Dell, the computer hardware manufacturer and distributor, could soon use Google’s new group video chat platform Google+ Hangouts as an alternative to traditional customer service, according to the company’s chairman and CEO, Michael Dell.

Hangouts currently require you to download the same plugin that also powers video chat within Google Talk. However, Google is working on making both Hangouts and Google Talk itself work in the browser, without the need for any plugins.  Google Talk and Hangouts currently use technology Google is licensing from Vidyo to facilitate video chats. Video is transmitted in H.264/SVC, with H.264/AVC and H.263 being used as fallback solutions.

“Listening and responding to customers is so basic and fundamental. The emergence of social media elevates how companies can act on the feedback they get from customers,” said Karen Quintos, senior vice president and Chief Marketing Officer at Dell.

“As companies embark on social media, the key is to embed it throughout every facet of the organization—from sales to marketing to engineering to customer service to HR to finance. For Dell, this approach ensures that our customers connect with the experts who can address their unique issues and ultimately help them do and achieve more.”

Hundreds of comments from social media subscribers agree that Google+ Hangouts would be a good idea for Dell. And the idea is indeed intriguing: Some customer service needs are very similar, so having a service representative talk to a small group of customers at the same time could be more economical than the traditional one-on-one call. Using video could also humanize tech support, and group settings could even initiate self-help between customers.

One should note that Dell’s idea of launching a Hangouts session directly from Dell.com isn’t currently possible because Google+ is still invite-only.   Hangouts can only be started or joined from within the network. Furthermore, Google also hasn’t opened its social network fully for businesses yet, but the company is currently evaluating how to integrate brands and businesses into Google+.