Good budget option for collaborative meetings
December 17, 2018
Good budget option for collaborative meetings
Score 6 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Overall Satisfaction with Skype
We use Skype to collaborate with research team members and collaborators who work in various parts of the country. Skype allows us to talk in person (either via video chat or audio only), and the screen sharing capability of Skype allows us to show and discuss results easily. Because Skype is free, we are able to meet whenever we want with collaborators while keeping costs to a minimum.
- Easy to install for MacOS or Windows and user account setup is intuitive.
- In the newest version of Skype, you can make the window showing the other person very small. This feature is nice, because I can quickly look something up on my computer and still see the person I am talking to.
- The chat capability of Skype is also handy if you need to quickly send someone a bit of code or a website link.
- I find the new interface of Skype very unintuitive compared to previous versions. Every time I am talking with someone I end up clicking on icons until I find the chat area or the screen sharing option.
- In newer versions of Skype, I've had many issues with audio feedback being slow or interrupted, despite the fact that I have high speed internet. This is extremely annoying if you are trying to discuss difficult and complex topics.
- Sometimes the video option randomly doesn't work, and I also find it difficult to add people to your Skype phonebook if you don't know their exact Skype username.
- Because Skype is free, it has had a positive impact on our business objectives. This year we had several budget constraints, and Skype allowed us to conduct important meetings with stakeholders for free.
- Since the video / audio quality of Skype is not always very good, it impacts the efficiency of meetings. Meetings end up lasting longer if calls are dropped or if the audio cuts out repeatedly. Time lost on a Skype call equates to less research productivity, which negatively impacts the objectives of our research team.
- The real-time screen sharing in Skype allows for members of my research team to quickly see results from collaborators in different institutions. Seeing results (either in plots or slide shows) rather then hearing about them is much more meaningful and helps us build on the work of our collaborators. This positively impacts our research.
- Zoom
I selected to review Skype because I use it most often. However, I have participated in meetings via Zoom, and I find them to be better in terms of video and audio quality. These Zoom meetings were conducted with the paid version of Zoom, which may have been the reason for the overall better video quality. I have never experienced dropped calls with Zoom, and it integrates with online calendars. Nevertheless, Skype is a good budget option.