IT Consultant at VCosmos
Consultant
Offers seamless integration with other Google Workspace apps and real-time captioning and translation features
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature of Google Hangouts for me is content sharing."
  • "One area where I see room for improvement in Google Hangout is the voice quality during meetings."

What is our primary use case?

I use Google Hangout to showcase case studies and solutions when consulting with clients about data security and data center work. It is a convenient way to present information and have discussions with clients remotely.

How has it helped my organization?

Google Hangouts, including Google Hangouts, has greatly facilitated remote collaboration for me. By using it alongside Teams, I can easily connect with peers and colleagues, no matter where we are. It has made virtual presentations and meetings much more convenient, allowing us to share and present information without needing to be physically present.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of Google Hangouts for me is content sharing. It is incredibly useful, especially when working remotely, as it allows me to easily share presentations, documents, or other materials with clients during meetings.

What needs improvement?

One area where I see room for improvement in Google Hangout is the voice quality during meetings. Compared to Microsoft Teams, I find the voice quality to be somewhat lacking.

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Google Hangouts
March 2024
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I would rate the stability of Google Hangouts as a ten out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability of the solution is good. I use Google Hangouts only twice per week for my projects.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Before using Google Hangouts, I used a variety of solutions depending on the client or peers I was communicating with. This included Microsoft Teams for collaboration and sometimes WhatsApp for smaller meetings or quick conversations with up to four or five people.

How was the initial setup?

I would rate the easiness of the initial setup as a nine out of ten.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Before choosing Google Hangouts, I evaluated other options like Skype and Zoom. I have used Skype extensively in the past, and Zoom was another important collaboration tool used in my work life.

What other advice do I have?

I have encountered some audio quality issues with Google Hangouts, but not video quality issues. Video quality problems usually stem from network instability rather than an issue with Google Hangouts itself.

For someone considering using Google Hangouts in a professional environment, I would suggest they stick with platforms they're already comfortable with, like Skype or Microsoft Teams. However, for everyday communication needs outside of enterprise settings, Google Hangout could be suitable, but for larger-scale meetings, I would recommend considering options like Microsoft Teams or Zoom.

Overall, I would rate Google Hangouts as a nine out of ten.

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.
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PeerSpot user
User Happiness Manager at a recruiting/HR firm with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
User-friendly and easy to navigate
Pros and Cons
  • "The initial setup is very easy."
  • "Google Meet should extend the time limit for a meeting from five minutes to at least thirty-five minutes."

What is most valuable?

Initially, Zoom had a time limit of 40 minutes, but now it's extended to 45 minutes. On the other hand, Google Meet allows meetings to last for an hour.

Moreover, I like the icons Google Meet has. Google Hangouts has sophisticated features and a data license. Google Meet downloads faster.  It does not take a lot of time.

What needs improvement?

Let me compare it with Zoom. Google Hangouts can't handle a large number of people. It has a limit of around 900 participants. Zoom also has limitations. So, there is room for improvement. 

Another area of improvement is icons.  I believe they could enhance the icon selection feature. It would be great to have more options for icons like Zoom does. It's not necessarily a critical improvement, but it would add a nice touch and provide users with more customization options.

Google Meet should extend the time limit for a meeting from five minutes to at least thirty-five minutes. I may be mistaken, but it seems like an appropriate duration for your average meeting. 

Additionally, when joining a call on Google Meet, it would be helpful to know how many participants are already in the call before joining. This feature is available in Zoom, and I find it quite useful. I prefer Zoom and appreciate the ability to immediately join a call without having to wait for an invitation. It's convenient to know how many participants are already on the call before joining.

For how long have I used the solution?


What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I would rate the stability of this solution an eight out of ten. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Overall, I would rate the scalability an eight out of ten. Some issues with scalability. 

In my organization, we have around 800 users utilizing Google Meet, and it handles a large number of participants well.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is very easy. Google Hangouts is very user-friendly. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Google Hangouts is not too expensive to maintain. Moreover, it doesn't consume much data and has affordable pricing.

Companies seem to prioritize cost-cutting and choosing a reliable solution. They want something that meets their needs without any surprises. 

What other advice do I have?

My advice to others considering using it would be to give Google Meet a try, especially if they are in need of a solution suitable for larger companies. The features are user-friendly, and navigating through the platform is easy.

Overall, I would rate the solution a nine out of ten. 

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Google Hangouts
March 2024
Learn what your peers think about Google Hangouts. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2024.
768,924 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Adrian Mukisa - PeerSpot reviewer
Student at Kabale University
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Useful meeting recording, stable, and simple setup
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature of Google Hangouts is the ability to record the classes that I'm not able to attend. I can use the class recording to view whatever I missed later."
  • "Google Hangouts could improve by allowing someone to record a meeting without the need to have a company email. You cannot record with a Gmail account."

What is our primary use case?

I am using Google Hangouts for classes online if we do not have physical lectures in the classroom. For example, a lecturer schedules a class at a specific time and then we use a link to join the video call.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of Google Hangouts is the ability to record the classes that I'm not able to attend. I can use the class recording to view whatever I missed later.

What needs improvement?

Google Hangouts could improve by allowing someone to record a meeting without the need to have a company email. You cannot record with a Gmail account.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Google Hangouts for approximately three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Google Hangouts is stable as long as you have a reliable internet connection and there is nothing wrong with our system.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability of Google Hangouts has been good in my experience. We only have a few people in the class and we haven't faced any problem with anyone having to be kicked out of the meeting because it was not able to accommodate the numbers.

We have approximately 40 people per class that are using the solution. In our whole university, I am not sure of the total number of users that are using it.

We have a number of online lectures and they have increased this year, there is a plan to increase the usage.

How are customer service and support?

I have not had any problems with the need to contact support.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of Google Hangouts is straightforward. The setup was basic, it only involves opening an application, scheduling, or starting a call immediately.

What about the implementation team?

The implementation of the solution can be done in-house and it does not require a third-party implementation.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others.

I rate Google Hangouts a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Nilanjana Dey - PeerSpot reviewer
Content Marketing Strategist at Niswey
Real User
Top 5
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.
PeerSpot user
BaidyTHIONGANE - PeerSpot reviewer
Engineer at BNP Paribas
Real User
Top 5
Enables us to chat and exchange quick information.
Pros and Cons
  • "We use Google Hangouts to chat and exchange some quick information."

    What is our primary use case?

    I used it extensively during the pandemic to collaborate in remote meetings. We use Google Hangouts to chat and exchange quick information.

    What needs improvement?

    An area of improvement could be to make it more user-friendly.

    An additional feature that I would like to be included in the next release is a recording feature.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using Hangouts for two years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    It is a stable solution, and I rate it an eight out of ten.

    How was the initial setup?

    It is easy to setup.

    What about the implementation team?

    We didn’t deploy it. I just use it in my private way.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    I use the free version.

    What other advice do I have?

    I would recommend it to others.

    Overall, I rate it an eight on a scale of one to ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Private Cloud
    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    IT consultant at Secoptrial
    Real User
    Top 5Leaderboard
    It is lightweight as it doesn't take up much memory or resources; it has a free version
    Pros and Cons
    • "I find it valuable that Google Hangouts is a lightweight tool that doesn't take up a lot of memory and doesn't require a lot of resources."
    • "Collaboration in Google Hangouts has room for improvement compared to Microsoft Teams. On Microsoft Teams, you can share a document directly and work on that document all at once, in real-time, with other team members, which isn't the case with Google Hangouts."

    What is our primary use case?

    When we don't use Microsoft Teams, we plan our meetings and have them on Google Hangouts, though only sometimes. We use Google Hangouts occasionally, for example, about eleven times.

    What is most valuable?

    I like that Google Hangouts works very well. You'll only have a problem using it if your internet connection isn't very good. I find it valuable that Google Hangouts is a lightweight tool that doesn't take up a lot of memory and doesn't require a lot of resources.

    What needs improvement?

    Collaboration in Google Hangouts has room for improvement compared to Microsoft Teams. On Microsoft Teams, you can share a document directly and work on that document all at once, in real-time, with other team members, which isn't the case with Google Hangouts. However, Google suite has Google Docs, which has a similar feature, but I haven't experimented yet.

    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?

    Google Hangouts is scalable if you have the paid version, where more members can join the meeting. The paid version also allows you to record meetings. The free version will undoubtedly have some limits.

    How are customer service and support?

    I do a Google search when I have a problem with Google Hangouts, and then I follow the steps to fix that problem. I also go on YouTube to find a fix.

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    We use either Microsoft Teams or Google Hangouts. It depends on what the partner wants. One partner didn't want to use Skype, so it's either Google Hangouts or Microsoft Teams.

    How was the initial setup?

    It's easy to set up meetings on Google Hangouts. You need a meeting title and a date, and then you can add a meeting description. Once you've added that meeting to your calendar, you'll get a link you can share with other users, which can be clicked to join the meeting.

    What was our ROI?

    Google Hangouts is a good investment. There's ROI from it.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    Rating the pricing for a product, whether cheap or expensive, depends on the category, the functionality, and your budget. Google Hangouts has reasonable pricing, but I don't use the paid version because I only have a small budget, though you get more features from the paid version. I could go for the paid version if the tool's pricing is even cheaper.

    What other advice do I have?

    I have experience with Google Hangouts.

    I use different versions of the tool. For example, sometimes, I use it on my PC through its application. Other times, I use the Google Hangouts application on my mobile phone. You can also use it on a web browser, but I haven't tried that version.

    I recommend Google Hangouts to others as it has features that help improve meetings.

    I work for a small company with about ten Google Hangouts users. Currently, it's not necessary to increase the usage of this tool.

    I recommend the solution to others because, based on my experience, it's an easy tool. Google Hangouts doesn't consume much memory compared to Microsoft Teams. You don't need to install other components to make Google Hangouts work. The tool is fast because once you access the application, it automatically redirects you to the meeting room. Google Hangouts is not resource-heavy, so I recommend it to others.

    My rating for Google Hangouts is eight out of ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Public Cloud
    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    AmilaDantanarayana - PeerSpot reviewer
    Presales manager at Mitra Innovation
    Real User
    Top 5Leaderboard
    Good companion mode, easy meeting recording capabilities, and is simple to set up
    Pros and Cons
    • "The solution is stable."
    • "We've noticed the product works better in Chrome and doesn't work as well in Safari browsers."

    What is our primary use case?

    We primarily use the solution in order to conduct virtual meetings. 

    What is most valuable?

    It's easy to record a meeting. This is a quite useful feature for us.

    The product offers a companion mode, which is helpful.

    It's quite simple to set up. 

    The solution is stable.

    It can scale well. 

    What needs improvement?

    Overall, it is a good platform. there isn't really anything lacking. 

    We've noticed the product works better in Chrome and doesn't work as well in Safari browsers. They should work on improving their performance there. 

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I've been using the solution for about three years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    We've noticed the performance isn't as good on Safari browsers. 

    Otherwise, it is very stable and reliable. There are no bugs or glitches, and it doesn't crash or freeze. 

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    It's very scalable. I'd rate it at a nine or ten out of ten in terms of ease of expansion. It's a Google platform It scales well. 

    We have about 350 people using the solution right now. While we have plans to continue using it, I'm not sure about if there are plans to increase usage. 

    How are customer service and support?

    I've never had the opportunity to reach out to technical support.

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    I've used Teams, Skype, and Zoom previously.

    How was the initial setup?

    The setup is very easy, very straightforward. I'd rate the ease of implementation nine out of ten. It is not complex at all. 

    We're on a subscription. It's a cloud implementation. I'm not sure how it is hosted, however, it is a tenant model. The deployment is fast on the cloud. 

    Since it is hosted on the cloud, it requires minimal staff for deployment and maintenance. 

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    We pay to use the solution via a subscription model. We pay for the solution annually.

    What other advice do I have?

    I'd rate the solution nine out of ten. 

    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.
    PeerSpot user
    Vijay Muddu - PeerSpot reviewer
    Manager server admin and security at Vivaconnect
    Real User
    Top 5Leaderboard
    Video conferencing solution that is readily accessible and facilitates presentation sharing during meetings
    Pros and Cons
    • "The most valuable feature has been the ability to present presentations during meetings."
    • "It would be great if this solution could be added to smart TVs. We would also like the ability to broadcast to a YouTube channel when having a meeting or session using this solution."

    What is our primary use case?

    We use this solution for video calls for group meetings. It used by more than 50 people in our business. 

    What is most valuable?

    The most valuable feature has been the ability to present presentations during meetings. 

    What needs improvement?

    It would be great if this solution could be added to smart TVs. We would also like the ability to broadcast to a YouTube channel when having a meeting or session using this solution.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using this solution for three years. 

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    This is a stable solution. 

    How are customer service and support?

    We have not experienced any issues so have not reached out to the customer support team. 

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    I have previously used WebEx and Zoom. WebEx is very complicated but does have enhanced features compared to Google Hangout. However, Hangouts is a lightweight solution that can be used across devices including phones. It is easy to download and is readily available. You don't need to sign in separately and this makes it convenient to use. 

    What other advice do I have?

    I would rate this solution a nine out of ten. 

    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.
    PeerSpot user
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