Chromebase for Meetings can now participate in Google Meet Polls and Q&As

Thanks mostly to HP, the Chromebase has made a strong comeback, and the all-in-one Chrome OS desktop presents itself as a solid option for the workplace, consumer kiosks, and home setups alike. For those that use a Chromebase at work or as a work-from-home device, Google is adding a very useful feature for devices that are enrolled to an eligible Workspace account.

Google Meet Polls and Q&As

If you have ever hosted a Google Meet with multiple employees or users of any kind, you are likely familiar with the chaos that can ensue when the floor is open to any and all questions or input. Thankfully, Google has implemented a handful of tools for Meet hosts to keep virtual meetings as streamlined as possible. Meeting hosts can add up to 25 co-hosts to a Meet and give them the ability to moderate and help manage the video chat.

Two other great features of Meet at the disposal of the host are Polls and Q&A. Polls and Q&A during a video chat give users the ability to provide feedback without interrupting the continuity of the meeting and allow the host to continue rolling through a presentation while still keeping track of questions and gathering feedback with polls that can be presented right in the chat area of Google Meet.

Today, Google is rolling out the Polls & Q&A feature to Chromebase for Meetings devices. This would include any Intel-based Chromebase all-in-one that is enrolled with an eligible Workspace domain. I’m not sure why these features weren’t available on Chromebases sooner but they will be a welcome addition as the affordable Chrome OS desktops become more prevalent in the workspace. According to Google,

This update can foster more inclusive hybrid meetings by giving participants in conference rooms and classrooms a way to engage in these key activities from Chromebase for meetings devices.

Workspace Blog

I agree 100% with Google’s assessment but the obvious advantages here are simply the ability to maintain order in meetings while still capturing data from Polls and user-submitted questions. At the end of the Meet, the primary host will receive an email listing all answers to the Polls from the Meet and a list of any questions along with the names of the users who submitted them. This is a great tool for post-Meet follow-up as well as data aggregation to make the most out of your virtual meetings.

Users can submit questions during a Meet by clicking the Activities icon to the right of the Chat button in Meet and clicking “Questions” and “Ask a question.” Keep in mind, even if you delete a question, the moderator will see it listed in the moderator email at the end of the session. Host-created Polls will pop up in the chat pane and users can select their answers at their leisure. Poll selections are anonymous.

This feature started rolling out yesterday and will be available over the next two weeks for all Workspace accounts on Rapid and Scheduled Release domains. To learn more about creating Polls and moderating Q&A, head over to the Workspace Updates Blog.