We use Google Hangouts for meetings and alignment.
AVP, Automation Center of Excellence Head at a financial services firm with 501-1,000 employees
It has multiple features, such as polling, whiteboarding, and captioning
Pros and Cons
- "What I like best about Google Hangouts is its integration with other Google solutions, so scheduling is easy because you have the calendar. It also has a whiteboard feature. I also like its polling feature and that it even has a captioning feature."
- "Google Hangouts has breakout rooms now, but not as extensive as Zoom, so that's one area for improvement. I mentioned that I like the Google Hangouts captioning feature, but that could be improved. For example, importing Filipino-English captions here in the Philippines would be great."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
What I like best about Google Hangouts is its integration with other Google solutions, so scheduling is easy because you have the calendar. It also has a whiteboard feature. I also like its polling feature and that it even has a captioning feature.
What needs improvement?
Google Hangouts has breakout rooms now, but not as extensive as Zoom, so that's one area for improvement.
I mentioned that I like the Google Hangouts captioning feature, but that could be improved. For example, importing Filipino-English captions here in the Philippines would be great.
I want to add a Zoom feature in Google Hangouts, where multiple people can interact with what's shown on the screen and draw and put shapes, for example.
For how long have I used the solution?
I joined the company in 2020, and that's the time I started using Google Hangouts.
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Google Hangouts
November 2024
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Google Hangouts is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
So far, I'm happy with Google Hangouts in terms of scalability, but that still depends on your license because that dictates the number of users you can have in a room.
How are customer service and support?
Google technical support is okay, but I used it for a different solution, Google AppSheet, and not for Google Hangouts. The team gave me a fast response for other solutions. However, for my Google AppSheet concern, it took a while to receive feedback from Google because the general support team needed to pass my question to a real expert.
How was the initial setup?
Google Hangouts is installed on the web browser, so setup or installation-wise, it's okay.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I believe my company has a yearly license for Google Hangouts, but I'm not sure because this is a corporate account, so I don't have the details.
What other advice do I have?
My company uses Google Workspace, which includes Google Hangouts.
In my company, more than five hundred people use Google Hangouts.
I'm happy to recommend the solution to others because it's web-based and extensive, with features for emailing, documentation, and conferencing.
My rating for Google Hangouts is nine out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Deputy Manager - Radio Frequency Planning at RF-SMART
Useful for external meetings and communication
Pros and Cons
- "Google Hangouts is user-friendly. It supports low internet bandwidth."
What is our primary use case?
We use the tool for external meetings and communication.
What is most valuable?
Google Hangouts is user-friendly. It supports low internet bandwidth.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the product for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the solution's stability a six out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate the solution's scalability a seven out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
I have never contacted the solution's support.
How was the initial setup?
Google Hangouts' deployment is easy and can be done in two to three minutes.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Google Hangouts doesn't require a license.
What other advice do I have?
I rate the overall product a seven out of ten. Our use depends on others. If somebody asks us to use Google Meet, we use it.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Last updated: Jul 14, 2024
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Google Hangouts
November 2024
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Independent Consultant - Digital Transformation at Jennifer Yalden
Has a straightforward initial setup process, but they should increase the session time
Pros and Cons
- "The initial setup process is straightforward."
- "They should increase the platform's session time beyond an hour."
What is our primary use case?
We use the platform for scheduling meetings with clients.
What needs improvement?
They should increase the platform's session time beyond an hour.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Google Hangouts for five years. At present, we use the latest version.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup process is straightforward. We have deployed it on the cloud.
What about the implementation team?
I implemented the product myself.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend Google Hangouts and rate it a seven out of ten. I advise others to have a clear idea of their business use cases before they deploy the product.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Content Marketing Strategist at Niswey
Has a free version that works well for small-sized teams; technical support is responsive
Pros and Cons
- "The technical support team for Google Hangouts has been pretty responsive and could solve whatever challenges arise, within a day or two."
- "I would like for the platform to have a call recording feature in the free version."
What is our primary use case?
Google Hangouts is being used for virtual meetings, whether that's face to face or you're presenting your screen. There's also a whiteboard where you can brainstorm on the call itself, so that's about it.
What is most valuable?
Whatever features are on offer right now on Google Hangouts, I find all of them useful. I don't have a preference, and Google Hangouts doesn't have time limitations.
What needs improvement?
Google Hangouts is pretty good as it is, so there's nothing I would like to change about it.
I would like for the platform to have a call recording feature in the free version.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Google Hangouts is a stable platform.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Google Hangouts, being a Google product, is available and scalable. The free version works well for small-sized teams that have thirty to forty people, and that's good enough for us.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support team for Google Hangouts has been pretty responsive and could solve whatever challenges arise, within a day or two.
How was the initial setup?
Setting up Google Hangouts is very, very easy. You just open a Gmail account to get access to all the Google tools, including Google Hangouts. It's very easy to just set up a Gmail account, and you don't have to do anything else.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We are a small team and a small organization such as ours just uses the free version of Google, so there's no cost associated with Google Hangouts at the moment.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We evaluated Zoom and Microsoft Teams. We use Google Hangouts, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams, but use Zoom more often compared to the other two platforms.
What other advice do I have?
Sometimes my company uses Google Hangouts, but that's very rare. Typically, the team uses Zoom, and Google Hangouts is used once or twice a month, and that's about it. My company is an end-user, not a partner of Google.
At the moment, there's no plan of increasing the number of users of Google Hangouts.
I would rate Google Hangouts eight out of ten.
I'd recommend the platform to other people.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Google
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
IT Manager at a transportation company with 501-1,000 employees
Screen sharing feature ties in with Google Docs and Google Sheets so that we can work on a single document as a whole group of us at once
Pros and Cons
- "The screen sharing is the most valuable feature. It ties in with Google docs and Google sheets so that we can work on a single document as a whole group of us at once. That's the biggest feature we rely on."
- "The way it works with anonymous users should be improved. That could be strengthened to let anonymous users do more."
What is our primary use case?
We're a very distributed environment. We are a group of trucking companies and we're spread out across Western Canada. We've got about 20 offices with about 250 people right across 20 offices and communicating with each other is very important and so we use Google Hangouts. It provides inter-company communication, primarily for meetings and things like that. It has reduced cell phone bills and all those sorts of things.
What is most valuable?
The screen sharing is the most valuable feature. It ties in with Google docs and Google sheets so that we can work on a single document as a whole group at once. That's the biggest feature we rely on. Other than that, it's quick communication. You can send a quick chat message if you need or you can have a long video call conference if you need as well. It is flexible. It's a very good all-around solution.
What needs improvement?
The way it works with anonymous users should be improved. That could be strengthened to let anonymous users do more.
If we could get the person that we call that doesn't have a Gmail account and to screen share would be helpful. There have been times when I actually wanted to do remote control through Google and that would be really helpful too. That would help support a lot too.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using it for around five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability is very good. We have around 150 users who use it every day.
It's at least half of our company that uses it pretty regularly. Our users range from data entry clerks who use the chat function to ask quick questions of their counterparts, dispatchers who communicate with other dispatchers inside that company. Managers use it for their weekly calls. It's really every level of our organization uses it.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Before Hangouts we were using a regular teleconferencing solution where we would dial the number of a code and we would pay a bill every month for the number of minutes we used. We've never used a solution like Hangouts.
How was the initial setup?
The setup is complex. There are many settings buried in the Google Admin that are hard to find. It can be a pain.
It took about a year to get people into it and to set it to the way we wanted it. It required constant tweaking.
What was our ROI?
We have seen a return on our investment and we're all very satisfied with it. I just prefer to pay what I used to.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
This time last year I would've said the pricing is fantastic but Google increased their pricing recently and so our costs doubled. I don't think it's as cost-effective as it used to be. I would say it's sort of in the middle as far as cost-effectiveness now. It's the other things that come with Hangout that make it valuable. Part of its value is that it's got a whole suite of tools. I do in fact recommend it to people because of that.
What other advice do I have?
The one piece of advice I would is to be prepared regarding who else is going to use Hangouts outside of your organization. If you want people to be able to use a phone number, you have to pay for a whole different license with Google, your whole Google license has to be upgraded. Granted it has lots of other features. The dial-in feature to Hangouts is only accessible in the business class of G suite.
If it's only your company that is going to use it, then you're great at the regular license level. But if you think you're going to have people who are required to dial in, then you need to be prepared to pay more.
I would rate it an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
IT Assistant at Hotel 2 Fevrier
Has the ability to connect through your phone and computer
Pros and Cons
- "The ability to share a screen during a meeting is one of the most valuable features. You can also be directly connected on the computer and on the phone with the same account. It is flexible."
- "We purchased a videoconference system called Zoom. We want to see if Google Hangouts has the ability to integrate our Zoom device to use it with Hangouts and meet directly."
What is our primary use case?
We have a group of people that uses Google Hangouts. We chose Google Hangouts because most of the users are on Google and we don't want to use WhatsApp. We publish things like documents for all the members who are on it. I can use WhatsApp, but I prefer Google Hangouts because with Google Hangouts we can directly share our screen. If you have two or three on Google Hangouts directly, someone can share their screen, and you can see what he's doing.
What is most valuable?
The ability to share a screen during a meeting is one of the most valuable features. You can also be directly connected to the computer and on the phone with the same account. It is flexible.
What needs improvement?
We purchased a videoconference system called Zoom. We want to see if Google Hangouts has the ability to integrate our Zoom device to use it with Hangouts and meet directly. I would like for Hangouts to have a professional cloud service in which people will be able to connect the device up to and need not to go through another competitor. I'd rather just use one single service.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Google Hangouts for five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
If someone is using Zoom and is using Skype, the two devices can be connected directly, there is no need for a license. If someone is using Skype and issues a Google Hangouts conference code or a Meet conference code, you are not able to dial with the two devices. Skype and BlueJeans, also work together but Google and Skype directly do not.
We have around 100 users using Hangouts in our company.
How are customer service and technical support?
Our support is based out of Kenya. They're good. If you have any issues, it will take them around two days to resolve it.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Per user, we are paying $50 a month.
What other advice do I have?
Most of the companies are going to Microsoft products but Google is easier to use.
Google is a good product but it'll be better if they fix some videoconference issues. With Microsoft, you can integrate all of your devices. With Logitech and other companies, you can connect it directly through the cloud and you can use it directly, no need to go for another supplier. But with Google, you need to go with another supplier.
I would rate it an eight out of ten.
In the next release, I would like the ability to videoconference with a connectivity plugin.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Structural Engineering at Tahaluf
An easy-to-install tool that is useful for setting up virtual meetings
Pros and Cons
- "The installation part of the product is easy since one generally needs to use a browser to use the product."
- "It would be better to have a feature for recording the meetings in Google Hangouts."
What is our primary use case?
I use the solution mainly to attend meetings through a video call, especially when I have to present something and talk about it to a prospective client. I also use the tool for internal communications within my company so that I can communicate with my designer or project manager.
What is most valuable?
The features of Google Hangouts I find most beneficial for enhancing virtual communication stem from the tool's ability to provide its users with functionalities that allow them to make use of the product's sharing features. The fact that Google Hangouts is integrated with Google Calendar helps me to set up meetings easily. Most of my contact lists are in my Gmail account, making it very easy for me to pull out the details of the contacts or the potential attendees that I expect and want to invite to a meeting.
What needs improvement?
It would be better to have a feature for recording the meetings in Google Hangouts. I don't know if there is a feature in the basic version of Google Hangouts that allows for the recording of meetings, but I know that it is possible in Zoom. I think the advanced version or the licensed version of Google Hangouts may allow for the recording of meetings, but I have not explored it. Having a recording feature for the basic version of the tool would be helpful, as it is the only shortcoming of the product.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Google Hangouts for around ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I have not had any issues with the stability of the product.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I have not had any issues with the scalability part of the product since I operate in a small team. In general, I don't know much about this scalability part of the product.
Only two people in my company use the product. There is an extended group of freelancers attached to my company who use Google Hangouts through their personal Gmail accounts.
How are customer service and support?
I haven't had any issues with the solution's technical support. I rate the technical support a nine out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I use Zoom to attend meetings. I use Zoom and Google Hangouts. Cisco Webex is a tool that I used to use fifteen years ago. I started to use Google Hangouts because of Google Workspace,which comes with functionalities that allow its users to send emails and share documents. Zoom is better than Google Hangouts when it comes to the video conference part.
How was the initial setup?
The installation part of the product is easy since one generally needs to use a browser to use the product. I can use the product on my phone by just installing the application, which is a pretty easy process with which I haven't had any issues.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I don't need to buy Google Hangouts separately because it comes free with Google Workspace, and it is also available for my personal Gmail ID.
What other advice do I have?
I integrate Google Hangouts into my workflow for external client meetings or presentations by using my official email ID in Google Workspace, through which I can send meeting links and make use of the calendar invite feature to ensure that the details of the meeting are automatically integrated with Google Hangouts. I just create a meeting link through the calendar invite, and then I use it.
Speaking about whether Google Hangouts integration with other Google services has added any value to my user experience, I would say that value addition doesn't come from Google Hangouts alone. When I want to share some documents or spreadsheets, it is easy to invite those who have a Gmail account with Google Hangouts.
I haven't experienced any significant issues with connectivity or quality during the calls on Google Hangouts.
I rate the overall tool an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
CEO at a energy/utilities company with 11-50 employees
Communication platform with a straightforward setup; designed for virtual meetings, project planning, and project status updates
Pros and Cons
- "Communication platform that's effective in project planning, project status communication, and virtual meetings. Setting it up is straightforward."
- "The stability of Google Hangouts could still be improved. How virtual backgrounds are handled also needs improvement."
What is our primary use case?
I work for a project-oriented company, and we focus on product design and development, cloud services development, etc. We have multiple virtual meetings daily, both internally and with our clients, so our primary use case for Google Hangouts is for our meetings.
What is most valuable?
The value of Google Hangouts is that it enables us to communicate project status very effectively. It also allows us to plan effectively, and get people all over the world into our virtual meetings.
What needs improvement?
An additional feature I'd like to see in Google Hangouts is more of a personal preference, e.g. it's not a pain point. There may be little differences in the way virtual backgrounds are handled, but it's no big deal.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've been using Google Hangouts for two years. The company started standardizing the use of the platform at the beginning of the pandemic, e.g. that's when we made the shift to Google Hangouts.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I've seen some stability problems in Google Hangouts, particularly when communicating with developers in Eastern Europe, but that's to be expected given the current situation there.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup for Google Hangouts was straightforward, and I never experienced any issues with it, but it would still depend on how technical the users are, e.g. the pain points are going to differ.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I evaluated Zoom.
What other advice do I have?
The company I'm working for is a big Google user, so we use Google Hangouts, and we share Google sheets, Google docs, etc. We use different Google solutions for work.
I can't think of any pain points in Google Hangouts that would make me say: "I wish it had this capability, or not." I do so many virtual meetings, and I have to think if it's going to be on Zoom, or if it's going to be on Google Hangouts, e.g. what are we using for this meeting, because we have different clients, so every once in a while, we get called into someone else's meeting, but internally, we use Google Hangouts.
I'm in very much in favor of Dev Ops, e.g. I like to see those updates come, but I have no problems with updates for this platform, because Google is normally doing something, or fixing a problem, or providing an enhancement, etc. The key is I manage when I apply updates, so it's not a problem for me. For some people, it can be a problem, but the updates don't bother me. I managed a Dev Ops environment, so we were putting out updates regularly, so we don't surprise people too often.
I have no information on the pricing of Google Hangouts, because I was not involved in that aspect.
My advice to others looking into implementing this platform is that we've had good success with it. I have no issues. It's worked for us, and we keep using it. We're not looking at anything else, so that for me, says it all.
I'm giving Google Hangouts a rating of eight out of ten, as I rarely give nines or tens.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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