People who were using solutions like Google Meet before the pandemic may have been surprised by Zoom's meteoric rise once everyone started working remotely. The reason for this was simple - everyone started using Zoom for personal reasons, and once they became familiar with it, it spilled over into business use.
However, Zoom has never been the best business tool for videoconferencing for business. While the company has taken measures to tighten security since the start of the pandemic, when there were multiple reports of bad actors crashing meetings (or "Zoom bombing"), it still is not as fully featured as Google Meet for collaboration with colleagues. Google Meet recently released new features that set it even further above Zoom for use in your business.
Collaborate on a digital whiteboard & background blur
Recent changes to Google Meet include a digital whiteboard that your team can collaborate on and the ability to blur your background. So if your spare room/office is looking more like a spare room, you can blur out the piles of laundry on the bed.
The digital whiteboard, in Google parlance, is called a Jamboard. Anyone joining a call from a computer can open one. If you are joining from a mobile device, you'll have to download the Jamboard app. Once you're in Jamboard, you can add sticky notes, draw, and more in real-time with your team.
Zoom-bomb proof with Google account security
The smart people at Google are thinking about the security of all of their products 24/7, including Google Meet. It's actually impossible for a bad actor to join your meeting because several things have to happen before someone is allowed to join your meeting. Participants have to be on the Calendar invite or be a part of your Google organization in Workspace to be allowed to join a Google Meet. If they do not have a Google account, they must be invited to join during the meeting by the meeting organizer. The Google account and calendar invite requirements to keep outsiders out while still allowing clients or others outside your organization to join easily.
Usability is much better than Zoom
Google Meet has a much cleaner interface than Zoom. It is easier to join and easier to schedule meetings using Google Calendar with Google Meet too. Zoom launches scheduling to the calendar of your choice. Still, it makes it difficult to switch between calendars on Google accounts to make sure you are scheduling a meeting for work rather than a cookie-baking session with your auntie. When you create an event in Google Calendar, you have the automatic option to create a Google Meet - the integration is seamless, and if you are scheduling a few meetings a day, this is a huge time saver.
Do you have clients or teammates who are differently-abled? Google Meet's accessibility features such as captions help to include them in meetings. When switched on, Captions give a readout of what the person on a screen is saying and can even be transcribed into meeting notes - a handy feature for everyone, really.
Blind and low-vision clients and teammates can use screen readers, magnifiers, and other accessibility Chrome extensions while in a Google Meet.
What additional features are available to paid Google Workspace users?
If your business has a Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) subscription, there are some extra things you can do with Google Meet. The most useful, accessible to Business Standard and Business Plus users, is the ability to record meetings and save them to Google Drive. Standard and Plus users can also admit more people per meeting - Standard can have up to 150 participants, while Plus can have up to 250.
Frequently asked questions about Google Meet
- Do I need to have a Google Account to attend a Google Meet?One of the sticking points to the adoption of Google Meet is that most people believe that they must have a Google account to access it, and many people are wary of using their personal Google accounts for work purposes. However, you do not need a Google account to attend a Google Meet. Notify the meeting organizer that you wish to be invited to your preferred email when the meeting starts, and they will be able to do so. While it is a bit choppy, it is a way you can join a Meet without having to use a Google account. You do need to have a Google account to create a Google Meet.
- Do I need to have a paid personal Google account or Google Workspace account to create a Meet?
Individuals can use the free version of Meet which includes video meetings for up to 100 participants with a 60-minute time limit at no cost. For advanced features, you will need to have an active Google Workspace or G Suite account.
Google Meet is much more business-focused than Zoom, and encouraging Zoom users in your business to adopt it won't take long. Once they see how easy it is to use compared to Zoom, they will be completely on board. Save Zoom for playing Scrabble with your cousin, and use Google Meet to do business.
Contact UpCurve Cloud today to see how your organization can benefit from adopting Google Workspace.
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