Using web conferencing tools can help your business in many ways. As discussed in “The Benefits of Doing Business Conferences Online”, web
conferencing allows you to conduct meetings with your co-workers and clients no matter where they are in the world, saving you time and
resources. Collaboration is easier even when attendees are from different parts of the world and documentation is streamlined.
There are many web conferencing services that you can choose from right now. To give you a headstart, here are five great options.
Adobe Connect
Price:$50 for Meetings,$130 for Webinars,$370 for Learning
The first on our list is Adobe Systems’ proprietary web conferencing service; Connect, which is available in three packages: Meetings,
Webinars and Learning. If you want just the basics, using Adobe Connect Meetings would suffice.
Connect Meetings costs $50 per month. With it, you’ll get features such as web meetings with up to 25 attendees, access from multiple
devices, the creation of online meeting rooms, access to recording and editing tools, and file storage. Also, because it’s from Adobe, you
can extend Connect to its other applications, so use it if your business relies heavily on Adobe products.
GoToMeeting by Citrix
Price:$33 for Starter, $49 for Pro, $79 for Plus
GoToMeeting offers the same basic features as other similar services at $33, and up to 10 participants can be invited. Upgrading to Pro,
includes drawing and recording features, a personal meeting room, keyboard and mouse sharing and the “Call Me” feature, which allows
toll-free calls for recipients (users will be charged). With Pro, there’s also no need for access codes and PINs when inviting someone to a
meeting.
For Plus, you’ll get the same features as Pro, with the addition of an active directory, which makes managing your contacts easy. There’s
also a sightboard feature that allows you to broadcast a physical whiteboard in real-time.
WebEx by Cisco
Price: Start Free (2 people), $24 for Premium 8, $49 for Premium 25, $69 for Premium 100
WebEx offers three different premium plans depending on the number of people that you want to accommodate per meeting, whether you want a
limit of 8, 25 or 100. Other than this, all premium plans offer the same features. You’ll get to set up meetings in full-screen,
split-screen or through up to 7 video feeds. Markup tools and a whiteboard feature are for easier editing. The presenter role can also be
shared. If you’re still thinking about it, WebEx has a free trial offer.
Chime by Amazon
Price: US $2.50 for Plus, $15 for Pro, Basic (free trial)
Amazon’s Chime is another great option and is one of the most affordable web conferencing services right now. The Plus package, which costs
$2.50 per user per month, gives you the basics such as one-on-one voice and video calls, screen-sharing and remote desktop control, with up
to 2 attendees per meeting.
If those features are not enough, you could also get the Pro version, which has a monthly price of $15 per user. In addition to what the
Plus package offers, you’ll also be able to schedule and record meetings, create a personalised virtual meeting room, and enable your
attendees to join you using a standard phone line. Pro allows up to 100 attendees.
Skype by Microsoft
Price: Free
If you’re starting small and you want to try out things first before deciding which web conferencing service to choose, Skype is a great
option for you. Not only is it free, it’s also easy to use and has all the needed features such as voice and video calls and screen-sharing.
If you think its features are not enough for you, you can opt for Skype for business.
Skype for Business allows you to organise meetings with up to 250 people, even those that don’t have a subscription. You can also connect it
to Outlook, PowerPoint and Word if you’re a heavy user of these and other Microsoft apps. Skype for Business doesn’t have all the advanced
features compared to most on this list, but it has all the basics.
At Easdowns, we provide financial and business advisory services that empower you to make the right decisions, allowing you to achieve your
goals and secure your future financially. One of the ways we do this is by helping you find the best tools to push your business forward.
