14 DAY TRIAL // Google’s Helpouts has finally gone live, although it is invitation-only at the moment.
As previously reported, Helpouts is a Hangouts-based marketplace that enables individuals, but also businesses to buy and sell services via live video.
The homepage has gone live and it features a message from Google.
“Helpouts isn't available yet, but we're currently inviting people with expertise across a number of topics to be able to offer Helpouts when we go live — and to make money sharing their skills and knowledge with the world,” the site says.
In order to get an invite to the new marketplace, users can sign up with their names and email addresses. Once the request is processed and depending on how many spots Google has in the first round, invitations are sent out with a special code, which has to be typed in on the Helpouts homepage.
The product was under internal testing for a while, but it seems that everything is ready for the larger public.
According to screenshots previously obtained by TechCrunch, sellers will be able to operate under several categories, depending on the type of service they can provide. “Computers,” “Education,” “Food,” “Health,” “Hobbies,” “Repair” and “Other” are just some of the service categories that will be available for those involved in the new Google project.
The service could prove to be particularly useful for buyers and sellers across the world. For instance, a language teacher could give training to students half-way across the globe without having to actually travel the distance. The same can be done for various repairs or sports classes, as illustrated on the Helpouts page.
Professionals and experts could thus be a click away with Helpouts and their knowledge could easily be shared via live video.
With the size of the company, Google could quickly become a serious competitor on the e-commerce market.