“The more things change, the more people like to have face-to-face meetings,” says Rajen Sheth, Director of product management for Chrome for Business. As technology moves forward, the need for easy and collaborative face-to-face meetings remains consistent. Google Hangouts addresses this by enabling video collaboration tools no matter where you are or what device you are using. Chromebox for Meetings extends these capabilities with dedicated devices for video meetings in any room. Google recently announced significant changes to Hangouts to make it easier for all Google Apps customers to use Hangout video calls, and they are also adding several new features to Chromebox for Meetings designed to improve the experience of viewing and managing video calls.
Hangouts Joins Google Apps for Business
Google recognizes that businesses are looking to Google Apps for Business for an all-inclusive enterprise solution that can support the weight of a wide range of business needs. In light of this, Google has officially added Hangouts, Google’s video conferencing solution, to the Google Apps for Business suite. This addition means that your business meeting Hangouts are backed by 24×7 phone support and 99.9% guaranteed uptime, as well as ISO27001, SSAE 16/ISAE 4302 and SOC 2 certification. Additionally, Hangouts will receive Google Vault support later this year for businesses to ensure they are meeting any compliance regulations.
Video Calls – Include Everyone
Effective immediately, all Google Apps customers will be able to use Hangouts, even those who do not have a Google+ account! This change opens up the communication tool to any external guests with Google accounts, expanding Hangouts’ reach to the more than 5 million businesses that use Google Apps for Business. Some new admin features have also been added, including the ability for the conference creator (or anyone with the creator’s domain) to eject or re-invite participants to a call. Any Google Apps user will have the ability to conduct high-definition video conference calls with up to 15 participants.
Improvements to Chromebox for Meetings
Chromebox for Meetings, which made its debut last Spring, is a device designed to leverage the power of Hangouts to provide a simple and comprehensive solution to video conferencing. Sheth commented, “In the early days, we were really focused on email and messaging. We’re hitting the second act in the enterprise, expanding to every part of the stack.” New features for this professional video conferencing tool expand its existing administrative capacities by focusing on practical business use.
Users how have the ability to connect two monitors to one Chromebox. This dual display gives conference speakers the ability to see the audience and view their presentation slides simultaneously, contributing to a more natural presentation experience. Remote employees can also use the new personal calendar integration features to set up and keep track of meetings outside of the office. Additionally, the updated Google Apps Admin Console for Chromebox for Meetings allows conference leaders to remotely start, mute, or hang up on a meeting.
Google is building a comprehensive solution by providing the resources for enterprises to take Hangouts a step further and integrate reliable video conferencing into regular workflows.
To learn more about new Google Apps, Hangouts, or Chromebox updates, or if you are interested in exploring the benefits of Chromebox for Meetings for your business, don’t hesitate to visit our website or email us at [email protected].
