Google Hangouts is officially on the way out
Google Hangouts is Google’s most popular messaging app. On mobile, Hangouts has seen over 1 billion downloads on Android and for desktop, it has enjoyed its privileged position as the main chat facility for Gmail’s 1.5 billion users. It has been around for over 13 years when it started its life as Google Talk. Google has now released details of how it will shut down Google Hangouts and move users to its new app: Hangouts Chat.
The Google Hangouts shutdown will begin October 2019
In a blog post announcing the Hangouts shutdown, Google described how it will be enterprise Gsuite customers who will be the first to see the app go. The post mentions a piece from 2017 in which Google talked about the next generation of Hangouts focusing on team communication and it seems that the new timetable shows how this move will be implemented.
According to the recent blog post from Google, these are the key dates to be aware of in the lead up to Hangouts retirement:
- April 16, 2019 – Several changes that may require administrator action.
- Between April and September 2019 – Features from classic Hangouts will come to Chat.
- October 2019 – Start retiring classic Hangouts for G Suite customers.”
G Suite users will start to lose access to Hangouts in October with regular consumers being switched off sometime in 2020.
For those who like Hangouts, the good news is that from April, Google will begin work on migrating some of the key Hangouts features to Hangouts Chat. With Hangouts being Google’s most popular messaging app ever, it would be an own goal for the search giant to not include most, if not all, of the features Hangouts users have enjoyed in this migration.
The key thing to understand here is that essentially Hangouts is now three apps, but that the two newest apps mark different key features from the original Hangouts app. Hangouts Chat is the Slack-like app that will deal with messaging, while Hangouts Meet is a video-conferencing app. To avoid confusion around this issue, Google is now calling the original Hangouts app Hangouts Classic. Google HQ is now committed to taking the best of Hangout Classic’s features and moving them across to the two newer Hangout apps before decommissioning it.
The funny thing about all this is that Google is doing it to simplify its messaging app output. Google is currently carrying out plans that will remove Hangouts and Google Allo from its roster. Once they’re gone, that’ll leave Google with five messaging apps available, which is the same number of apps it had before it introduced Hangouts Chat and Hangouts Meet.
This new direction doesn’t appear to make too much sense and hinges on the successful migration of users from Hangouts Classic to Hangouts Chat and Hangouts Meet. Maybe all will become clear further down the line, but it is clear that the next few months will be crucial for Google’s messaging strategy.
source softonic
Industry: Unified Communications
Latest Jobs
-
- Security Analyst. End User. UK. Flexible location
- Unknown
- 60000
-
CH7863 Security Analyst. End User £60,000 Security Analyst needed to monitor and manage a security suite of tools within an End User environment. The Security Analyst will be responsible monitoring, configuring, fine tuning, incident management and generally improving the security tool capability. Specific experience with CyberArk, Tripwire Log Center and Tripwire Enterprise is highly desirable). Current experience with Vulnerability management and penetration testing is highly desirable. Specifically the ability to effectively manage 3rd party pen tests. You will be working within a specialist security team reporting to the CISO. Experience working within an end user environment within financial services is highly desirable. Flexible location. This is an exclusive role to DCL Search & Selection. To book a call please use my Calendy link https://calendly.com/chris-holt/arranged-call-with-chris-holt-soc-role-
-
- Head of Penetration Testing
- United Kingdom
- N/A
-
Head of Penetration Testing needed to join a security consultancy that are delivering client facing penetration testing services around Web app and Infrastructure. Looking for someone hands on that is able to manage a highly skilled technical team of testers. 50-60% of the time is expected to be hands on, other duties will include, but not be limited to; leading and managing the day to day running of the team, mentoring, team upskill, recruitment, reporting, escalation, process improvement etc. Flexible location although south east is preferred. Anyone with Check / CREST experience is highly desirable. MUST be able to achieve SC clearance. UK based role. All details kept in confidence.
-
- CONTRACT SOC Manager. London / Birmingham. URGENT Immediate role.
- London
- N/A
-
REF7847 Contract SOC Manager. SC cleared, London / Birmingham. Initial 3 month Contract. SOC Manager needed to for an URGENT 3-4 month CONTRACT. SC clearance is essential. The project is to aid in the setup, implementation and management of resources to help with the initial stand up stages of a new SOC within a greenfield site. This is a short term contract role whilst a permanent hire is brought on over the coming 3 to 4 months. Experience engaging with and managing client stakeholder relationships as well as 3rd party relationships is critical. The role will involve; setting up, implementing and fine tuning the various initial stages of a SOC environment. Experience establishing and building out technical process / operational capability, managing of technical teams (analysts, engineers and architects, creation of policy / playbooks, fine turning is key. SPLUNK is the tooling of choice… Interviewing immediately. Set up a call with me today on https://calendly.com/chris-holt/arranged-call-with-chris-holt-remote-soc-role Direct contact details Chris.Holt@dclsearch.com or 07884666351
-
- SPLUNK Level 3 SOC Consultant, SIEM Splunk, London / Birmingham
- Birmingham
- 55000
-
REF CH7825 Level 3 SOC Consultant, SIEM Splunk, London / Birmingham £55,000 + Level 3 SOC Consultant, SIEM SPLUNK needed. Security Clearance. Permanent role Level 3 SOC Consultant, SIEM SPLUNK needed to join a public sector client. The ability to achieve SC clearance is essential. MUST have experience working with SPLUNK ideally to an Advanced Power User level. Splunk Enterprise Security (ES) knowledge and hands on experience highly desirable. The role will include, but not be limited to; managing and handling incidents end to end, supporting and mentoring level 1 / level 2 staff, supporting the SOC manager in the delivery of the SOC roadmap, engaging with the client stakeholders (other technical teams) as and where needed, use case development, advanced search and reporting etc. The individual MUST currently be living in the UK and be able to achieve UK security clearance. (SC) This is a permanent role To arrange a call with Chris Holt use this calendy link https://calendly.com/chris-holt/arranged-call-with-chris-holt-remote-soc-role Chris.Holt@dclsearch.com