Item: BlueJeans Meetings (discontinued)
Rating: 8
Author: Verified User

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

BlueJeans is primarily used by our teams that deal the most with international partners and clients with whom it is difficult finding a steady connection otherwise through Skype or Google Hangouts. It is usually used for long term partners and not one-off calls, given that the interface is not easy to understand by those less familiar with advanced conference calling technology and downloads. This is also because the download process can be time-consuming and cumbersome, and also requires significant internet bandwidth,

Pros and Cons

Connecting across timezones and continents with relative ease
Reliable interface with Gmail, our primary mail server
Useful call recording feature

Invitations always reference video calling, which confuses users as not all calls utilize video
Difficulty skipping the download feature for one-time users when we circulate the link to partners
Poor connection with some overseas, non-US based locations
Difficult to make updates to an existing invite using Google calendars once the invite is made

Return on Investment

Increased interactions with international clients; more business contracts as a result
Created a reliable connection platform for regular team meetings connecting people in different locations; less time lost jumping between failing platforms
A more professional image of our organization; more business as a result

Alternatives Considered

Skype

Fewer dropped calls and clearer audio quality and visuals with Blue Jeans over Skype. Fewer instances of constant "Can you hear me"? Easier to know who is talking when with the person indicators as well

Usability

For new users, Blue Jeans requires a bit of a learning curve that has not been worthwhile for our one-time calls to clients or prospective partners. For our longer-term relationships, however, Blue Jeans has been invaluable once they have gotten past the initial download and set up stage.

Likelihood to Recommend

Well suited for international environments where calls are across time zones and geographies, where internet bandwidth is not of high concern. Useful for large multi-person calls and calls connecting teams in various locations. Useful for remote workers to connect to distant teams visually. Fewer dropped calls or poor connections than Skype.

Increased our international interactions and new business as a result of common usage across the org

Overall Satisfaction with BlueJeans