Video chat for GMail - No thanks, I would have to shave more often

News from those Googlers just in: GoogleMail is launching voice and video chat alongside your e-mail. Think of it as Skype for your inbox but only between those with Gmail.

Here's Google's take on it:

"Google today launched GoogleMail voice and video chat, making it simple for people around the world to chat in high-quality video for free right within GoogleMail.  All you need is a webcam and a small web browser plugin, and you can start video chatting with your friends, family, and co-workers on GoogleMail and Google Apps.  GoogleMail voice and video chat lets you start a video chat without switching to another application or signing up for another account.  And if you don't have a webcam, you can simply chat by voice."

The move is a natural extension of the Chat feature inside Gmail. The success of Skype (and the increasing prevalence of built-in cameras in PCs and laptops) have made it a smart move. Skype's total registered users grew 51 per cent to 370 million over the past year.

For a comprehensive early look at the service see Rafe Needleman at CNET here.

Google makes the point that in these cash-strapped days, businesses might want to use video chat as a form of video conferencing to save on travel expenses.

But I can't see many employees happily video chatting with their boss any time soon. The old freedoms associated with being out of the office have been severely eroded in recent years as mobile phones, instant access to e-mail and even geo-location have bound workers ever more tightly to the office hub even when they are thousands of miles away. The thought of actually having your head of department see how scruffy, hung-over or pyjama-clad you are is not a happy one. For instance, because I work for The Times of London, I am obviously wearing a suit and tie as I type this. Or I might not be. I am not telling.

Picture from Okko Pyykko via flickr