Video Conferencing

As the technological curve continues to rise, web conferencing is increasingly becoming the preferred mode of organizing meetings. It is convenient, simple and cost-effective; what else can you ask for? But with great power comes great responsibility, so to speak. If you are the one organizing the web conference, it could be a stressful affair. There are a lot of things that could go wrong, and your job is to prevent all of them. So, here are some web conferencing tips to simplify your next online meeting:

1. Set your agenda

The first and foremost thing you must do before a web conference is to pen down the agenda. Why is it important? Unlike physical meetings, long silences in web conferences could get really awkward. If you are the one behind this silence, it also gives negative points to your preparation.

While preparing an agenda, you need to jot down all the points you would be talking about during the course of the meeting. These points may follow a chronological order and/or an order of priority. If the meeting is supposed to be a discussion, some agenda should be sent to the participants too. This will allow them to come prepared for the meeting and contribute more to the discussions. A well-defined agenda serves other purposes too. It stops the discussion from deviating and also keeps a good track of time.

2. Choose your tools

Something very crucial for a web conference is the selection of tools. There are a few things you have to keep in mind while preparing for an online meeting. The first thing is choosing the web conferencing software. All conferencing tools offer the basic features required, so it comes down to what specifically you would need. Do you want to share the screen? Do you want a common workspace between participants? Do you want to remote control other systems? You would need to first make a list of your specific requirements and then look for a tool that matches them.

There is also the question of audio/video. Some tools have an upper threshold of the best quality sound and visuals they can support. At other times, your own internet connection becomes the barrier. You would need to find the middle ground between the two factors.

However, amidst all the excitement for the coolest features, one thing is often overlooked – ease of use. While you have ample time to know and understand the tools, other participants might not. Asking them to not only download some rare web conferencing tool but also learn how to use it would mean expecting too much. It would either make them lose interest in the meeting or lead to confusion during it. So, it is better to stick with tools that give you what you want while also being common and simple enough to use.

3. Test and Prepare

Imagine being all set and ready to give the best presentation of your life, but then something goes wrong. Maybe the video fails to load, the audio is not working, or the internet simply disconnects. Web conferencing might make a lot of things easier, but “safety” is not something in its alley. As Murphy’s Law dictates, “If something can go wrong, it will go wrong”. But you have to avoid that anyway.

So once you have arranged everything you need, it is time to give them a test run. Your internet is the backbone of this entire charade, so it must be operating in its best form. Then make a checklist of all the equipment you are using and start testing each of them. Webcam, mic and lighting – everything should be working without a hitch.

But of course, simply passing the test doesn’t ensure that all of those factors would stay reliable during the actual web conference. So, being the smart professional that you are, you must be ready with Plan B. This should include a backup for everything. For instance, mobile data could be the backup for poor internet connectivity, the mobile camera can serve as a backup for a webcam, spare earphones can be the backup audio and so on. All of the backup equipment should also, in turn, be tested and checked off.

4. Adhere to your schedule

The single worst way of starting a meeting is keeping your clients/audience waiting. Nobody likes waiting. This would only add negative points to your credentials. But making someone wait in web conferences is actually worse. The reason is pretty simple. Unlike physical meetings, where the clients are stuck and would have to wait for you anyway, they have to simply click a button in a web conference and the meeting would be over before it starts.

So, you need to exercise caution to ensure you adhere to the schedule. Set alerts in more than one device and be ready for the meeting before any of the participant. But a schedule is not just restricted to the beginning of an event. Often people have a tendency to keep things rolling without a track of time. While what you are saying might be very important, it is worth remembering that other people have their own schedules too. Hence, refer to our previous advice about setting an agenda and ensure that the meeting gets over at more or less the scheduled time.

5. Avoid all distractions

Distractions could be anywhere, but web conferences seem to be their favourite spot. Physical meetings usually occur in controlled environments, where you are compelled to focus and keep all distractions aside. Web conferencing, on the other hand, is like a regular day in your space – except with a meeting going on the screen. It is easy to get distracted, and it takes no genius to realize that this cannot be allowed.

Distractions not only restrict you from following what is being said but force others to repeat what they just said and waste precious time. If you get distracted while speaking, needless to say, you won’t be able to make your point as well as you had hoped.

So, the next step is removing the distractions. Let’s start with the devil, the mobile phone itself. If your smartphone is not being used in the meeting, it is better to put it in DND mode to avoid any notification. If you are web conferencing on the laptop, close all tabs and applications that you won’t need during the meeting. If possible, silence all notification sounds from the apps. Inform your colleagues that you are in a meeting and should not be disturbed for the duration. Any other object that could cause distraction, like rustling papers or creaky windows, should be dealt with beforehand so as to avoid any disturbance during the videoconference.

6. Maintain professionalism

Web conferencing is a very convenient way of conducting meetings. You get the opportunity to have the same meeting from the comfort of your office/home, without the crowd or the travelling. In fact, it is such a convenient option that we often get too comfortable for our own good. You know, the “working from home wearing pyjamas and keeping snacks on the side” comfortable.

Web conferencing is a convenience, but it is not a license to be unprofessional. Many people try to find shortcuts –like getting ready only till the waist up or wearing a messy coat in the hopes no one would notice it. It is far simpler and safer to get ready for a web conference as you would for a physical meeting.

But of course, professionalism is not just limited to the dress code. Some people have the tendency to be too comfortable on their chair; after all, it’s just their own office. But for anyone looking at you, it leaves a bad impression. Always maintain a professional posture throughout the meeting and conduct yourself in grace. Remember, the objective of any meeting is to not only convey your point but to also leave an impact.

7. Have the right start

Things that start well go well. Often, people are so excited about hosting a web conference that they simply jump to their agenda. There are numerous other things you must consider before actually starting the meeting.

Always begin the meeting by welcoming everyone. Then proceed to check whether you are connected to everybody else and whether everybody else is also connected to the general group. Once you receive the affirmation, proceed with a formal introduction of yourself. If you have time, or if the meeting is with multiple clients who are unknown to each other, encourage everybody else to give their own introductions. Only then you can come to your agenda and announce the objective of the meeting. If you have certain guidelines regarding how to conduct this meeting, clarify it to your audience. This approach ensures that your meeting gets a great start and everything that follows it falls into place.

8. Have the right end

Meetings are exhausting, and web conferences are not much of an exception. After a tiring session, which can often stretch into hours, all you want is to end it and get some rest. While this is understandable, it is not advisable at all. Just like a good start is important for the meeting, a good end is important for what follows the meeting. Hence, you need to likewise ensure that your meeting wraps up on the perfect note.

As the meeting comes to its end, take the initiative to recount all the major points and conclusions that were made during the meeting. If you had kept any questions for the last, now would be the time to answer them. Inform the participants about the date and time of the next meeting, if it is already planned. Also, share with them the link to the recording of the meeting and any additional resources, so that they could go through it again. In the end, don’t forget to thank them for their time and participation. Only then you are allowed to end the meeting. While this whole approach might seem tiring, it definitely has significant merits.

9. Utilize features at your disposal

A running idea about web conferencing is about how it is done. There are supposedly some basic steps: connect audio/video, share relevant files, and disconnect once done. There is nothing wrong in it, but nothing great about it either. In the past decade technology has developed leaps-and-bounds, so why would you stick to what you did 10 years ago?

Web conferencing tools are much more comprehensive today than most people give them credit for. There is a vast array of features provided exclusively to make the whole “virtual meeting” experience all the more realistic. For instance, you can mute certain or all members who are not currently participating in the meeting. You can put up a presentation on the screen instead of sending files to participants. You can even give/take remote access from other participants. All of these features allow you to make your point in a much better way. At the same time, they engage the participants better; in a web conference, engagement is crucial. So, familiarize yourself with the features you have at your disposal and remember to use them during the meeting if and when necessary.

10. Take feedback

A small, often overlooked, and very effective tip would be taking feedback at the end of a web conference. This small step actually serves two purposes. First, it shows the participants that you care about the meeting and definitely care about their opinions. As far as lasting impressions go, this is a good one for sure. Second, it gives you valuable insights into how your meeting went. You get a chance to know everything that went good and bad for the participants. For the bad parts, you can actually take steps and improve upon it before the next meeting.

However, keep in mind that feedbacks must not look like a thesis to the participants. You should do the heavy lifting in the feedback form: describing the questions in detail, adding all possible options etc. Use form services which are easily available, like Google forms.

Conclusion

Web conferences can simultaneously be the easiest and hardest things to do. But with these tips in mind and the right video conferencing tools at your disposal, the difficult parts might become simpler for you and help you make the most of your web conferences without any obstacles in the path.

Web conferencing is a really essential tool today for collaborating with colleagues and clients alike. A range of features, from the basic ones to the more advanced variants, exist to further improve the experience of these online meetings. But as the features increase, so does the price. For small businesses and startups, it is not really feasible to use a high-end web conferencing tool to hold meetings. At the same time, picking up any run-of-the-mill conferencing tool wouldn’t work either. So, to simplify things for you, here are 10 web conferencing tools that would prove really cost-effective for your team:

1. Zoom

Without much doubt, the most popular web conferencing tool among professionals is Zoom. The software, which features in almost every “best web conferencing tool” list, has more than earned its reputation. Zoom comes in both free and paid plans. The Free plan gives you a decent start, with up to 3 participants but one host in a meeting. The duration can be up to 40 minutes. Other features include 720p HD video, personal rooms, recording on a local device, and support for all major OS and SSL encryption.

The paid plans start from $14.99/month/host. Each host can include 100-1000 participants, depending on the plan. Advanced features include cloud recording, company branding, custom emails, admin control and unlimited cloud storage. The paid plan of Zoom is actually among the cheapest of all paid web conferencing tools. However, the free plan gets most of the things done if you are not willing to spend money right now. Interestingly, participants in a meeting don’t need to have a Zoom account to take part in the meeting.

2. Cisco WebEx

Another name that instantly pops up when talking about professional web conferencing tools is Cisco WebEx. Part of the famed Cisco series of networking solutions, WebEx was first founded in 1995 – among the first tools for web conferencing. But its simplicity and constant innovation have allowed it to remain one of the best tools at your disposal, almost 25 years later.

Cisco WebEx comes in both free and paid versions. The free version offers much the same functionality as any other free version: up to 3 participants, screen sharing, screen recording etc. WebEx offers swift integration with Spark. This is a very important feature, as Spark offers great security protocols and encryption to WebEx. In simple words, security is the primary attraction of WebEx. WebEx could be used over a variety of devices (smartphones, tablets, desktops, laptops) and operating systems (Android, iOS, Mac, Linux). It also comes with built-in integration capabilities for other utility applications like Outlook, Google, Office 365 etc. There are many more features WebEx can offer, but they are hidden behind a paywall. The paid plans of WebEx usually fall towards the higher side of things (compared to other tools), but they are also worth the money.

3. Skype For Business

Everyone has heard of Skype, even those who have no interest in web conferencing. One of the most popular applications for video calling, Skype can be extended for other uses as well. The biggest USP of Skype is that it is completely free. Apart from advanced voice calling, all features are completely free for all users. For small teams, Skype offers a good option for web conferencing. There are basic features like screen sharing and file transfer, while up to 25 participants can be added in a meeting. Being a general-purpose app, Skype is compatible with almost all major devices and operating systems.

Skype For Business (Skype B, for short) is the enterprise variant of the tool from Microsoft. It specifically focuses on the needs of large organizations, as evident from the fact that it can add up to 250 participants in a meeting. The Broadcast feature allows additional 10,000 people to view the meeting. Skype B offers greater integration with other Microsoft applications like Office 365. It also has better security features like AES encryption, admin master control, fixed login attempts etc. Skype B is a paid application, but the plans start from as low as $2/month/user.

4. GoToMeeting

Another popular name, GoToMeeting is a very common tool used by professionals to host conference calls. The main idea of the application lies in its sheer ease of use. GoToMeeting can be used virtually everywhere. Apart from the support on various devices and on various operating systems, the application can also be used in a web browser. It comes with excellent integration with other utility apps too. This means that not only can you launch GoToMeeting from its dedicated app, but also from browsers or utility apps like mails. However, the free version of GoToMeeting is limited to audio conferencing only.

The paid plan of the application turns it into video conferencing software, adding a lot more features. It allows synchronous editing, cooperative writing, project management, up to six HD video feeds per session etc. GoToMeeting is a perfect web conferencing software for those who want maximum team collaboration during meetings. However, its price falls on a bit higher side compared to other tools.

5. Workplace by Facebook

Most people tend to sleep on Workplace, but this offering from Facebook can actually prove to be a great asset for web conferencing. The standard version of the tool is free, while the paid version ranges between $4-$8/month/user. As far as the features are concerned, there is literally a huge list of what it offers.

Workplace employs the power of Facebook, thus enabling a huge two-way communication network. It can cover not only the entire organization but even facilitate communication beyond it. Workplace is a great collaboration tool, facilitating easy communication and group discussions. Other features include screen sharing, private chat sessions, presentation streaming, recording video/audio and on-demand webcasting. Communication-specific features include knowledge management, A/V conferencing, newsletters and newsfeed. Brainstorming and group discussions can be highly interactive, ranging from simple chats to video collaborations. Workplace can actually be a powerful tool when you consider the huge network that Facebook facilitates for it. The tool can also be used in collaboration with other business tools; the integration only making its features more powerful. For small teams and/or teams that don’t require huge collaboration features, even the free plan works just fine.

6. Uberconference

If your team meetings are usually done on calls, then Uberconference is the perfect tool for you. The free web conferencing tool specialized in audio call conferences. It can add up to 10 participants per call while you get unlimited conference calls per month. Additional features include call recording and support for international conferencing numbers. The tool is pretty easy to use and usually does not require any credentials (on phone) to join the conference call. The audio is in HD quality and VoIP is also supported. All of this comes completely free of cost.

The paid version of the tool costs $10/line/month. It might be higher than usual, but a vast array of features comes with it to make the price worth it. International access is extended to 50 countries while a team management portal is provided. You can now add up to 100 participants per conference call and even upload your own custom hold music. At a small fee, you can also have your own custom toll-free number. However, apart from video conferencing software, most of these features are usually targeted for larger organizations. For small business and startups, the free version should be enough for the conferencing needs.

7. AnyMeeting

For those looking for getting the best from a free solution, AnyMeeting is pretty much the ultimate web conferencing tool for you. To begin with, it is a web-based app. So no downloads are required on any end to use the app, which speaks a lot about its simplicity. It offers standard features VoIP/phone conferencing, file sharing and meeting recording. Screen sharing is supported, though the host would require installing a plugin in the browser. AnyMeeting allows up to 200 participants to join a conference session. Since it is completely free, there are occasional advertisements popping up – but never during meeting sessions. Overall, AnyMeeting is simply a great tool for those looking for a completely free web conferencing solution.

8. Mikogo

Another lesser-known but extremely useful web conferencing tool is Mikogo. In all honesty, Mikogo doesn’t impress much at first; the interface is quite plain and doesn’t inspire ease of access. However, once you get past that, a whole lot of features await. The usual features include audio/video conferencing with multiple participants, meeting recording, screen share and easy joining to the meeting. However, some interesting features make Mikogo stand out amidst the crowd. The tool allows for pausing screen sharing. Usually, if you want to stop screen sharing for a moment, you would have to end and then restart it later; not with Mikogo. This feature comes handy when you are doing something on the screen that you don’t want others to see – like entering login credentials. Another cool feature is allowing for switching between video qualities. This feature is pretty useful when you are running low on bandwidth but still need video conferencing software.

The free version of Mikogo only allows for a limited number of participants per meeting. For unlimited participants, you would need a paid version. However, even the paid version is quite cheap, making it a cost effective video conferencing choice for small businesses.

9. TeamViewer

To be fair, Teamviewer is a team collaboration tool, aimed for things much more comprehensive than web conferencing. But web conferencing is, without a doubt, one of the things the tool can facilitate easily. As you would be aware, Teamviewer is one of the most popular professional collaboration tools in the market – so much that the company claims to have 1.3 billion+ devices connected to it.

So, what are the features you should be looking out for? Teamviewer supports all major devices and OS and boasts of a great customer support service. It offers document management, screen sharing, remote control and cooperative writing. Chat features are quite powerful, including offline texting, group messaging, sticky chats, and customer-centric chats and quick access to chat history. Security is a strong suite of Teamviewer and covers all devices. The app is specially optimized for mobile use. There is cloud support so that access to personal data is easier and more convenient. Another interesting feature is the QuickJon, which allows participants to join a meeting without installing the tool or signing up for it.

The best thing about Teamviewer is its scalability. Apart from the 30+ languages it supports, the tool can be used by anyone: from a very small group to a large organization. Teamviewer is primarily free, but the paid version too offers a free trial. Overall it is a really cost effective video conferencing tool.

10. Google Meet

The professional upgrade of Hangouts, Google Meet is another tool people usually sleep upon – so much so that many people haven’t even heard about this Google product. But Meet is really a great tool to have, especially if you are looking for a cost-effective solution.

The tool is supported by Android and iOS devices, as well as browser support for Chrome and Firefox. Launching a meeting is pretty easy; apart from the app and browser, you can also launch a meeting from Google Calendar or directly via link. Dial-up meetings are supported for US numbers, but incoming requests could come from almost all countries. Other features include high-resolution content, pinch-to-zoom (on mobile), partial or full-screen sharing, and easy join via a shared link. The standard, free version allows up to 25 participants. Paid plans can support up to 100 participants and also allow recording of meetings. The biggest USP of Meet is its simplicity to use. It can be used by anyone with a basic Google account (which is pretty much everyone in the professional world). The tool is light-weight and easily accessible on all platforms. On the web and mobile app, chat during conferencing is also supported.

Each of these tools offers some unique features and varies in their prices – from completely free to freemium and paid. Depending on your needs and budget, you are sure to find something that serves your purpose and offers a good experience.

Human beings are social by nature. Since the time that man learned to communicate, the entire species have been trying to overcome the distance between each other by reaching out to more and more strangers. This lies at the heart of the survival theory that has been guiding humans for generations. With the advent of technology, men have familiarized themselves with tools that can easily connect one part of the world to another. As men gradually moved from telephone to telegram and there onwards towards more sophisticated communication medium, human lives have been wrapped up by the worldwide web. This web has eliminated all distance and connected one part of the world to another in a most productive way.

Enhanced network connectivity has not only touched and enhanced our personal lives but also plays a very significant role in shaping our professional lives. Today, however big or small, no organization can imagine functioning without being connected by the web. The professional paradigm shift in the ways of working has led to more and more companies embracing the remote working of a workforce spread around the world. The concept of physical offices has gradually come to be replaced by remote workplaces where people come to be known by their voices or by their faces, as they appear on screens. Web conferences and online meetings have become the order of the day and every organization has embraced technology with a fervor.

Not only have businesses benefited in terms of productivity and performances by the advancement of technology, but it has also opened a world of opportunities for people. It has led to more employment and more diversification of the global economy. The internet helps expand businesses and shorten distances and the main instrument of this process is online conferencing. Online meeting services and web conferencing facilities have now been identified as the heartstring of modern times. Online services allow people across the world to connect with each other over audio, video, or text; transfer files; share screens, files, or media elements. Online meeting services also provide for facilities through which people can simultaneously work on similar files ensuring version control, reduction in travel costs, and more effective communication.

So, what are the essential features of an effective conferencing tool?

The audio and video quality of the tool needs to be up to the desired quality and standards. Since most communications happen over conferences covering people from across the world, the calls need to convey the requirements through seamless audio and video streaming without buffering.

The tool also needs to have sharing facilities. Since the workforce is spread across the globe, not only are requirements shared over the web, but training is also conducted virtually at the same time across locations. The software, therefore, needs to stream audio and multimedia, as well as be able to share files and necessary documents with not just individuals, but large groups at the same time.

One of the main features desired in a communication software adopted by a company is access rights. All employees of an organization need to have similar rights to access files or documents. They also need to have the same rights in terms of conducting web conferences, where each need to be able to mute participants as they require during conferences and most importantly, be able to record meetings and share them for reference. The tool would have an added benefit if it can accommodate live chats and polls.

Another important feature essential in any such online meeting tool should be the ability to schedule meetings as well as initiate meetings on the go. Participants should be able to integrate pre-planned meetings into their calendars so that they don’t miss it and get triggers on time. This online meeting tool should be integrated into the organizational mailing system so that the same can be used to send meeting invites to multiple people at the same time.

The software should have an app version along with a tolled or toll-free telephonic connection that people can connect to. Not always do people attend meetings or conferences from their workspace and yet this should not be a deterrent for people to attend meetings. These apps should be available on any device, irrespective of the platforms so that it successfully brings everybody together.

Companies that adopt online meeting tools should be able to protect their data and ensure secure communication and exchange. For this to happen seamlessly, it is essential that the software or tool needs to allow proper encryption facilities including confidentiality, authentication, and necessary permissions.

Finally, the price needs to be considered. There are free as well as paid online meeting tools, but it needs to ensure that most people can access the tool and remain connected at all times necessary. These licenses also ensure whether or not files can be shared by all or with all participants, media can be streamed or played by all participants, meetings can be recorded and shared, and so on.

There are a lot of free as well as paid online meeting tools that can be used by organizations, big or small. Before adopting a tool from the best web conferencing tools available, therefore, there need to be enough reasons to justify the selection of the most appropriate tool by an organization. Let us consider some of them and look for the most appropriate options.

Workplace by Facebook

As soon as we hear about Facebook, what comes to our mind is social media and a world full of friends. But Facebook offers so much more than just that. Workplace by Facebook is a collaborative communication tool that connects people across desktop as well as mobile devices. With features that are easy to adapt and embrace, individuals, as well as groups, can now easily connect over audio as well as video conferencing. Workplace by Facebook offers fair pricing and security while connecting people from more than 30,000 global organizations within their internal workspace as well as beyond. Workplace by Facebook offers individual as well as group messaging, audio, and video connectivity along with file and media sharing features.

It also provides for seamless streaming of videos that allows users to broadcast, announce, conduct meetings, and training across the organizations with as many as 50 people at the same time. Facebook like chat services helps share org charts and stay connected with colleagues or even locate them. With about 46 different languages supporting the tool, Workplace by Facebook also connects users to different enterprise tools like G Suite, Jira, Office 365, Dropbox and many more. To top it all, this meeting tool is accessible and available to anybody and everybody who owns any device across iOS, Android, or Windows platforms. Overall, Workplace by Facebook opens a whole new world of possibilities for any organization that is ready to embrace technology along with all its offerings and benefits.

Amazon Chime

The next big thing in the world of technology and connectivity in modern times is Amazon Cloud. With its retail and online shopping touching millions of lives globally, and its technology shaping the digital entertainment industry with elan, Amazon could not have been too far off in coming up with an enterprise communication tool. Amazon Chime, supported by its own cloud platform, can begin by boasting about its security and stability standards. Amazon Chime has a huge user base and this adds to the advantage it has over other communication tools. With a very strong backend platform supporting conferencing and communication services, this tool is priced conveniently and can accommodate a huge number of users under a single license, depending on the license type.

It offers seamless audio and video calling facilities with recording and playback facilities for online meetings. Supported by Alexa and other Amazon-specific features, Amazon Chime is the most effective way of keeping members or employees of an organization connected and on the same page. Accessible through Windows, Android, and iOS devices, Amazon Chime is easy to adapt to and supports scheduling and syncing meetings using organizational mailing services, with dial-in support. Additionally, it allows a visual roster that can track participation in meetings. It allows screen and media sharing and streaming facilities, ensuring file and media sharing using enterprise file-sharing system. Encryption and security are guaranteed with this tool with a single-sign-on that can enable users to use all Amazon services with a single log-in.

Cisco Webex Meetings

With a huge section of multinational corporates using Cisco Webex Meetings as their primary means of internal communication, this online communication tool has emerged as one of the top enterprise communication services available in the market. Supported by Cisco Collaboration Cloud, Cisco Webex Meetings offer round the clock support and very convenient conferencing facilities. Cisco is considered as one of the most secure and stable communication tools that can benefit organizations at large. Cisco offers personal as well as group calling facilities using audio as well as video support. There are personal and video conferencing services for presentations, training, and streaming of media.

Integrated with most mailing and calendar tools used by organizations, Webex is easy to use and can accommodate a large number of participants at the same time with seamless video streaming, recording, and playback options. Logged in users can share files and media easily with individuals as well as groups with ensured security. Webex Meetings offer polling, live chats, and multiple presenter options. It can, therefore, be used easily and conveniently to conduct training, host webinars, solve issues remotely, as well as have important business meetings and transactions. The huge customer base that Cisco supports successfully, offers the much-needed credibility to the tool that is one of the most trusted Online Meeting tools.

Zoom Meeting

Known particularly for its stability and high-quality video output, Zoom Meeting is one of the most widely used communication tools. It is available in both free and paid versions with the free version offering a whole range of features and options. The paid version, of course, offers more diverse features and services. Zoom offers video conferencing and messaging across any device on any platform with complete ease of use and easily adaptable meeting capabilities that helps collaborate with a large number of users. With HD video and audio quality, the tool ensures a complete and effective exchange of information that is the primary need of our times.

Zoom Meetings can accommodate up to 1000 participants and 49 video screens in any video conference at any point in time. Multiple participants can simultaneously share screens and co- annotate for the most effective outcome. All meetings on Zoom are encrypted end-to-end and is secured with password protection and role-based user rights. Meetings can also be transcribed, recorded and shared as per requirement. It also enables polling and Q&A options, assign permissions at various levels and has dedicated dial-in global toll-free numbers. Zoom Meetings can also be integrated with Outlook, iCal or Gmail and scheduled or initiated with immediate effect. Customers who have switched to Zoom have all reported an increase in performance and employee engagement.

Slack

Slack is one of the more recent online meeting tools being adopted by more and more people as well as organizations. It is a cloud-based messaging platform that can connect individuals as well as groups using instant messaging, audio and video calling options. It can help share files with one or more people at the same time. Slack can also share media files and screenshots and depending on the license available to the enterprise or the users, video and audio meetings can be recorded and shared. Moreover, it can be integrated with other enterprise tools that manage and control productivity.

Slack was initially meant to replace mails by instant messaging services through secure and encrypted collaboration. With time, it has integrated a whole range of more advanced and sophisticated communication options including streaming of media, making presentations, and having group conferences. Slack is available on desktops as well as mobile devices across Windows, Android as well as iOS platforms. It is a tool used globally by most successful organizations. A very effective messaging and file sharing and streaming app, it can be an appropriate online meeting tool for all organizations.

Organizations now have a whole range of options to choose from while selecting an appropriate business conferencing software for web conferencing. So, pick the one that best meets your needs and make the most of technology to give your business an edge.