Hangouts Meet

Hangouts Meet
Fawaz.tairou · CC BY 4.0 · source
Name	Hangouts Meet
Developer	Google LLC
Released	2017
Discontinued	2020s (rebranded)
Operating system	Android, iOS, Chrome OS, Windows, macOS, Linux
License	Proprietary

Hangouts Meet Hangouts Meet was a video-conferencing service developed by Google LLC as part of its G Suite productivity suite. It offered real-time video meetings for organizations and individuals alongside services such as Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Drive, and Google Docs, and competed with platforms like Zoom Video Communications, Microsoft Teams, and Cisco Webex. Meet emphasized scalability, integration with other Google services, and enterprise-focused administration through Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) management.

Overview

Meet was designed to enable scheduled and ad hoc meetings for users within organizations such as University of Oxford, Stanford University, NASA, and corporations like Spotify, Salesforce, Airbnb. It supported dozens to hundreds of participants per session, relied on Google's global infrastructure including data centers like those in Council Bluffs, Iowa and The Dalles, Oregon, and integrated identity management via Google Account and G Suite for Education administration. The product positioned itself among enterprise solutions alongside BlueJeans Network, LogMeIn, and Skype for Business in markets spanning public sector entities such as United Kingdom Cabinet Office and multinational firms such as Unilever.

Features

Meet provided features including high-definition video, screen sharing, real-time captions, and dial-in PSTN audio bridging compatible with carriers and telephony vendors such as AT&T, Verizon Communications, and BT Group. It offered scheduling through Google Calendar events and deep integration with file storage and collaboration via Google Drive and Google Docs, enabling workflows similar to combinations of Dropbox, Box (company), and Microsoft OneDrive. Enterprise administration features paralleled those found in Okta and Microsoft Azure Active Directory for single sign-on and provisioning. Hardware partnerships with vendors including Logitech, Poly (company), Cisco Systems, and Crestron provided room systems and codecs for conference rooms. Accessibility features included automatic transcription influenced by research from Google Research and projects tied to TensorFlow and models used by teams at DeepMind. Compliance and certification efforts aimed at industry standards like SOC 2 and frameworks advocated by organizations such as International Organization for Standardization.

History and Development

Google announced Meet as part of a reorganization of its communication products, evolving from earlier offerings such as Google Hangouts and influenced by experiments from teams including engineers with backgrounds at YouTube and Android (operating system). Early development cycles intersected with enterprise strategy shifts under executives such as Sundar Pichai and product leads involved in projects alongside teams that built Google+ and Google Voice. Meet's roadmap responded to market moves by competitors like Zoom Video Communications, and to security incidents that had affected players including Zoom in 2020. Major feature rollouts corresponded with global events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which drove remote work adoption across institutions like Harvard University, World Health Organization, and corporations like Twitter and Facebook (now Meta Platforms).

Integration and Platform Support

The service integrated with desktop platforms including Windows 10, macOS Big Sur, Chrome OS, and Linux distributions used by organizations like Red Hat and Canonical (company), as well as mobile platforms including Android and iOS. It interfaced with identity providers such as Okta and Azure Active Directory and synchronized with calendaring systems comparable to Microsoft Exchange and services like Calendly. Third-party integrations and APIs connected Meet to workflow tools like Slack (software), Asana, Trello, and CRM platforms including Salesforce. Hardware ecosystem support paralleled offerings from Lenovo, HP Inc., Dell Technologies, and audiovisual integrators serving clients like Marriott International and Hilton Worldwide.

Security and Privacy

Security features included encryption in transit leveraging TLS comparable to protocols adopted by Cisco Systems and Microsoft Corporation, administrative controls for G Suite for Education and Google Workspace domain administrators, and audit logging similar to controls provided by Splunk and Elastic (company). Privacy discussions referenced regulatory regimes such as the General Data Protection Regulation and standards from agencies like NIST; enterprise compliance work aligned with certification programs used by Amazon Web Services and cloud providers. The platform's approach to access control paralleled identity frameworks used by Ping Identity and included measures to prevent uninvited attendees, drawing comparisons to actions taken by Zoom Video Communications and Jitsi (software) communities.

Reception and Usage

Critics and reviewers from outlets like The Verge, Wired, TechCrunch, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal compared Meet to competitors such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Cisco Webex Meetings, often noting strengths in integration with Google's ecosystem, weaknesses in certain enterprise telephony features, and improvements over predecessors like Google Hangouts. Adoption surged among educational institutions including Massachusetts Institute of Technology and public agencies such as United States Department of Education during remote learning transitions. Analysts at firms like Gartner and Forrester Research evaluated Meet within Magic Quadrant and Wave reports alongside vendors such as LogMeIn and BlueJeans Network.

Transition and Succession (G Suite to Google Meet)

As Google reorganized G Suite into Google Workspace, Meet became the primary video product replacing earlier consumer and enterprise offerings like Google Hangouts and integrating features from Duo (app). The transition paralleled corporate branding strategies seen in shifts like Facebook Messenger changes within Meta Platforms and product consolidations at Microsoft Corporation. Administrators migrated tenants using tools and documentation similar to migration aids provided by Okta and consultant firms like Accenture and Deloitte. Over time, Meet's capabilities were folded into unified communications strategies pursued by organizations including IBM and Oracle Corporation as part of larger digital transformation initiatives.

Category:Google software