Why Orion Group Is Using Google Hangouts Rather Than Skype

Over the past couple of years the Internet Marketing team at Orion Group had been relying on Skype in our daily internal communications. Recently, We have been testing out Google Hangouts as a communication tool for our team as well. Our team has had a good experience using Google Hangouts, due in part to the fact that one of our Analysts had purchased a Chromebook and found it convenient to bring to meetings. Its small frame and easy access to all of the programs we use on Google made it very easy for him and made the rest of us feel like we needed one.

One disadvantage of using the Chromebook, however, was that it could not run Skype, which the rest of the company had standardized on. So, at times, when collaborating online, we’d have to copy/paste links or conversations from Skype to Google Hangouts, or from Hangouts to Skype to make sure we all were up to speed on the latest discussions. What a pain.

Some advantages that we found from using the Chromebook was that it made it simple to take notes and easy to use as a communication tool between all team members at the same time. I look forward to one day getting our entire company switched over to Chromebook.  For now, two members of our team have Chromebooks and we are finding it more convenient and easy.

One thing that is great about using Google Hangouts is that all our communication history is stored in our Business Gmail accounts and we can reference our past conversation without having to fire up a third-party application. Gone are the days of searching through different programs and wondering, “Did I send that in an email, or was that a Skype chat I had?!” We are glad those days are close to over and that problem is nearly fixed.
Another good thing about using Google Hangouts as an internal corporate communication tool is that it is accessible on all devices, including iPhone, Android phones, tablets and virtually all operating systems and computer setups, like Mac and Windows computers. It is important in any corporation with any number of employees who all have different means of communication to have one internal communication device or way of communicating. We have also enjoyed the video conference and screen sharing capabilities of Google Hangouts, which makes it easy for us all to stay on the same page.

I would recommend the Chromebook to any company that wants an internal communication tool that is easy to use, access and navigate through. It will definitely help solve any communication problems and technical problems you could have if you use multiple means of internal communications like Skype and Google Hangouts or you have multiple employees. Who doesn’t have these components in their corporation?

Overall, I’ve been happy with our transition from Skype to using Google Hangouts in the Internet Marketing department of Orion Group. I look forward to one day getting the entire company on board!