The Google Hangouts app will be getting a business oriented counterpart called Meet, but other competitors are also coming up with something similar. Connecting through online apps such as Skype for conference calls is becoming an essential element in modern day businesses.
Google hopes to capitalize in this nature by creating a business-centric version of the Google Hangouts app. According to TechCrunch, Google's Meet app hasn't been officially announced yet.
In addition, its availability is currently limited to the iTunes App store, where Meet was stealthily launched about a day ago. Aside from the sneaky release, what we know about Meet so far is that it can accommodate up to 30 participants in a conference call.
Aesthetically, Meet looks quite similar to the Google Hangouts app minus the text chat and calling options. Instead, users are greeted with a input box, where they will type in a code that lets them join a conference call meeting room.
Google Meet boasts high-definition video calls with support for Gmail and Calendar integration. Unlike the Google Hangouts app, Meet has a nifty window situated at the top. This window shows who's currently talking in the conference call, as well as that person's name and email along with other participants on the list.
While Google hopes to take over the top spot of similar apps such as Skype, other companies hope to take away theirs. According to BusinessJournal, Amazon is developing an app that will rival the Meet and Google Hangouts app.
Amazon's Chime offers a different take on the usual conference call process of inputting codes to enter meeting rooms. In lieu of code copy-and-pasting, Chime starts a meeting by simultaneously calling all the participants.
However, Amazon's conference call service does come at a price of $15 a month for the pro version. Although there is a free version, it's basically ineffective for big businesses as basic version only allows video calls between two people.
Maybe this is where the Google Hangouts app counterpart Meet comes into play. Given that Meet is either free or costs less than Amazon's Chime, it just might be the next essential conference call tool that businesses will be flocking to.
