Tools for an Online Meeting

In this interconnected age, companies are searching for alternatives to the traditional face to face meeting. Many businesses choose to hold online meetings in place of physical conferences. This cuts down on travel expenses between offices. Since numerous international brands must communicate with branch offices across the globe, businesses need an affordable alternative to long-distance phone conversations and conference calls.

An online meeting can cost far less than a traditional call. While a normal phone conversation could cost several cents per minute, an hour-long online conversation might cost only a few pennies. This is because data that is sent over the internet uses a system that is already designed to carry a high capacity of information; transmitting the sound of a voice or even a live video requires a small percentage of a company's bandwidth.

Modern offices have many web tools available if they want to hold an online meeting with colleagues, clients or vendors. While some of these tools may charge a small fee to use certain features, many of the free options are sufficient for any virtual meeting.

Skype

Skype is a versatile chat program that has become wildly popular among individuals and businesses. This free application comes with three separate features that could be used for an online meeting. The instant messaging system allows users to chat with short snippet of text. Skype has a calling system that lets users talk to each other free of charge. This feature allows users to make a "call" to another computer that has the Skype program installed. The sound quality of these calls usually depends on how much bandwidth a user has available. Companies that can spare some bandwidth in a large corporate office should have minimal problems with sound quality on these calls. For a small fee, users can call telephones with the Skype program.

Users can also use Skype to make video calls. This useful feature requires a webcam. Many recently produced laptops come with a camera and microphone built into the case above the screen. Modern webcams are extremely inexpensive; a high-quality camera can cost less than 30 dollars. Countless companies use these video calls to connect far-flung executives.

Mikogo

Like Skype, Mikogo can work on Macintosh and Windows operating systems. This program has a voice conferencing service and the ability to record meetings. High-tech firms love this program's ability to implement Desktop Sharing and remote keyboard and mouse control; this allows multiple meeting participants to collaborate on the same project.

While Skype is designed for personal as well as professional use, Mikogo is specifically set up for an online meeting. A built-in scheduler allows organizers to set up meetings through the system. The program allows for a variety of idea sharing options; users can write on a virtual whiteboard, transfer files and switch between presenters during an online conference. This program is free for businesses as well as individuals.

Mikogo's user-friendly interface and versatile options have made this software a popular choice for online meetings. The program's ability to switch between active presenters makes it ideal for "Webinars" featuring multiple lecturers as well as an audience. This innovative feature can also be used during project demonstrations and other online presentations.

Because Mikogo has a desktop sharing feature, some companies are using the program for remote support and technology training. This allows workers in an information technology department to teach employees about new programs or troubleshoot problems from a remote location. This eliminates the expense of in-person training seminars.

Let us help you get FREE price quotes from industry leading service providers, just complete our simple form above. It takes less than 1 minute to complete.