Google Inc (GOOG) Added New Features to Hangouts for Businesses

Google Hangouts

Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) announced that its Hangouts video chat service has been updated with new features for business customers.

The search engine giant emphasized that a face-to-face conversation remains the fastest and simplest way to communicate, and Hangouts allows teams to collaborate through video meetings using smartphones, tablets and personal computers.

Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) said Hangouts is now covered under the same terms of service supporting Google Apps for Business products including Gmail and Drive. This means consumers will 24-7 phone support and a 99.9% guaranteed uptime as well as ISO27001, SSAE 16/ISAE 4302 and SOC 2 certification.

The search engine giant said it will integrate Google Apps Vault by the end of the year.

The Hangouts video meetings support any Google Apps customer account including those without Google+ profile starting today, according to Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL).

According to the search engine giant, Google Apps customers will now be able to start or join a high-definition meeting that connects 15 participants from a computer of Chromebox for meetings device. The feature will be available soon to mobile phones and tablets.

Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) is also partnering with additional providers to make video meetings with Hangouts and Chromebox for meetings more accessible.

The search engine giant said Blue Jeans allows people on traditional H.323 or SIP-based videoconferencing systems to join video meetings.

On the other hand, InterCall enables users to participate video meetings using their phones through the InterCall audio conference bridge.

Users will be able to dial out from their Chromebox for meetings device to telephones with the phone dialing support.

Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) said it will make Chromebox for meetings function better for types of rooms. The search engine giant said, “In larger conference rooms, you can connect two displays to one Chromebox for meetings device to see your audience, and project a presentation at the same time.”

IT administrators will now be able to better manage meetings from their Googles Apps Admin Console with options such as remotely starting, muting and ending a meeting.