<p>Rumours that Google is set to launch a unified messaging platform have been running rampant for months, and all signs have pointed to it being dubbed Babel. Now, TechRadar claims that the Babel naming has been put to rest, and instead, Google will call it Google Hangouts.</p><p>Of course, the Hangouts name is already used with the video conferencing tool built-in to Google+. Given the unified nature that Google is going for, the Hangouts name will reportedly umbrella all of the company's existing messaging services.</p><p>Previous screenshots have shown Google+ integration for photo sharing and the ability to launch Google+ Hangouts within a chat window (from Gmail). A slew of new emojis are also on board.</p><p>A unified chat service out of Google makes sense, as it has worked in the past year to unify existing platforms and remove clutter from its list of services (think Google Reader). Many competitors have unified messaging services, including Apple iMessage and BlackBerry Messaging, that might push Google to such a feature.</p><p><a href="http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/120963-unified-messaging-service-google-babel-reportedly-to-be-called-hangouts">Keep reading...</a></p><p>Read also:</p><p><a href="http://tech2.in.com/news/apps/google-babel-has-been-rebranded-as-hangouts/872866">Google Babel has been rebranded as Hangouts - Tech2</a> (Tech2)</p><p><a href="http://www.phonedog.com/2013/05/11/i-welcome-google-s-unified-chat-service-with-open-arms/">I welcome Google's unified chat service with open arms</a> (PhoneDog (blog))</p><p><a href="http://www.technobuffalo.com/2013/05/11/google-hangouts-messaging-service/">Google's Babel Now Called Hangouts, Launching at I/O</a> (TechnoBuffalo)</p><p>Explore: <a href="http://news.google.com/news/more?ncl=dxZG-Fet4Yqvy1McWBmPVoa4iSv4M&ned=us">26 additional articles.</a></p>