Google Hangouts has become the chat standard for many of us. Long gone are the days of Aol Instant Messenger or MSN Messenger. If I want to chat with a friend, family member or coworker, I choose Google's service. It's not necessarily better than any other, but its value is in its ubiquity.
Today, Google expands the availability of access to the platform with the all-new Hangouts Button. This button allows one-click access to your desired chat buddy.
"Whether you’re a sales rep working in a CRM app or an engineer in a project management tool, it only takes one click to launch a Hangout and your team will automatically be invited. You can even improve customer service with the ability to quickly launch into a video Hangout with a client to resolve an issue", says Stephen Cho, Head of Google Apps and Hangouts Technology Partnerships.
Cho further explains, "With this new Hangouts button, apps everywhere will let colleagues, partners, and customers meet face-to-face anytime, anywhere, and work more effectively together with just one click. A number of our early partners have already enriched their applications with Hangouts".
While Hangouts is great for its ubiquity, the Hangouts Button's value is in its simplicity. Google has made it so easy to start a chat, be it video, text or voice, that its partners are already successfully using it.
A great example is a company using it for job interviews. Imagine it -- an HR manager launching a face to face job interview with the click of a button. This not only allows applicants to easily interview from far distances, but it retains safety by keeping strangers off the premises.
Of course, it also allows easier access to employee collaboration and discussion. Let's face it, more and more companies have fragmented satellite offices nowadays and video chat is the most cost effective method for projects that demand a synergistic approach.
Could you see a benefit to this button in your personal or business life? Tell me in the comments.