According to Google, meetings can be joined directly from the calendar or by manually entering a meeting code. Administrators can enable the feature for registered devices in their organization. They can also allow cross-platform meetings for trusted devices without knocking. At launch, only ChromeOS-based Meet devices will support this Zoom interop. But the company plans to add support for additional products over time. All Zoom Rooms across all platforms will support Meet interop from the beginning. This bi-directional interoperability between Zoom and Google Meet could go a long way in addressing the challenges faced by organizations when connecting with customers and partners. In the modern, hybrid work culture, remote collaboration and virtual meetings are critical. But since not all organizations use the same platform, they often face challenges when connecting with people outside their organizations. Google is aiming to address that. This isn’t the first time Google Meet has joined forces with rival services for consumer benefit. It announced similar bi-directional interoperability with Cisco Webex devices in September last year. The Pexip Google Meet interoperability solution also enables users natively join Meet calls through third-party video conferencing devices. But the collaboration with Zoom is arguably the biggest yet, as they are two of the most widely used videoconferencing platforms globally.
Google announces new Android-based Meet devices
Along with the Zoom interop, Google has also announced new Android-based Meet devices. Meet hardware has historically run ChromeOS, but the company notes that Android has become increasingly popular in this space. It is now going with the flow, introducing Poly and Logitech as the first two partners for delivering Meet for Android-based appliances. Poly’s Studio X family includes three Google Meet cameras of varying sizes: Studio X30 for small rooms, Studio X50 for medium rooms, and Studio X70 for large rooms. The devices come with features like intelligent camera framing, a non-verbal noise filter, and a shield that protects calls from outside sounds. Poly will release the first batch of Meet products in early 2023. Logitech will also launch its Rally Bar and Rally Bar Mini for Google Meet in 2023. The former caters to medium-to-large rooms and the latter to small-to-medium rooms. The company promises crystal clear audio, cinematic video, and other advanced intelligent features.
