What Does Google 'Hangouts,; Facebook Skype Video Conferencing, Mean for Business Video Communications?

By

Facebook is integrating Skype video chat into its social network, after Google's "Hangouts" introduced what might be the easiest video conferencing feature yet to be made available to the great mass of regular online users.

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's chief executive, said Wednesday his company will offer users the ability to chat one-on-one with their Facebook friends, only a week after Google debuted "Hangouts." Read more here. (Wall Street Journal subscription required).

Facebook's Skype app does not include the ability for users to conduct group video chats.

But Google Hangouts isn’t as good for one on one conversations.

Google’s new hangout product is all about group chat, and it’s free. Up to ten people can use it at once. More here.

Consumer grade tools, it has to be said, often do not meet enterprise or large organization requirements. But you have to wonder whether the Facebook and Google moves will have any impact, positive or negative, on enterprise and large organization thinking and spending on video communications.

One might guess small businesses, as often is the case, might find the capabilities useful. Again, it isn't clear whether that competes with other business class services or creates a compelling new habit that actually spurs adoption of business tools.

It does seem highly possible that Google's features will undermine Skype's effort to get customers to pay a premium for group video chats.

"Hangout is already impressive and has proven to be among Google+'s best features during its extremely short existence," says J.P. Mangalindan, Fortune reporter. Read more here.


Gary Kim is a contributing editor for TechZone360. To read more of Gary’s articles, please visit his columnist page.

Edited by Rich Steeves
Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. [Free eNews Subscription]

Contributing Editor

SHARE THIS ARTICLE
Related Articles

Lessons Learned from Enterprise Oracle Cloud Migrations

By: Contributing Writer    7/1/2025

Switching to Oracle Cloud can feel daunting. Security risks, unexpected expenses, and performance troubles often turn what seems like an effortless up…

Read More

Protecting Business Assets with Smarter Security Frameworks

By: Contributing Writer    7/1/2025

Protecting your business is more challenging than ever. Cyber threats are increasing every day. Hackers target small and large businesses alike, searc…

Read More

Emerging Trends in Technology and Their Impact on Future Innovations

By: Contributing Writer    7/1/2025

Technology is changing faster than ever. Business owners often struggle to keep up. What's trending today might be outdated tomorrow. Falling behind c…

Read More

Tech Podcast Award Winners Bring Excitement and Enthusiasm to a Range of Important Tech Topics

By: TMCnet Staff    6/18/2025

Tech Podcast Award winners produce engaging, informative, and often entertaining content, bringing valuable insight from industry front lines to the e…

Read More

How Mobile Technology is Driving the Shift to Casino Apps

By: Contributing Writer    6/12/2025

Recent years have seen casino apps completely changing the online casino experience. Thanks to mobile-first technology, apps are becoming the default.…

Read More