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Web conferencing software allows participants to conduct or attend meetings via the internet. This is also known as online meeting software. It enables remote meetings based on VoIP, video conferencing, instant messaging, file and screen sharing.
Web conferencing has become fundamental to how many organizations conduct business. The tools enable remote employees, customers, and partners to connect easily and often. Specific uses for web conferencing software include:
Presentations or webinars
Conference calls
Video meetings with multiple participants
Running product demos and training
1-on-1 meetings with remote employees
Face-to-face customer support
The top three benefits of using web conferencing software are:
Enhanced communications
Reduced travel costs
Increased efficiency
Web conferencing software should facilitate audio calls and video conferencing. The quality of audio and video is a key factor to consider. Buyers should also consider the bandwidth usage of the software.
Meeting presenters should be able to share their screens with participants.
Users can typically schedule meetings or initiate impromptu meetings. Participants should be able to easily join meetings—and mute themselves. The ability to record meetings (and save or download recordings) is offered by some, but not all vendors. Buyers should investigate to make sure meeting recordings meet their needs.
Many web conferencing software products include collaboration features such as live chat, audience polling, Q&A, and file sharing.
Enterprises and companies in highly regulated industries will need enhanced security. Security features include user authentication, permissions, and confidential attendee lists.
Some web conferencing software products offer a mobile app. This allows easy access to video meetings from a mobile device or tablet. Others allow users to call in from mobile devices (audio-only), or join meetings from a mobile-friendly web link.
Slideshow presentations
Meeting scheduling and recording
Live chatting
Audience interaction features
File sharing
Web conferencing traditionally referred to “one-to-many” interactions. This included presentations, training, and webinars. Individuals could participate via chat or “hand-raising” but the presenter was the key communicator. In contrast, video conferencing traditionally referred to face-to-face interactions between equal participants, typically two people or a small group.
This line between web conferencing and video conferencing is blurring. Web conferencing no longer refers just to calls with a single presenter. The term now includes group discussions, 1:1 meetings, and video calls. Most online meeting vendors offer both traditional web conferencing features (e.g. ,screen sharing, presentations to large groups, meeting moderation) and traditional video conferencing features (e.g., two-way video and audio).
There are many free web conferencing options available. Some are personal tools, like Skype and Google Hangouts. Others are focused on small businesses, including AnyMeeting, MeetingBurner, Join.me, and Zoom.
Free products (and free tiers of paid products) may have some limitations. This includes lower video/audio quality, fewer features, and restrictions on the size of meetings, for example. Paid products typically have more features and better performance and security. But they can be cost-prohibitive for smaller companies, especially if online meetings are only needed now and then by a few individuals.
For paid plans, web conferencing software is usually priced per seat by the number of meeting participants and included features. Prices start as low as $15/mo. per host for up to 100 participants, as with the Zoom Pro plan. For enterprise-wide web conferencing software, prices can run into thousands of dollars per month. This includes multiple hosts, virtual meeting rooms, integrations, security & administration, enhanced support, and more.
ClickMeeting is a webinar solution formerly owned by GetResponse, an email marketing software company. ClickMeeting's online meeting and collaboration tools are designed to support the sales, marketing, e-learning, and training needs of business of all sizes.
FreeConferenceCall.com is a free audio conferencing solution with features such as audio and video conferencing, screen-sharing, call recording, transcribed keywords, one-click web controls, transcribed keywords, instant messaging, and integrations with Microsoft Outlook and Google Calendar.
MaestroConference is a web conferencing platform with the capability to run small break-out sessions within the main group. It incorporates voting and social capabilities.
Norwegian company appear.in offers their flagship video conferencing platform to small teams, both in a free edition hosting up to 4 guests simultaneously in a session or a paid edition that supports up to 12 simultaneous meeting guests, among other features.
omNovia Technologies is a leading global provider of online meetings, high-quality webinars, engaging online trainings and live event webcasting solutions for small business meetings and large-scale enterprise conferences. omNovia’s high-quality web conferencing platform offers the best online me...
Mikogo is a free screen sharing solution with built-in VoIP for online meetings, web presentations, web conferencing and sales demos.
FreeConference is a telephony and VoIP software solution from FreeConference.
WorkCast Corporation is Europe's largest provider of cloud-based webinar, webcasting and virtual event solutions.The online solutions that WorkCast delivers are used in a variety of industry sectors including Accounting, Construction, Financial Services, Banking, Government, Healthcare, Education...
Oracle Beehive Enterprise Collaboration Server provides hosted collaboration and voice / web conferencing tools at the enterprise level.
Proficonf is a professional video conferencing platform that allows its users to make or join video meetings with up to 250 participants without any downloads or installations. Proficonf aims to help users save time connecting with teammates, business partners, tutors, students, etc. The vendor s...
RTCLab provides communications software solutions for enterprises, service providers, vendors, systems integrators, developers.
Watchitoo combines video conferencing, collaboration and online video into a single platform. The platform includes interactivity features like polling, video chat, text chat, and chat collaboration with social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook. The platform is browser-based and does not...
GetResponse an email marketing platform, helping over 300,000+ small businesses, marketers and brands get better results. GetResponse includes a drag 'n drop Email Editor (winner of Stevie Award 2012) with hundreds of newsletter templates to choose from. Users can customize newsletter with photos...
From webcasts to virtual extensions of events, INXPO digital interactive broadcasting solutions help companies communicate with their customers, employees, partners, and prospects.
ShowMyPC is a web conferencing and remote administration and help / support tool from the small company of the same name in San Francisco, California.
Premier Global Services provides collaboration and web conferencing solutions. The company's stated mission is to bring the best virtual collaboration experience to each and every business professional around the world through their product innovation, global network and extraordinary care.
InterCall is a web conferencing tool offered by West Corporation.
Founded in 1993, Onstream Media (Nasdaq: ONSM) is an online service provider of live and on-demand, rich media communications via the Onstream Digital Media Services Platform. Specializing in online audio and video corporate communications, Onstream Media's pioneering digital asset management ASP...
LoopUp is a remote meeting/web conferencing platform.
Zeen is a video conferencing solution that promises to empower teams to hold more effective meetings. The vendor says inviting colleagues is easy with tools like screen sharing, real-time agendas, dedicated rooms, and analytics that prioritize your team’s needs. Joining a meeting requires no do...
MediaPlatform is an enterprise video communication software for interactive presentations, webcasts, and video portal software available through either cloud or on-premise deployment.
OfficeSuite UC is a cloud--based unified communications system with features like high-definition video conferencing, VoIP, and online faxing. It was acquired by Windstream when the company acquired Broadview in 2017.
AT&T Connect offers real-time unified conferencing and web meetings.
MobileDay is a mobile conference call application with integrations with native calendar applications on both iOS and Android.
