Google has been splitting their proprietary apps into multiple pieces to better serve their users.
The enterprise version of Hangouts will be split into Meet and Chat apps allowing business users to communicate seamlessly.
The search engine giant has so many applications on offer that it won’t be surprising if users feel lost. Earlier, they changed Gtalk into Hangouts while introducing Allo and Duo apps for texting and video calling. These two apps on Android devices were focused on the average consumer whereas the split version of Hangouts is for G Suite users. It won’t be a surprise if they choose to introduce the same for free users in the near future, adding further confusion to the already vast app ecosystem.
Downloading and installing software or an app on a device to just make a video call or text doesn’t make much sense. However, Google confirmed that Hangouts Meet will allow seamless video calling experience. Users can instantly invite up to 30 people to organize video conferences without having to download any plugin, login or have additional apps. Participants can login from web or phone while paid G Suite customers will even have a dedicated phone dialer in the setup.
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Hangouts Chat is the second new app that is dedicated to text calling and will allow users to create multiple rooms for specific topics. It makes it easier for employees to form teams or have discussion rooms where they could get their doubts clarified. The functionality of the app is very similar to Microsoft Teams and Slack but it is a Google Product and will be integrated with other services by the company to offer a seamless experience.
The similarities with Slack don’t end there as Hangouts Chat will also support bots and other services. @meet is the first bot that can automatically schedule and remind people for meetings while new bots are expected to be added in the future. Hangouts is still the basic app that allows users to make voice calls, video calls and text messages. It is immensely popular because it doesn’t require a phone number like WhatsApp. However, Google’s Allo and Duo needs phone number which are less popular as they are still not integrated strongly in other platforms. Adding Meet and Chat for Hangouts adds to the ambiguity which may alienate their users. Google is also known for shutting down services with a moment’s notice. So, it shouldn’t be a problem for the average user if they choose to or not to make the switch.