MEETING IN THE CLOUD. (TOP 5 CONFERENCE CALL APPS)

Are you a corporate organization, a firm, committee of friends, family, etc trying to organize a live meeting or event but unfortunately, the members are on different locations or different parts of the world. Meeting in the cloud wouldn’t be a bad idea. I don’t mean that literally. I don’t mean developing wings and flying to the cloud. With development in Information technology and new ideas springing up everyday, a lot of platforms have been developed to aid easy access to information and human resources. Today, we will be looking at some of these platforms that can help out when it comes to meeting in the cloud or making a conference call. Whether you’re working with remote colleagues or coordinating with clients, you need a video conference or meeting app that’s reliable and easy to use. Below are list of our 5 favorite apps that can be used:

1.      GoToMeeting

2.      Zoom

3.      Onstream Meetings

4.      Join.me

5.      ReadyTalk

1.      GoToMeeting

GoToMeeting has carved a niche for itself as the number one app solution for video conferencing and virtual meetings, and with good features such as HD-quality video, audio clarity, screen sharing, personalized meeting URLs, and the ability to connect to meetings via desktop or mobile make it a popular choice. The mobile version has nice functionality that allows easy access to audio clarity and can admit as many people as possible. On PC, Teams can also collaborate by using the whiteboard feature to annotate and highlight the presenter’s screen.

GoToMeeting has International toll-free numbers and options and nice control settings. It is a convenient option for global teams, plus it’s easy to change presenters for meetings with multiple hosts.

GoToMeeting is offered for free for the first 30 days after which the user has to apply for the Pro version which starts at $39/month per organizer and includes 25 participants. The Plus version starts at $56/month per organizer for up to 100 participants.

2. Zoom

With HD video conferencing, screen sharing from desktop or mobile, recording features, and the ability to choose full screen or gallery views for video streams (or choose different views for multiple monitors), Zoom is quickly emerging as one of the top video meeting apps available.

Zoom has cool features like a collaborative whiteboard and the ability to send group texts, images, and audio files during meetings. Plus, the ability to join meetings from mobile via wifi or cellular networks makes it a great option for teams that are constantly on the go. 

The free version includes an unlimited number of meetings with up to 25 people, up to 40 minutes per meeting, and unlimited one-on-one calls. Paid plans with more advanced features start at $10/month for unlimited meeting durations and calls with up to 200 participants.

3. Onstream Meetings

Onstream app has the usual features like screen sharing, document sharing, group or private chats, polling, shared controls, and a collaborative whiteboard. What sets Onstream apart is the ability to add up to 1,000 attendees, which is great for companies hosting all-hands meetings for more than 250 people. The toolbar at the top of the screen keeps controls for screen sharing, file sharing, drawing tools, and polling easily accessible. Onstream meetings app has the functionality that enables you send files to all attendees or just to select people, or make documents available for download after the meeting concludes.

With Onstream Meetings, you can edit your meeting recordings without downloading the video file. Highlight key discussions or add chapter markers so viewers can easily skip to important points. The cost of Onstream Meetings per month is $49.

4. Join.me

Join.me app provides all the essentials required for conference calling. It allows attendees to call in via VoIP or telephone, and with numbers in over 40 countries, it’s an easy solution for international teams. It enables you to Record meetings, join from your preferred mobile device, share your screen, transfer files, and easily change presenters. You can also personalize your meeting space with custom URLs and screen backgrounds.

Join.me assures ease of use. You can set up a meeting and be connected with colleagues or friends in a matter of minutes, with no technical confusion on how to use the app.

The app possess free basic plan that includes up to 10 participants and instant screen sharing. Pro and Enterprise plans include up to 250 attendees with advanced features like Outlook and Google Calendar plugins, built-in cloud storage, recording, and reporting tools.

5. ReadyTalk

ReadyTalk possesses functionality of web conferencing, mobile conferencing, video conferencing, and webinar tools; you can find the perfect solution for your needs. Hand over controls to a participant to let them take over the discussion, use the interactive real-time polling feature to make group decisions right then and there, and stream up to 4 video feeds simultaneously.

ReadyTalk has a good customer support team that are usually on standby to provide instant technical assistance. Especially when you experience issues while the meeting is going on.

ReadyTalk app pricing start at $24 for 10 participants, $34 for 25 participants, and $59 for 100 participants.

The term Meeting in the cloud entails having a secured access online with user friendly options that enables you to discuss with colleagues, friends, clients, team mates, etc on a particular subject and having a board meeting kinda platform that enables members to air their views simultaneously. Usually, the event is registered by the person organizing the meeting while he shares an ID to the members. In order to get access to the meeting stipulating the time for the meeting is quite important, this will enable everyone to be ready.

All the apps listed above are very important and suitable for organizing on-line live meetings. To get access to them, you can easily find them on google playstore or download them right from their websites. For starters, GoToMeeting app has a nice user-friendly functionality; it won’t be a bad idea to give it a shot today.