Google announces that its video conferencing service Meet is now available for everyone free of charge. Available in web mode and on mobile apps, the firm intends to make a difference with the competition on security, noise reduction thanks to AI and integration into the Google environment.
Google is opening its Meet video conferencing service to everyone from early May
Google revived Hangouts! The Covid-19 pandemic has reshuffled the cards for instant messaging and their ability to make video calls. Google intends to take advantage of the boom in teleconferencing demand for teleworking. It has just announced the availability of Meet (Previously called Hangouts) for all and for free. This tool was previously available only for business or education customers with an account on G Suite.
In detail, interested users must have a Gmail address to access the service. The latter will be available from May 4, both in web mode, via meet.google.com or through mobile apps on iOS and Android. The deployment will be gradual, Google has a dedicated page for users to be notified of the service’s availability. On the constraints, the Mountain View company specifies that “meetings have a limit to 60 minutes for the free product, but they will only apply this constraint after September 30”. At the start, there are no limits on the number of participants and it will be possible to share your screen or have an extended mosaic view.
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Reinforced security and reduction of noise
By launching Meet for All, Google intends to return to the videoconferencing game today dominated by Zoom and Teams. To differentiate itself, Google emphasizes security by proposing for example not to allow anonymous users (that is to say without a Google account) to participate in meetings. In encryption, video conferences are encrypted in transit and all records stored in Google Drive are encrypted. Also, the organizer of a meeting has several control points such as admitting or refusing entry to a meeting. In addition to deactivating or deleting participants, if necessary.
Integration with the Google environment and the contributions of AI are the features that google also promotes. So the service can be coupled with Google Calendar to schedule meetings. Note that for companies who want to have advanced features, Google offers an Essentials version. It includes phone numbers, larger meetings, meeting recording and moderation controls.