Gmail video chat gets an upgrade, now uses Google Plus Hangouts

When Google introduced Gmail video chat back in 2008, it was a wonderful and powerful new communication tool. It was really nice to be able to instantly chat it up with a friend face-to-face that already used Gmail without making them sign up for some other service like Skype. Then along came Google Plus and the video chat ability in Gmail got left by the wayside. Today that all changes though. The Gmail team as just announced a nice new upgrade to the video chat service in Gmail that is sure to make many of you smile.

It still lets you chat with your friends like it always has, but now the service is based on Hangouts instead of a simple peer-to-peer type of communication. Leveraging the power of Google’s network will help deliver higher reliability and enhanced quality. The update goes beyond just that though. Now you will not only be able to reach your buddy in Gmail, but also on G+ in their browser, their Android device or their iOS device.

All users will benefit from this, but wait there’s more. If the person you are chatting it up with also uses Google Plus, you get the added ability of adding in 9 friends, watch YouTube vids, use Google Docs and share your screen.

Ultimately this will further integrate Gmail with Google Plus and make life a bit simpler for some. The new addition has started rolling out today and should be available to all Gmail users within the next few weeks.

Now if they would just make the Google Talk client on the PC do a little more I would be happier.

Source: G+ and Gmail blog