Microsoft Teams is one of the online meeting platforms microsoft. This collaborative cloud-based software lets you connect with customers, partners, and employees — across space and time. Microsoft Teams brings together chat, content, apps, and people so teams can easily connect, collaborate, and achieve more.
When considering online meeting platforms microsoft, join microsoft teams meeting as guest, microsoft teams meeting link, join microsoft teams meeting online, microsoft teams download, you have to know that followings are some highly recommended highly useful factors.
Zoom
Zoom is one of the most popular video conferencing solutions for businesses. It is feature-rich, with various plans based on business size and needs. Prices range from their free plan for personal and team meetings, to $19.99/month/host (with a minimum of 100 hosts) for large enterprises. Millions of worldwide Zoom users happily use the free plan, but if you are looking for something more encompassing for your remote teams, the enterprise-level plan includes up to 200 meeting participants, unlimited cloud storage, custom emails, a vanity meeting URL, and more.
Source:Zoom
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2. Skype for Business
Microsoft’s popular Skype service is augmented as an enterprise-ready video conferencing tool. It has several business features, such as allowing up to 250 attendees in a meeting, connection with other Skype users, and virtual whiteboarding capabilities.
While there are some limitations, such as the lack of an integrated dial-in audio conference feature, and lack of hardware support with online-only plans. The free version of Skype is a good tool for teams with less than 10 members, and is a simple way to make free conference calls from your computer, phone, or tablet.
Source:Skype
3. Slack
An extremely popular collaboration tool used in organizations all over the globe, Slack has integrated video conferencing features. If your organization is not using Slack, adopting it for video conferencing probably doesn’t make much sense. But, if you are already utilizing Slack, it is an easy way to make quick calls.
Video conferencing is an add-on to the functionality of Slack and can be a great tool for integrating hybrid teams. One-on-one video chat is part of Slack’s free account offerings and you can Slack with up to 15 people if you start a call from a channel, but for larger meetings, customized enterprise pricing is necessary, which requires a customizable quote.
Source:Slack
4. BigBlueButton
The open-source BigBlueButton features whiteboard capability for meeting productivity and was created specifically for education and online learning. As a free open source tool, there are many add-ons and integrations through third-party developers that allow for customized web conferencing experiences, including an integration with Learning Management Systems (LMS) that will make for a seamless student and teacher experience.
Some of the free features of BigBlueButton include:
- Audio and video screen sharing
- The option to record sessions for playback
- Breakout rooms
- Collaboration tools such as whiteboard, shared notes, and polling
Source:BigBlueButton
5. BlueJeans
BlueJeans is a full-featured web conferencing app that integrates with collaboration tools. Touting a simple and modern approach, in contrast to some of the more complex services offered by competitors, Bluejeans uses a system of meetings, rooms and events to enable video meetings anywhere.
No software is required with the ability to launch meetings from a browser. Also, the service allows for easy viewing of all video conference activity in your organization. Plans start at $16.65/month/host for enterprise teams.
Source:BlueJeans
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is designed for seamless efficiency and collaboration. It integrates with Office applications like Word and SharePoint, and its design and infrastructure make it exceptionally interactive. The company has also made it possible to integrate Skype for Business into Microsoft Teams.
This program was designed as a response to the growing number of collaboration tools, like Slack, that have dominated the market in the last few years. Microsoft Teams is a catch-all chat tool for the workplace, but its video conferencing option is just as compelling and powerful. Users can launch video conferences directly from their chats.
All Microsoft Teams plans include:
- Web version of Word, Excel and PowerPoint
- File storage and sharing
- Up to 300 users
- 24/7 phone and web support
One of the newest features included in Microsoft Teams allows users to invite guests that are not part of their enterprise’s Azure Active Directory. In addition, the mobile version of Microsoft Teams supports voicemail on Android and iOS.
GoToMeeting
Even though GoToMeeting no longer dominates the video conferencing space, it remains a highly polished remote meeting software with a long list of features that would satisfy the needs of most business environments.
This user-friendly software has a few important advantages over its competitors, including its polling and “raise a hand” features. Furthermore, GoToMeeting allows unlimited video meetings and secures these meetings with end-to-end encryption.
All GoToMeeting plans include:
- 24/7 customer care
- HD video
- Unlimited meetings
- Screen sharing from desktops, tablets or mobile devices
- Messaging
- Web audio – no phone required
- Security
With a 14-day free trial, you can see the ease and convenience of the features first-hand.
Participants
GoToMeeting allows 10 to 250 participants, depending on the type of plan you get. However, the free version allows a maximum of three participants vs. up to 100 on other platforms.
Skype for Business
Packaged with Microsoft Office 365, Skype for Business is likely already familiar to many users. The business version takes the free, standard platform’s capabilities to the next level.
All Skype for Business plans include:
- Unlimited meetings
- Screen sharing
- Instant messaging anytime
- Tight security
- Conferencing with up to 250 participants
Skype can also easily integrate with Microsoft Office programs like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Outlook.
By adding an enterprise package, meeting leaders can host up to 250 participants over a secure connection. Upgrading to Online Plan 2 adds HD video and audio calling, a 50GB mailbox and up to 1 TB file storage and mobile technical support.
Microsoft recently announced that it will be retiring Skype for Business requiring users to find a new solution.
ezTalks Meetings
Perhaps the biggest selling points of ezTalks Meetings are its continuous technological advancements and its developers’ unwavering commitment to introducing cutting-edge features and state-of-the-art video meeting protocols.
This solution is compatible with Android and iOS devices and has a relatively straightforward user interface, even for first-time users. ezTalks Meetings is a solid web application for video conferencing in healthcare, community and education. However, with less distribution and adoption as Zoom, you may find less partners familiar with the tool.
All ezTalks Meetings plans include:
- Unlimited number of meetings
- Instant or scheduled meetings
- Join by telephone call-in
- HD video and audio
- Private and group chat
- Interactive whiteboards
- Screen sharing with co-annotation
In the free version, it’s possible to accommodate as many as 100 people in a single meeting for up to 40 minutes, and host an unlimited number of HD video conferencing recordings on this platform.
StarLeaf
StarLeaf is outfitted with its own API, which makes it possible to customize its conferencing. The company provides an extensive range of upgrades and integrations including Slack and Skype for Business, and it comes with a complimentary app for Android, iOS and Windows users.
StarLeaf’s unique architecture allows you to deliver business-wide connectivity, avoiding the limitations associated with virtual meeting room solutions. The platform is an incredible alternative for those who don’t want to spend on costly on premise video infrastructure.
All StarLeaf plans include:
- Global audio dial-in telephone numbers
- Full interoperability with Skype for Business
- Unlimited guest invitations
- Calendar integrations with Outlook and Google
StarLeaf is UK-based, but has a rapidly growing international client base in Europe, New Zealand, America and Australia. The company has plans to invest in APAC and expand worldwide.
Cisco Webex
Cisco Webex is an excellent video collaboration software for online training, webinars and remote support. In particular, it’s excellent for businesses that have legitimate security concerns. This teleconference software features Transport Layer Security (TLS), third-party accreditations, encryption, firewall compatibility, single sign-on and secure scheduling options.
Cisco Webex includes seamless integration with Outlook and the ability to use it across different platforms including Mac, Windows and iPads. What’s more, Cisco Webex is part of an ecosystem of interoperable solutions for working remotely. It allows you to add specialized functionalities for training, remote technical support or webinars.
All Cisco Webex plans include:
- Screen sharing
- HD video
- Unlimited meetings
- Cloud recording and storage (limits vary by plan)
- Business-hours phone support for lower level plans and 24/7 support for pricier plans
Participants
The free video conferencing version of Cisco Webex is limited, only allowing two participants in meetings. For paid plans, Webex allows between 50 and 1,000 participants.
Google Hangouts – Best for free video conferencing software
Google Hangouts can be launched right from Gmail or a dedicated app.
Google hangouts is a communication tool designed, as the name suggests, by Google and is a product housed within the G Suite package of solutions. This software has two primary components: Google Hangouts Meet (video-based) and Google Hangouts Chat (text-based).
Obviously, free-to-use software appeals to the Value for Cost segment of our evaluation criteria; Google Hangouts is also robust enough to satisfy most small business needs plus it’s easy to get started using.
Integrations include other Google software, like Gmail, Google Docs, and so on. Additionally, third-party services can be connected through Zapier or by using Google’s designated API.
The con of using a free video-conferencing tool is always that it will have paid-tools with a deeper expanse of features, or a more specific niche, and Google Hangouts is no exception. You may experience some connectivity issues, with audio echoing or not connecting right away.
Google Hangouts is free to use.Visit Website
- freemium version
- From $5/user/month
Skype for Business (now part of Microsoft Teams) – Best for small businesses
Skype offers chat and file sharing along with traditional video conferencing tools.
Microsoft Teams has now started to replace Skype for Business Online as Microsoft’s professional online meeting solution. They are a one-in-the-same tool but with a new branding angle; it offers instant messaging, video conferencing, calling, and document collaboration.
Skype for Business (via Microsoft Teams) is a great low-cost tool with a freemium version available for the benefit of startups and small businesses; they score favorably in the Value for Cost section of the evaluation segment.
Being a Microsoft product means that Skype is designed to easily integrate with other MS software.
One con is occasional stability issues of the software, be it video or audio not connecting even on a strong internet connection, or lost chat histories, delayed or disappeared notifications, and so on.
Microsoft Teams (which includes Skype for Business) starts at $5/user/month and has a freemium version of the software.Visit Website
Conclusion
Microsoft Teams is a chat-based workspace in which you can share notes, files, and online meetings. This tool is geared toward replacing Microsoft’s Skype for Business. It’s also aimed at replacing Microsoft’s Yammer or Chatter platforms.