Google has just introduced another great feature for its millions of users, another step in its quest for total internet dominance. Google Video Chat, dubbed Gmail Video and Voice, featuring free webcam-based video conferencing, was launched today. Already a giant in the search engine field and enjoying great standing among its email users for its effective spam filters and integrated chat services, Google's new addition will surely add to its popularity, and move it another step higher than its competitors.

In order to access the voice and video chat services on their Gmail accounts, Gmail Video and Voice requires a browser plug-in, plus a microphone (for straight audio chatting) or a webcam (for video and audio chatting) to function. The plug-in supports Chrome, Firefox 2.0+, Internet Explorer 7.0, and Safari 3.0. As of now, the video chat service will not be made available within
the standalone Google Talk application.

Once the plug-in is installed, all you have to do is click on a contact within your Gmail Chat list. If they also have the required software, a camera icon will pop up next to their name and let you initiate a two-way multimedia session. If they don't have the hardware, you can still start a one-way session in which they'll be able to see and hear you, even if you can't see and hear them. Options are available to switch to a full screen view or a pop out chat window, the size and positioning of which can be adjusted according to user preference.

Gmail Video and Voice's features are quite basic, compared to paid video conferencing services such as Skype, as it is geared towards the casual user segment of the market. Therefore, corporate and large-scale users of such services will find the system a bit lacking. It doesn't support connection to regular phone numbers (Gmail to Gmail users only), doesn't permit conferences with more than two people, and misses out on several other features, such as call recording. Still, the addition of Gmail Video and Voice to Google's arsenal of services is another feather in its cap.

Google Introduces Gmail Video and Voice Chat (Google Video Chat)

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