7 Free Online Meeting Tools
As a company begins to grow,it starts adding branches around the globe. Business travel is a way to bring colleagues together to share ideas,but it is a very inconvenient one. Hotels,meeting rooms and airline fights come at a price and moreover a lot of time gets wasted in travelling. Everyone also has to coordinate his schedule.
One of the most efficient solution to this problem is by conducting meetings remotely via a free online meeting tool. In this way,the speaker is more than a voice on the phone,He/she is an on-screen presence who can interact and see other colleagues,share PowerPoint presentations and more. In this article,we are going to share with you 7 best free online meeting tools available on the internet.
1. eztalks Meetings
ezTalks Meetings is a commercially used one of best online meeting tools,which allows you to work smoothly across mobile devices and desktops,irrelevant of where you are. Along with impeccable technology support,it provides high-definition video and crystal clear sound to keep the participants focused on meetings.You canhost online meetings up to one hundred participants with screen sharing and whiteboard sharing for free. It allows you to hold unlimited numbers of online meetings and you can also hold group and private chat. You canrecord the entire online meeting for playback later,whenever you want. You can enjoy the free service of ezTalks simply by signing up or buy the premium account for at least only $12 per month for enjoying better and more awesome features.2. Google Hangouts
It is a communication platform designed by Google to enable you to engage and initiate several communications channels including video,text and voice chats. It is integrated into Gmail and Google+. For added versatility and mobility,application for Android and iOS devices are available too. Inspite of being perceived as a communication platform for non-commercial users,it’s also used as a free meeting tool online for communication needs of corporate world.
The benefits of using Google Hangouts are that it enables your colleagues and you to communicate through a platform which resembles the social networks and feel confident in sharing personal information since you know that it is secure. Since it is a product of Google,Hangouts has no problem integrating with renowned business application and system. It has a feature named Google Hangouts on Air,which allows Google+ and Gmail users to make live video calls through YouTube. This feature allows business men to conduct talk shows and online seminars in a very inexpensive way.
3. FaceTime
It is an online meeting tool developed to enable you to engage in and initiate video meetings through Apple gadgets. From a business point of view,iOS and Mac users can easily communicate with each other,hold online meetings or have face to face business discussions. FaceTime is better than many online meeting tools for free in terms of quality of video. The images are clearer and sharper,compared to its alternative since it can receive High-Definition video meetings at up to resolutions of 720 pixels.
This free online meeting tool is integrated in all Apple devices. To set up an account,all you have to do is enter the Apple ID and that’s it. Using FaceTime is very easy and is just like calling someone. Look up the contact list and call any colleague you want by using FaceTime. You can receive an online meeting invitation even when Facetime is not running. The only disadvantages of Facetime are that it only supports one-on-one online meeting and only can be used on Mac and iOS devices.
4. Cisco WebEx Meeting Free
Cisco WebEx Meeting Free is also an online meeting tool for free. With it,you can host 3-person meetings and VOIP only. You can select several services together according to your needs,including webinars,support centers and training. It is very simple to use and consists of certain features which you can never find in other online meeting tools like,the meeting can call you rather than you joining the meeting. Cisco WebEx only offers web calls (no dial in conference calls).
5. Skype
When it comes to online meeting tools for free,Skype is one of the best ones. The service makes it very easy to dial colleagues and hold online meetings. The number of users in Skype for has increased a lot over the past few years since it now allows you make video calls with up to ten participants for free,through Skype Meetings and it also offers few remote desktop features. It incorporates cool features like Web-based Skype and Skype Translator. Even though,Skype supports screen sharing and conference calls,it doesn't deliver the level of operational control needed by the recent IT and is only available in Skype for Business.
6. AnyMeeting
Earlier known as Freebinar,AnyMeeting is an excellent free online meeting tool,with features that match those of its premium counterparts. As it is advertisement based,you may have to endure some advertisements,but it is not obtrusive for the attendees and hosts. It has crucial functionality like meeting recording VoIP,phone conferencing and screen sharing,and it also has a follow-up functionality. It’s internet based,so the only thing you need to download is a small software that allows screen sharing. No downloads are needed for the attendees,which enables colleagues behind a firewall to attend meetings.
7. Mikogo
It is another great free meeting tool online. Its interface may lack in looks,but it makes it up with its functionality. It has all the essential features needed for hosting online video calls. Its features include switching between presenters,ability to pause screen sharing and meeting recording. With this application,you can invite up to 10 members in a single conference call. What makes it unique is its feature which enables the host to control the quality of the video which is very useful when you want to conserve bandwidth.
Conclusion
Online meeting is gradually becoming the preferred method for companies,especially for small companies and start-ups since the cost is very low and is relatively convenient. Free online meeting tools save a lot of time and plays a key role in the growth and development of a company.