Google Chat: Collaboration is Now Limitless
Google Chat is a communication service developed by Google. Initially designed for teams and business environments, it has since been made available for general consumers. It provides direct messages, group conversations, and spaces, allowing users to create and assign tasks and share files in a central place besides chatting. It can be accessed through its own website and app or through the Gmail website and app.
Effective team communication is, without a doubt, the most difficult problem that businesses face. If there is too much communication, nothing gets done, and if there is too little communication, the incorrect job/service is provided. To be honest, we're all guilty of poor, unreliable communication.
Google Chat for Gmail, just announced, is Google's contribution to the collaboration sphere in this era of working remotely. Google Chat is a complete revamp of the former Google Hangouts, considerably superior to its own predecessor.
Here's a brief guide with some of the finest hacks we've discovered to help your team be more productive:
The User's Interface (in Gmail)
Communication: Chat for 1:1 conversations
Collaboration: Spaces for Teams
Mobile App for Managing Tasks
Gmail Add-ons & Bots for Universal Search
Weaknesses & Winning Features
1. THE USER’S INTERFACE
The interface, like that of other Google products, is contemporary, clean, and straightforward, with few complications (bells and whistles). However, unlike in the past, Chat's default location is within Gmail, but you can alternatively download and install the standalone Google Chat app if you like.
Individual and group talks are the emphasis of Google Chat. You can build rooms devoted to specific projects, subjects: for students, or themes. In group conversations within rooms, threads are used to communicate. 2. CHAT FOR 1:1 CONVERSATIONS
Individuals in the team can have one-on-one private conversations in the Chat area. You can chat with people within your team or from outside your organization(provided they have a Gmail account). It also has read receipts and intelligent responses, and a plethora of emojis to express oneself, which is a welcome new feature. 3. COLLABORATION: SPACES FOR TEAMS
Rooms are an excellent hub to keep track of processes and ensure that everyone is on the same page. Rooms are similar to What's app groups in which you’re allowed to have group conversations around comparable themes. Threaded chats, shared files, and tasks are all available here to keep everyone on the same page. External users are also welcome, and each space may hold up to 8,000 people. @mentions are the most effective and neglected aspect of rooms. In Google Chat, @mentions are a feasible approach to notify individuals of anything that requires their attention. 4. MOBILE APP FOR MANAGING TASKS
All of the Chat capabilities are available when you download the Gmail app. The software is compatible with both Android and iOS devices. 5. GMAIL ADD-ONS & BOTS FOR UNIVERSAL SEARCH
Gmail and Google Chat both include a massive variety of Add-ons and Bots to assist in boosting teamwork. You can use Bots to engage with some of your favorite applications directly from within Chat (in Gmail). You can add bots to a room or directly talk with them. At present, there are just a few bots, but some of them can add Gypsy, assign tasks, access files, facilitate meetings, and receive external notifications inside rooms. 6. WEAKNESS & WINNING FEATURES
Winnings:
One of our favorite aspects of Google Chat is that it facilitates not only intra-company but also cross-company engagements. Gmail has 1.8 billion users, thus if you or your team collaborate with external partners, Google Chat comes equipped. This is a true game-changer, and products like Slack can't compete with it.
The nicest thing is that the external party does not need to download additional software (Slack, Messenger, Telegram, Zoom, or Whatsapp) just to have a brief discussion.
Weakness:
Google Tasks and Google Chat task features are extremely basic, and your team will most likely want to use a more robust Gmail-based solution to manage teamwork, such as one that supports project management, allows you to chat on a specific task, add notes, assign emails to team members, and runs shared inboxes (like projects@, sales@, and support@ mailboxes).
Rooms lack a read receipts feature, which we hope will be included in future updates
