Video Conferencing – Webinar Software
There are many reliable options for video conferencing software – lets look at one popular option initially and then do a few comparisons. For more in depth details on each option just visit their website and try their FREE version for a few weeks, before signing up to any paid option. FREE could be fine for you at this time.
GoToMeeting Video Conferencing
How GoToMeeting Works
GoToMeeting is a way to hold unlimited online meetings with up to 25 attendees. Download the software. Start a meeting immediately and share your screen with just a click. This is a tool for sharing and working together.
Start your meeting. Launch GoToMeeting on your computer, iPad, iPhone or Android device. Instantly start a meeting by clicking Meet Now in your GoToMeeting start window.
Invite other people.
You can invite others via phone, email or instant message – just click Invite in the control panel and the person will receive a number to enter when joing the conversation.
You can turn on the webcam and see each other and you can share up to 6 screens and have up to 25 attendees.
You can even share an application within your screen, say a Word doc or spreadsheet.
You can also change presenter or have someone else take control of your screen.
This also alows you have someone, such as your IT guy, remotely take control and sort out an issue on your computer.
You can record meetings.
Costs – 5 Attendees $25 per month 25 Attendees $39 per month 100 Attendees $59 per month.
Tip: Try a FREE version here for up to 3 people – No Sign up. No credit card.
Go to Webinar Video Conferencing
Same company, Citrix, similar product, but this is more a broadcasting tool, a one way output tool, so you can host scheduled seminars or conferences online or do training online with GoToTraining.
Up to 1000 people can attend and the system has built in survey tools. GotoTraining allows for 200 attendees and can include course catalogues.
Reporting is also available with these two premium products. These products can also show you who is active, so you can monitor attentiveness.
Pricing from $89 to $299 a month
Zoom Video Conferencing
Zoom provides cloud-based video communications, as in secure video conferencing or cloud meetings for pc and mobile plus webinar software apps.
The Basic or FREE option offers 40 minutes free for up to 50 people, plus unlimited meetings and unlimited time for any 1 to 1 meetings, ideals for sales managers talking to reps or sales people talking to ‘switched on’ tech savvy customers.
Options include annotation or co annotation and whiteboarding too, mouse and keyboard controls, plus breakout rooms, as well as group messaging.
Meetings can be instant or scheduled and you can create a meeting ID or attendee ID just like GotoWebinar. Attendees can attend using their smart phone. They do not have to connect with all the other attendees or even see their contact details. The host can send an invitation by email to each participant with a hyperlink. The host has great control, like muting someones mike or stopping their comments from showing, but attendees can message and put their hands up to ask a question. This control is better than using Skype. It really is like managing a classroom. Also the Zoom app works better on low bandwidth than Skype. Chat can be group or one to one. Start with this FREE version as you can upgrade if you like the app and really make use of it. Ideal for training sessions, team meetings or having a guest speaker talk to the team. You can take screenshots of the important stuff or watch a recording later.
For the Premium version at $14.99 per month, you can have up to 9 hosts and 50 guests with the option to buy more seats and you get recording space of 1gb with the option to buy more storage.
For $19.99 a month you get a more full blown app with 10+ hosts and telephone support and a vanity url too, plus company branding, custom emails and admin dashboard to make it look like your own company app. Check it out HERE.
Paid Options Video Conferencing platforms
Other Paid-for options include:
Cisco Webex $49 a month, the most established and most used option, current leader in the space.
Adobe Connect $55 per month for what is considered the best of the 4 options.Up to 100 attendees.
Fuze Meeting Pro $69 per month – the new kid on the block works on so many platforms and could become the new leader
Citrix Go to Meeting $49 per month – popular because it is simple to use and understand
Skype for Business from $1.70 per user per month to talk with up to 250 people. This may be more familiar to you as an interface. Click HERE. Microsoft now own Skype and will try to upsell you to about $10 a month for this with a few bells attached including storage. More Skype options HERE.
FREE video conferencing options include:
Skype for up to 25 people for calls and chat
Webex Basic – the clue is in the name, fine for up to 3 people
AnyMeeting – like above
TeamViewer – simple, ideal for your IT guys to login to your pc
Google Hangout –
Join – and
Blab which shone bright and then faded.
Try a few options and find out which works best for your needs at this time. Each app is different, so find one you like and use it. Some day you will find that someone cannot physically attend a meeting, so you just get them in via one of these apps. You may even decide to avoid some physical meeting in favour of a video conference.
10 Reasons to use Video Conferencing
1. Brainstorming – allow the team dump ideas and bounce off each other
2. Remote access to allow IT people work on your pc
3. Connect remote workers and engage team members
4. Attendance guaranteed – ensure that nobody misses a meeting, by missing a bus or a plane
5. Save time, no travelling or leaving desk
6. Efficiency, no chatting at the coffee machine, no side chats or distractions
7. Cost effective – no travelling costs or catering expenses
8. Ease – convenience – it is easier for everybody attending
9. Productivity – it saves all that time and expense allowing resources work better
10. Familiarity – The team gets familiar with the tool and can use it when working together on projects or communicationg with clients. That familiarity with this tool will help people be more productive and efficient.
Conclusions
This is another technology that entails a bit of a learning curve for you, but is such a great productivity tool, that every company should consider how to make use of it.
Video is set to become one of the most innovative areas in learning, selling, training and so much more. Increasing bandwidth allows more and more people use video as a productivity and communications tool. Google loves video because it appreciates its value – find out how you can benefit from it, by trying one of these apps.
Not so long ago we used to watch TV, but nowadays that is being replaced by on demand video options like Netflix and Youtube, so that people get to watch what they want when they want it. Because people have such short attention spans nowadays they prefer to watch video rather than read text. The same goes for training or education sessions, create it and let people watch it when they are ready to consume it. This goes for staff and customers.
