Video conference - which software should we choose?

Approximate reading time: 5m 47s

We will tell you about the most widely used video conferencing platforms, their main plans and capabilities. We offer to help you with your event, conference, or training by choosing and using one or another video conferencing software.

Since platforms for online audio/video communication have different creators and histories, they offer different capabilities.

Video conference calls have entered our lives and become a necessity. It is good that the market offers enough solutions so that we can choose according to our own needs and criteria. Do you know the advantages and disadvantages of the most popular software? We will present them to you in one place so that you can make the right choice among all of them.

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Big Blue Button

BigBlueButton is open-source software based on the GNU / Linux operating system. You will not need to download and install anything on your computer. It is a web-based software that provides real-time sharing of audio, video from an external source or from a computer, presentations, whiteboard, chat and screen. It also allows participants to join conferences with their webcams. If you have a guest speaker who will speak in a foreign language, use the product's latest feature for simultaneous translation. That's not all. BBB allows the creation of separate breakout rooms and grouping participants into groups.
It is suitable for business meetings, online lessons, product/service presentations, and team meetings. Joining by phone is extremely easy and widely used by users.

Big Blue Button features:

• Real-time sharing of audio, video from an external source or computer, webcam, screen;
• Public/private chat;
• Uploading PDF and Microsoft Office documents;
• Interactive whiteboard;
• Joining the session by phone;
• Raising a hand, changing participant status;
• Simultaneous translation;
• Group and individual rooms;
• Polls;
• Random selection of a participant who has joined – the ability to randomly choose among all those who have joined;
• Shared notes;
• Joining the call with a password only;
• Joining the call only with moderator approval;
• A waiting room for participants who have not yet joined the live call;
• Recording of the call.

WebRTC is a standard supported by all major browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Safari Mobile. For best results on desktop computers and laptops, we recommend Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or Firefox. For Chromebook, we recommend the built-in Chrome browser.

Free video tutorials for working with the product: https://support.blindsidenetworks.com/hc/en-us/categories/360000379651-BigBlueButton

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is part of the Office 365 suite. The Teams program has a free version that anyone can register for with a personal email. The smaller package allows support for up to 300 people, guest access, group calls, and screen sharing. File sharing up to 10 GB for one team.
The more expensive business plans provide more. Security management is at a high level, and administrators have the tools for it. As a team, each user can share up to 1 TB of files, and people can collaborate using desktop programs in Office and SharePoint Online. Webinars and training sessions are supported.

What you can do with Microsoft Teams:

• Bring a team together.
• Use chat instead of email.
• Securely edit files simultaneously.
• See likes, @mentions, and replies with just one tap.
• Customize it by adding notes, websites, and apps.
• Collaborate in teams and channels.
• Work with posts and messages.
• Upload and search files.
• Start chats and calls.
• Manage meetings.
• The activity feed.

Free tutorials for working with the product: https://support.microsoft.com/bg-bg/office/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%BA%D0%B2%D0%BE-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B4%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%BB%D1%8F%D0%B2%D0%B0-microsoft-teams-422bf3aa-9ae8-46f1-83a2-e65720e1a34d

Skype

Skype is the good old video chat app we have all used for years. Small companies prefer it because it supports up to 50 participants for an unlimited period of time for free. It has a call recording function and screen sharing that every member can use. Skype gives users the ability to save and share recordings for up to 1 month. Users need to have the Skype app installed.

The best of Skype:

• You can share your location in it
• It has background effects for a shared webcam. Turn on this feature and your background will be blurred. You can choose to change your background completely with your own photos.
• File sending – you can freely share photos, videos, and other files up to 300 MB by simply dragging and dropping files into the chat window.
• Skype Translator - there is real-time translation of voice calls, video calls, and instant messages.
• Custom reactions/emoticons – you can choose reactions for fun.
• Raise your hand - for a more inclusive and moderated environment, Skype has implemented the "Raise your hand" feature so participants can take part in the conversation.
• Search within a conversation - select the Find button under the chat header or press Ctrl + F in Windows and Command + F on Mac.
• Call forwarding - not logged into Skype or unable to answer the call? Just forward your Skype calls to any phone.
• Voicemail - too busy to talk? You can set up voicemail in Skype for your friends and family so they can leave you a message.
• Skype To Go – You can call international numbers from any phone at low rates via Skype To Go.
• A share button is provided that can be embedded in your website.

Free tutorials for working with the product: https://support.skype.com/en/skype/all/start/

GoToMeeting

Through the GoToMeeting web conferencing service, you can conduct audio and video sessions and screen sharing. There is also a mobile app for Android and iOS. The most used version, which allows 150 to 250 team members, is paid. The highest plan they currently offer is Enterprise, which connects up to 3000 users.

The main features of GoToMeeting are:

• Virtual whiteboard
• Built-in audio
• Meeting scheduler
• Control transfer
• One-click recording
• Personal meeting room
• Drawing tools
• One-click meetings
• HD video conferences

The software has features for multinational toll-free numbers and is suitable for bringing together international participants and solving their issues. It has PIN-based recording, which makes the software more secure. Participants must enter this PIN to join the meeting. This gives everyone a sense of security when joining the meeting. At the same time, GoToMeeting also provides support channels and training materials, including training videos, PDF tutorials, on-site training, and training videos.

Free video tutorials for working with the product: https://support.goto.com/meeting/videos

Cisco Webex

Cisco Webex is another popular video conferencing platform. You can use it for free for up to three users and up to 50 minutes for 100 participants. The platform also offers HD video support, screen sharing, and recording options. Paid plans will provide options for more attendees, as well as cloud storage and management features. It is important to note that business plans support Microsoft Exchange and Active Directory. This system is designed for corporate use and is characterized by a high level of security.

Cisco Webex features:

• An option to join audio/video from a phone or computer.
• Users can share various files among participants.
• Tools for an interactive whiteboard are available.
• Calls can be recorded.
• Chat and screen sharing features are available.
• Shared screens can be controlled remotely.

ZOOM

Zoom is a cloud video conferencing platform. It allows session recording. Each session can be viewed later. In ZOOM, you can create large and small chat rooms, and there is also a screen sharing option. Free video conferences can last up to 40 minutes and include up to 100 participants, as well as unlimited one-to-one calls between users. There are several paid plans, starting at $15 per month for the user hosting the call. They allow the creation of IDs for recurring meetings, call recording, cloud storage for files, and more. A desktop version is available for users with Windows and macOS operating systems, while the mobile version is for those with iOS and Android.

ZOOM features:

• Screen and app sharing - presenters can share their entire desktop or individual applications.
• Dynamic voice detection - the main camera view will automatically switch to the active speaker.
• Recording - record meetings locally and upload to Blackboard Learn, Box, OneDrive Video, or Youtube.
• Large room and webinar - Zoom sessions can be expanded to allow larger groups, up to 500 interactive participants in large rooms or 10,000 viewers via Zoom Webinars.
• Mobile devices - feature-rich mobile apps for iOS and Android.

Google Hangouts

The Google Hangouts app allows meetings with up to 25 people and your organization. One of the advantages is quick organization – an address is created, copied, and distributed among the rest. There are free international calls, but not in all countries/regions. People on the go more often use the mobile version, but with a Chrome browser extension it can also be used on a laptop. The situation we are in has increased the need for online meeting formats more than ever, and we will have to learn and use platforms more and more often in the future.

Main features of Google Hangouts:

• Instant messages
• Voice calls
• HD video calls
• HD group conferences
• Automatic screen focusing
• Smart muting
• Compatibility with multiple computing devices
• Screen sharing
• Integration with other Google apps
• Custom control for administrators

 We can help you organize your online event or conference. You can contact us at tel.: +359 878 685 304, e-mail: office@nitbg.com.