Video conferencing software market has increase during the last five years thanks to globalization. With the global spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), despite not being at its highest point, many organizations have asked their employees to work from home. With a video conferencing solution, you and your team can work together or with customers and stakeholders effectively, no matter where they are located.
Under the prevailing circumstances, video conferencing has become an essential tool for virtual meetings and conferences, and it is of utmost importance to find the most suitable one. We have selected 10 video conferencing software programs for 2020 to help you figure out which one will fit best into your company.
1. Zoom Meetings
Zoom unifies cloud video conferencing, simple online meetings, and group messaging into one easy-to-use platform. It is a great solution for desktop and mobile devices, which can support up to 1,000 participants at the same time, and up to 49 videos on a single screen.
Security is built-in, using 256-bit TLS encryption for both meetings and shared files, and automated scheduling can be done from Gmail, Outlook, and iCal.
Zoom Meeting is a video conferencing service that begins at $14.99 per month per host for the Pro plan, which is great for small businesses. There is also a free account that allow you to host up to 100 people on a call and see as many as 49 people on an active call in a gallery-style view
2. GoToMeeting
This platform has virtually all of the necessary tools to run a successful virtual business meeting. GoToMeeting stands out for its excellent call quality, robust features, and outstanding customer service.
This tool provides a fast, easy and reliable professional online meeting solution that enables customers to see each other, share presentations and chat with colleagues and clients with the click of a button. This application allows, among other things, to share the content of the screen while having an online conversation.
The standard package costs $14 per month, or $12 per month with an annual payment and allow up to 150 participants. A Business plan tier costs $19 per month (or $16 when paid annually) which increases the number of participants to 250 whilst the Enterprise plan is available to hold up to 3,000 participants.
3. Google Hangouts Meet
Google Hangouts Meet is part of the G Suite office productivity platform developed to provide a first-class conferencing service. Google Hangouts Meet is easy to use and there is no software to download. It allows you to host video calls with up to 100 people, depending on the plan selected.
The service includes a number of relevant features like screen sharing, recording options and the ability to dial in to a video conference by phone. Participants can share digital presentations, documents, spreadsheets or other files they want those in the meeting to see.
An advantage of this platform is that by being within the G Suite you can easily integrate it with other applications such as Google Calendar, to plan meetings and set up events.
In terms of costs, all the variations of Google Hangouts are bundled with G Suite, available on three different plans: Basic ($5/£3.30 per user per month), Business ($10/£6.60 per user per month), and Enterprise ($25/£20 per user per month).
4. ClickMeeting
ClickMeeting is a browser-based webinar solution, which is easy to use and covers the entire webinar process from preparation to presentation, and from interaction to follow-up. The software requires no installation and works on all devices and operating systems.
One of the more interesting features is Youtube integration. If you want to show a video as part of the conference, you need to link to your Youtube account. ClickMeeting allows you to use webcams at the same time you are sharing your screen or using whiteboard tools. You can use up to four webcams per meeting.
However, if you happen to be in the situation of having multiple cameras, you may run into issues. Since the entire meeting relies on Adobe Flash to work, your camera has to be compatible with this program, and Flash needs to pick it up properly.
This platform offers several plans, which begin at $25 per month for two presenters and 25 attendees, and end up at $165 per month for four presenters and 5,000 attendees. If you opt to pay annually for any plan, then you can save up to 20 percent.
5. Cisco Webex Meetings
Cisco Webex Meetings provides cost-effective enterprise solutions for virtual meetings. While there are various plans available for Webex Meetings, for most circumstances the free version should be just fine. This version enables you to hold HD video meetings with up to 100 participants, and to take advantage of options such as screen sharing and private chat rooms.
When you sign up for an account, they assigned a personal URL you have to use to manage all of your meetings, schedule video conferences, and access the recording you have made. When it comes to holding a video meeting, you have the choice between using the Webex Meetings app or the website, though it could be argued that the desktop apps provide a smoother experience.
Security is catered for by TLS 1.2 and AES 256-bit encryption, and backed by Cisco’s networking know-how means performance is extraordinary.
The free package includes 1GB of cloud storage, unlimited meetings of unlimited length and the ability to make MP4 recordings of them.
6. Pexip
Pexip is a cloud-based platform helps companies integrate traditional video systems, Microsoft and Google collaboration solutions, and business-grade video meeting and calling solutions that work with any device. It is one of the best web conference solutions available right now and one of the leading provider of interoperability between video meeting solutions.
It natively uses WebRTC – the worldwide standard for real-time video communications on the internet – to allow the use of web browsers to join Microsoft Teams and Skype for Business meetings, Google Hangouts Meet meetings, and standard video conferencing meetings.
Using Pexip, there is no need to install any plug-ins or third-party client-side software. Video works natively in the browser as does content sharing. The Pexip service is scalable and customizable and allows businesses to integrate traditional video systems.
7. CyberLink U Meeting
CyberLink U Meeting is a great choice for smaller businesses looking to take advantage of the free Basic plan or the cost-effective Pro 50 subscription package. The ‘Basic’ plan includes up to 25 participants and 30 minutes per meeting.
The are 2 Pro Plans and the ‘Enterprise Features’ plan that includes all the other tiers offerings plus meeting analysis, premium customer support and end-to-end encryption.
CyberLink U Meeting is entirely web-based which might put some users off but it can be an advantage, as you will not need to download any additional software to use it. This video conferencing software does not demand any awkward downloads or installs.
All of its features can be experienced in a browser like Google Chrome or Safari. Although it disappointingly excludes some of the more appealing aspects of its closest rival, such as cloud recording and the ability to dial into meetings using a VoIP system,
8. Lifesize
This solution combines the best cloud-based integrated video conferencing experience with a great, easy-to-use HD camera and phone systems that can connect you to anyone, anywhere.
Lifesize aims to be the most outstanding go-to video conferencing software whether you are working in manufacturing, media, education or healthcare. It is a rather flexible application with a good pricing to match. Unlike some of the other video conferencing software out there, like Cisco WebEx and LogMeIn’s join.me, Lifesize is not tie up to a web browser and can be used on a wide variety of platforms.
You can download and install Lifesize on Windows 7 or newer, Mac OS X 10.10 or newer, Android 7 or later and iOS 10 or later. In terms of video and audio quality, you can expect full-fledged 1080p video at up to 60 frames per second (fps) and wideband HD audio with built-in echo cancellation, potentially giving the Dolby Voice-equipped BlueJeans a run for its money.
9. Join.Me
This member of the LogMeIn family should be on the video conferencing software shortlist for businesses on a tight budget. Audio meetings with screen sharing for up to three participants are free, with a unique interface that puts each participant’s face in a bubble that bounces around the screen.
Paid conferencing plans start with Lite ($10 per host per month, five meeting participants, no time limits), with no webcam streams but support for screen and window sharing. Upgrading to Pro ($20 per month) increases the number of meeting participants to 250 and adds 50GB of cloud storage plus recording options. The $30 -per-month Business plan provides 1TB of storage, single sign-on support and salesforce integration.
Join.me is a user-friendly platform that allows you to schedule video conferences and share your screen. To arrange a meeting, you just need to enter a title and set the time and a link will be generated in seconds to provide access to a video conference.
10. Bluejeans meetings
This software has billed itself as “the meetings platform for the modern workplace.” BlueJeans Meetings is a video conferencing solution that focuses on instant connections, using a mobile or desktop app or directly from a browser (no download required).
The meeting technology, powered by Dolby Voice, includes background noise cancellation and integration with hardware-based conference room systems as well as enterprise applications like Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Facebook Workplace. A full collection of whiteboard and screen sharing tools add great capabilities to any meeting.
Have you tried any of these tools? Which software will you recommend for video conferencing? Please let please share your thoughts and suggestions in the comments section below.
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