Google Meet may finally have a feature that lets it keep up with Microsoft Teams

Otter.ai launches Google Meet integration
(Image credit: Otter.ai)

Online transcription service Otter.ai has announced that it is integrating its Live Notes and Video Captions feature with Google Meet

The functionality, which is already available to Zoom users, transforms remote video conversations into real-time transcriptions.

Accessing the new Otter.ai transcription service is straightforward, with Google Meet users simply needing to install a Chrome extension. This will then allow Otter.ai customers to access live, interactive transcripts during Google Meet calls, and also make use of live captions.

Clearer collaboration

With video conferencing tools gaining a huge increase in popularity as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the importance of making online collaboration as seamless as possible has grown massively. 

The Otter.ai extension should help reduce miscommunication in the workplace, particularly for non-native speakers or individuals with accessibility requirements.

While a Google Meet call is ongoing, a Live Notes panel will launch within the Chrome web browser and accurately capture conversations. In addition, Live Captions, which can be customized by font and size, will also be launched and uses Otter’s speech recognition software to create transcripts and save them for post-meeting review

Once calls are finished, other collaborative features are also built into the Otter web platform and app, including the option of highlighting information, adding images, and searching for key terms.

“We have seen with our first integration into Zoom that making it more seamless to use Otter increases note-taking and productivity for users, we are excited to offer this same type of seamless integration for Google Meet users," Sam Liang, CEO and founder of Otter.ai, said. 

"Our AI technology is able to accurately understand a wide variety of accents in English and intelligently turns real-time conversations into live transcripts, as well as live video captions. By offering these features in an integrated experience on Google Meet, Otter.ai is helping to foster a more cohesive and collaborative workplace, as well as boosting inclusivity.”

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Barclay Ballard

Barclay has been writing about technology for a decade, starting out as a freelancer with ITProPortal covering everything from London’s start-up scene to comparisons of the best cloud storage services.  After that, he spent some time as the managing editor of an online outlet focusing on cloud computing, furthering his interest in virtualization, Big Data, and the Internet of Things.