[Operators] The Google issue

[Jesse Thompson]

On 11/22/2013 3:13 AM, Philipp Hancke wrote:
>> Same here, we can't cut off paying customers.
>
> How many of them are complaining that their counterparts are not
> responding anymore (because they use hangouts which don't display or get
> messages from federated contacts)?

These users aren't complaining much because Google already offers a 
workaround: everyone use Hangouts.

Google is encouraging user lock-in to the Hangouts silo; they want the 
user mind share.  Essentially, this is a form of Google "raising prices" 
for their otherwise free services.

So, there is a better way (supported/encouraged by Google) to allow your 
users to chat with legacy Talk users:

Give Google what they are asking for.

Here are your alternatives:

1) Tell users to get a gmail.com Hangouts account, or purchase Google 
Apps for your customers who want to pay for Google Hangouts services

    * Your users can chat with all Google users both on Talk and 
Hangouts.  (My assumption is that people on Google Hangouts can still 
chat with people who have not yet converted from Talk to Hangouts.)

    * You can continue to offer and innovate your federated XMPP services.

2) Leave things as they are now.

    * Your federated XMPP users can currently talk to 50%? (and 
shrinking) of those Google users who have not switched from Talk, and 
your users can not talk to %50? (and growing) of those Google users who 
have switched to Hangouts.

    * Google is a roadblock to innovating your XMPP services.

Jesse