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Part I: Which Videoconferencing Software is Right for You?

8
May

Over the last several years, videoconferencing software has evolved exponentially. Initially, room-based video conferencing systems hit the market that outfit a physical office conference room with a large display screen or screens and microphones. Room-based systems continue to be popular as they provided cost savings and efficiency by reducing the need for travel.

To support today’s sudden remote workforce needs, desktop video conferencing systems are growing in popularity. (Just in time, too!). Zoom, for example, grew from 10 million subscribers in October of 2019 to over 200 million by March of 2020. Microsoft Teams has also seen adoption rates soar. To be honest, one of the reasons why Microsoft Teams is becoming more and more popular is because individuals can connect Microsoft Teams to omnichannel messaging. Additionally, one can send SMS messages through Microsoft Teams and route incoming messages to the channels of their choice, using HeyMarket. Furthermore, entrepreneurs can respond more quickly with SMS for Microsoft Teams. Besides this, using a simple @ message, individuals could also make certain team members able to reply to customers and assign chats to coworkers.
Even after knowing all this information, you must be wondering which tool is right for you. In a recent webinar, we discussed the most popular solutions and pulled the best features from some of these products. Of course, the key to selecting the right option for your organization begins with a proper understanding of exactly what your needs are. As you evaluate your needs, it’s important to consider both short and long-term needs as they may change as workers return to the office.

This is the first in a series of blogs where we’ll discuss these tools. Today, I have provided a list of the best key feature for each product that we will review in the next several blogs.

Microsoft Teams – Great for: Collaboration/video conferencing, especially when participants belong to the same organization

Zoom – Great for: Ease of use

Blue Jeans – Great for: Stability and functionality across a wide variety of devices

Cisco Webex – Great for: Security

Google Teams – Great for: Integration with Google suite of products

HighFive – Great for: Group attendees in a physical conference room

Intermedia AnyMeeting – Great for: Groups that need call-in phone numbers for poorly-connected participants

Subsequent posts will dive deeper into each vendor’s product with the goal of saving you time as you consider which solution is best you and your organization. Stay tuned or give us a call to assist you as you select the right solution(s) for you.

 

Authored by Donald Nokes