This is the fourth installment in our blog series on video conferencing and collaboration software. Microsoft Teams and Zoom were our first two platforms, and now, we take a look at a lesser known but up-and-coming platform, BlueJeans. Developed back in 2009, BlueJeans might be the best videoconferencing product you’ve never heard of.
My favorite feature within BlueJeans is ‘Smart Meetings Review’. It provides a full written transcription of your meeting and it allows participants to click a button which automatically captures the prior 20 seconds and the next 20 seconds as meeting highlights. Users can then share those highlights so that others can be informed on key issues without viewing the entire meeting. I regularly participate in meetings and webinars and take notes for my colleagues who are not in attendance. This feature makes that process extremely efficient, allowing participants to concentrate more on the meeting instead of capturing notes.
Like other videoconferencing products, users can connect to meetings you host without downloading an application. But, if you do have the latest BlueJeans application installed on PC or laptop, connection occurs in only 6 seconds! Another thing I like about this platform is that even the entry level version allows anyone to participate by phone. Every invitation for a BlueJeans meeting includes a phone number. With some other videoconferencing applications, including Zoom, phone-in numbers are not assured, or you have to pay extra.
I have held a few conferences with BlueJeans and have had zero connection issues or dropped users. BlueJeans meetings kept participants connected who had dropped out using Zoom and AnyMeeting. The quality was also excellent. With many companies rejecting Zoom due to their China connection and their security snafu earlier in the year, BlueJeans might be the ideal replacement.
The downside with BlueJeans might be that they don’t offer a long-term, free version, though they do allow a 7-day free trial period which provides a good opportunity to put it through its paces. That was enough to convince me that it is a great product.
On April 16th 2020, Verizon acquired BlueJeans for $400 Million. Verizon is planning for deep integration within their 5G roadmap. Their entry level $9.99 per month offering includes up to 50 participants, and we’re excited to see what the acquisition will do for this promising platform.
In summary, if the 50-participant limitation works for you, and you can see how their ‘Smart Meetings Review’ feature can make you more efficient, definitely check out Verizon’s newest product at www.bluejeans.com.
Authored by Donald Nokes
Nick Eckman joined NetCenergy in 2016 from an international gaming company. Nick’s experience with supervising and implementing secure, fiber and copper wire infrastructure services provides our clients with a team of highly trained and experienced technicians. In addition to the skills required to manage our infrastructure services department, Nick brings a very experienced and focused approach to project management and is a stickler for accurate documentation for every project designed and built by his team.
Peter Lachapelle joined NetCenergy in 2015 and is responsible for leading all of NetCenergy’s operations and accounting functions. Each department within NetCenergy reports through Lachapelle. He brings his years of experience to maintain a pragmatic, efficient, client-focused team at NetCenergy. Lachapelle joined NetCenergy after completing a 27-year career with a Rhode Island, federally-charted bank which culminated in his senior management position as COO and CFO for the bank.
Peter Nelson has 25+ years of technology and management experience and has been with NetCenergy since inception. Peter serves as the VP of Engineering at NetCenergy. His role consists of managing the engineering staff, driving the companies technology strategy, and ensuring NetCenergy keeps up to date on new technologies and solutions.
As a Founding Partner, Dan is a result oriented individual who is always focusing on what is best for his client. He understands that business applications empower an organization and that technology must support those critical business applications. Dan’s technology career started in 1990 at EMC Corporation. Through the years, he has represented technology and consulting services for several organizations until 2003, when he and Don Nokes founded NetCenergy.
As President of NetCenergy, Don is responsible for ensuring client satisfaction, overseeing overall performance, and for providing direction to the organization. Prior to co-founding the firm with Dan Charland, Don held senior leadership positions with IT service firms ranging in size from $3 Billion to $10 Million in annual sales.
With decades of hands-on HR experience, Margery Ahearn is our Director of Human Resources, overseeing all hiring of new positions for NetCenergy with a careful eye on sourcing technology savvy engineers and skilled office-based professionals who fit our company culture, understand our commitment to our clients, and bring their time and talents to our team. Margery has both a BA and MBA in Business Administration from Southern New Hampshire University.