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In this thread: Google needs to stop making chat apps that I'll never use. This is a core G-Suite product for businesses. Right now, Google has no internal pro

by 013a 9y ago

In this thread: Google needs to stop making chat apps that I'll never use. This is a core G-Suite product for businesses. Right now, Google has no internal products that compete here. Their MO so far is to move Hangouts to be G-Suite/Business centric, whereas Allo/Duo are consumer. If you are still using Hangouts as a consumer, you're behind the times. Yes they need to clean up their Hangouts naming scheme. Yes they have Voice that's just kinda dangling there unloved. Yes, they could integrate SMS/Voice/Allo/Duo better. But frankly, I don't get all the hate. HN loves startups and experimentation and mistakes, but Google isn't allowed to do that? HN hates when Google deprecates products, but they have too many messaging apps? They'll get there. I'd take their messaging ecosystem today over 3 years ago; Allo is amazing.

ikeboy 9y ago
If Google was missing some essential business features after building a messaging platform from scratch 5 times, they have simply failed at software development.
- rurban 9y ago
  They did fail. At hiring, development, management and project management.
jsight 9y ago
I get your point, but why reuse the Hangouts brand for a completely different product while deprecating the old one? And I definitely would take their ecosystem of 3 years ago over today. Hangouts was the main chat app and it integrated my SMS and Google Voice pretty nicely at the time. Also, I'd like to go back even further and get back XMPP federation. Now, I have the chat platform that I still use (consumer Hangouts), a few that noone uses (Allo & Duo), and some new ones that noone uses. This pivoting is grating not great.
- 013a 9y ago
  My guess: Its an enterprise product, so they want to help ease that transition and encourage enterprise users to adopt it. I imagine there will come a day when the "Hangouts" brand disappears, from both Meet and Chat.

by 013a 9y ago

ikeboy 9y ago

If Google was missing some essential business features after building a messaging platform from scratch 5 times, they have simply failed at software development.

rurban 9y ago
They did fail. At hiring, development, management and project management.

jsight 9y ago

I get your point, but why reuse the Hangouts brand for a completely different product while deprecating the old one? And I definitely would take their ecosystem of 3 years ago over today. Hangouts was the main chat app and it integrated my SMS and Google Voice pretty nicely at the time. Also, I'd like to go back even further and get back XMPP federation. Now, I have the chat platform that I still use (consumer Hangouts), a few that noone uses (Allo & Duo), and some new ones that noone uses. This pivoting is grating not great.

013a 9y ago
My guess: Its an enterprise product, so they want to help ease that transition and encourage enterprise users to adopt it. I imagine there will come a day when the "Hangouts" brand disappears, from both Meet and Chat.