How Your Business Can Harness the Power of Video Conferencing During COVID-19
The current spread of COVID-19 has a lot of companies seeking ways to work remotely without impacting productivity. With a large majority of Middle Tennesseans confined to the quarters of their home, it's time to strategize how your business can move into the virtual era to reach your audience.
Whether you are trying to communicate with colleagues, friends, or customers, video conferencing is an effective and more personable way to communicate. Conference attendees can either dial in by phone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer (depending on the platform).
So how do you incorporate the nature of working from home into your business? How can your business adapt to a digital world? Here is some helpful information on video conferencing platforms to digitize your business during these turbulent times.
Video Conferencing Platforms
GoToMeeting - Provided by LogMeIn, GoToMeeting is a mobile friendly video conferencing app. You can do conference calls and video calls on the platform. Users can easily share their screen on their desktop, smartphone or tablet screen, as well as record meetings in real-time, take notes, mark actions items, and share them after the meeting. A GoToMeeting subscription price starts at $12.00 per organizer per month with up to 150 participants. Check out GoToMeeting's pricing to see what fits best with your budget.
Zoom - Used in a variety of sectors including education, financial services, government, and healthcare, Zoom is a platform that offers video conferencing and webinars, phone systems, and business instant messaging. One of the larger well known video conference platforms on the market, Zoom has a variety of pricing options available. They do offer a free version that allows up to 100 participants. For more information on Zoom's pricing, click here.
Microsoft Teams - Microsoft Teams is a video conferencing platform that is seamlessly integrated with the Microsoft Office Suite and proves to be exceptionally effective with internal communications. Collaboratively edit documents, instant message with colleagues, and manage projects easily with Microsoft Teams. With the COVID-19 outbreak, Microsoft is offering Teams for free for those working remotely or for children and teachers participating in virtual teaching.
BlueJeans - BlueJeans is a video conferencing platform that offers unparalleled integration with other workstream tools including Microsoft Outlook and Teams, Google Calendar, Slack, and Skype (to name a few). BlueJeans is a secure, scalable and supported video conferencing platform used by many businesses. BlueJeans service plans begin at $9.99 per host per month. To view a full list of BlueJeans pricing options, click here.
Google Hangouts - Powered by Google, Google Hangouts is a video conferencing platform with a fast, lightweight interface and smart participant management, making multi-person video calls a breeze. Simply send invitees a link and they're ready to go. No plug-ins or downloads required. Subscription prices start at $6 a month per user. However, Google Hangouts does offer a 14 day free trial. To learn more about pricing, click here.
Cisco Webex - Powered by trusted telecommunications company Cisco, Webex is a video conferencing platform that makes team collaboration, webinars, and online training accessible to all. Webex incorporates AI and machine learning capabilities to enhance the collaborative experience for users. A useful tool for large group video conferencing, Webex can be a great tool to help digitize your business. Webex offers a free subscription option that allows for up to 100 participants. Check out Webex's additional subscription options by clicking here.
Join.Me - Used by recognizable companies like Contently, OpenTable, Pinterest, TOMS, and FourSquare, Join.Me is a video conferencing platform that makes virtual meetings easy. With collaborative features like screen sharing, annotation, and recording capabilities, Join.Me helps you work with colleagues or customers to effectively communicate expectations.