Meetings are a critical part of running any business, but they don’t always have to be so formal. You can conduct online meetings in your office or even from the comfort of your own home. In fact, as technology advances, it makes more sense than ever before to ditch the old-school conference room and host all your meetings online instead. There are many options out there that let you set up video chats with co-workers or clients no matter where they are located and some even let you record these conversations if needed. This article will look at five great online alternatives to the conference room.
Zoom
Zoom is a cloud-based platform used to host video meetings and webinars. This means that you don’t need to purchase or install any software on your computer. Zoom is built for small businesses, but it gets some use at the top too from companies like IBM, Google, and Microsoft.
Zoom also has a mobile app for iOS and Android devices, so you can join meetings from anywhere. The free plan comes with up to 40 minutes per month of meeting time, enough to do a couple of one-on-one calls every week or 15 hours of meeting time if you have 10 people in your organization.
Cisco Webex
Cisco WebEx is a collaboration platform that helps teams to share ideas, stay connected, and get results. It’s a program that allows you to create a team space for you and your colleagues. You can also use it to communicate with them through instant messaging, video and voice calling, screen sharing, and collaboration tools.
Skype
Skype is a free video and voice calling app that’s available on all major platforms. It’s owned by Microsoft and has been around for many years. It’s used by many people and businesses around the world. The app has a simple user interface, making it easy to use. Skype allows you to share files and participate in group calls. There’s also a desktop version of the app available that allows you to place calls from your PC or laptop.
In the online meeting world, Skype is a brilliant example because it can run background apps so you’re assured you won’t lose your focus on other tasks. This is particularly important if you’re working on your company’s investments and need to monitor multiple trades, automated trading bots, at one time.
Teams
Microsoft Teams is another collaboration platform that helps you bring people together and work better as a team. It can be used for free by businesses of all sizes, and it integrates with other Microsoft apps such as SharePoint, Office 365 and Planner.
It has many features including chat rooms, videoconferencing and the ability to share files with your colleagues easily through OneDrive for Business or SharePoint Online. It also allows you to create an online meeting space in seconds, convenient if you’re working remotely.
GoToMeeting
GoToMeeting is a web-based meeting platform that offers HD video conferencing and screen sharing. It allows you to share content like documents, presentations and websites with all attendees. GoToMeeting has been around since 1999 and has a loyal customer base of over 15 million users worldwide.
The free version includes up to 20 participants per meeting for up to five hours. There’s no limit on the number of meetings you can host per month or year in the upgraded version. The upgraded version also includes features like larger conference rooms and whiteboard capabilities. However, most small businesses should be able to get by using just the basic plan.
Online Meetings Are the Future of Business
Online meetings are the future of business. Collaboration is no longer a buzzword, it’s the way of the world. The question is, what do you do when everyone is spread all over the globe? With online meetings, this is no longer an issue as online meeting platforms provide a solution by giving users the tools to collaborate and communicate instantly, whether they’re located in another room or on another continent. It also helps teams plan, organize, and manage projects with ease.
Conclusion
Online meetings not only increase productivity but also save time. There are many meeting platforms out there, but these five are some of the most popular ones. You can use them to hold meetings with your team, clients or anyone else from anywhere in the world. They all have their pros and cons, so choose the one that suits your needs best.
