markets continue to evolve and mature, it seems natural that Google would find a way of taking advantage of their functionality and create products involving these technologies that will fit into Google Apps for Work.
At this time, Kiersch claims that the service is only open to Google employees. Unfortunately, this means that it is not clear if GMeet is meant to be something which will only be used by Google employees, or if it is simply going through the usual steps of internal testing followed by an official release.
Google has not publicly announced any plans for such a service at this time. Since this is the first that we have heard of GMeet or Google Meeting, as a possible teleconferencing app, we will have to wait until Google makes an official announcement. However, it is clear that this is something Google has been toying with for some time since there is information that Google had plans dating as far back as 2011.
Edited by
Dominick Sorrentino
