The classic version of Google Hangouts is a communication platform that includes messaging, voice, VoIP, and video call capabilities. It was part of Google’s G Suite offering and integrated with applications such as Gmail and Google+. Users of the classic version of Hangouts will be migrated to the new Hangouts Chat collaboration tool, and Google continues to support conferencing via the new Hangouts Meet.
N/A
Versature
Score 9.0 out of 10
N/A
Versature is a telephony and VoIP software solution from Versature.
Had I completed this review a couple years ago, I would have given a rating of 9 or 10 as Hangouts (Classic) is an excellent product. However, now that Google Chat has succeeded Hangouts, I would not recommend that any new users begin using it where other more modern options are available. Android users who want an internet based instant messaging that also supports calling and video calling could benefit from using Hangouts (Classic) as Google Chat requires the user to also have Google Meet installed to make video calls and there is no voice only calling option.
Versature is versatile - it will likely perform very well in any office setting. It performs especially well with remote employees. When we had to move our operations to home during the pandemic, everyone was able to smoothly transfer calls to home or cell phones, so we didn't have to transfer equipment from one place to another. When we were in an office setting, however, Versature was also quite the helpful system. I don't see us moving away from Versature in a long time, whether we stay working remotely or we move back into the office.
Working remotely: switching our operations to home was done easily through Versature's online portals.
Voicemail: transcription/voicemails received through email are very helpful.
Answering rules: since you can have several answering rules over various timelines, Versature allows you to customize your answering rules properly, which makes better use of your time.
I would like to see improved video support, so that saved videos can be sent back and forth via Hangouts more easily, without having to start a separate meet chat
More pronounced notifications of messages would be helpful; pop up notifications are good, but once there is one, additional messages do not pop up
Custom muting times would be great, so that if I am in a 90 minute Zoom meeting, I can set it for that time; right now, it is 1 hour or 2 hours. Easy to forget.
Voicemail transcription that recognizes French: whenever a voicemail comes in French, the transcription is irrelevant.
Better voicemail transcription overall: at times, if the person leaving a message speaks too fast or doesn't speak clearly enough, the transcription isn't helpful.
Integration of time frames with answering rules: currently two windows when it could be just one in my opinion.
The tool is almost self-implemented. It is likely to be available in every pc or mobile device a user or potential user might have, and all you need to do is adding the company's account and you are done. Once you are setted up, you have almost all actual communication methods available in one tool
Google Hangouts works great and does not require a lot of work to troubleshoot. Everything is simple and easy to use. Google provides all of the tools that one requires to utilize Google Hangouts and any information can be found in the built-in help tools. There is also a forum for users to report issues and typically, Google responds well and will try to work out any issues.
I usually scour the help section/articles on their website if I am unsure of how to proceed with something. However, it has happened once or twice that I haven't found the answer I was looking for, and I therefore hopped on to their live chat. Their agents are always polite, kind, and quick to answer any question. If they don't know the answer, they will find it for you after a short pause. For those who prefer calling in and speaking with someone, you can just dial 611 from any Versature phone to reach an agent
Google is the white cotton socks of the conferencing world. It’s a great ad-hoc tool, but not too much more. If you are not looking to spend money or operate completely on WiFi (without data charges), it’s a great free option as well. The benefit of being free and open is also the liability. It doesn’t have a great integration story with other corporate tools, but [it doesn’t have to] if you aren’t looking for that. All in all, it’s as helpful and ubiquitous as a public payphone…without the pay…and with a video capability.
I believe it was part of the google suite that was purchased. It was worth the cost as it was cheaper. I believe it is now free, but also becoming deprecated. It is much better to use Teams, Discord, Telegram, etc. Google does not provide enough support or features to make using hangouts worth it these days.
