Google Just Became a Videoconferencing Hardware Company

It's a search company, an advertising company, a browser, OS and computer maker, and the leader in wearable computing. Now Google has casually muscled its way into another business: high-end videoconferencing for companies

As of Thursday, Google will sell you a $999 package unimaginatively called "Chromebox for meetings". The set-up includes a Chromebox — Google's answer to the Mac Mini — as well as a 1080p HD camera, a combination mic and speaker and a remote with a QWERTY keyboard on the back.

The package also comes with one year of premium-quality HD videoconferencing free. After that it'll cost you $250 a year — not a huge expense in the enterprise space Read more...