The Top Video Conferencing Software to Manage Human Resource

Introduction:

Withstanding the current situation, video conferences are the essential part of working from home across the globe for almost every organization. There are a lot of options available by now in terms of performance and features. But choosing the platform where the performance conforms to your work style should be your priority.

Currently, one of the most popular software for video conferencing is zoom meetings. And since the beginning of the pandemic, the popularity of zoom has increased manifold. Till then, skype and google hangout was considered to be the most widely used video conference platforms.

One of the main reasons zoom became so accessible is that there are both free and premium versions available, and there is a wide range of features to support a variety of requirements even with the free versions. Regardless of the type of accounts, zoom accounts feature-

1. Screen sharing alongside video calls

2. Video and audio recording

3. SSL encryption for secured meetings

4. Instantaneous or scheduled meetings

5. Operates with all the OS- iOS, MS, or Linux

6. Scope of joining a call via telephone call

7. Whiteboard and annotating option

8. Group or private chat options

9. Breakout rooms for separate group meetings

10. No limitations on the number of meetings per month

11. Can be scheduled with chrome extensions

With the free plans, the only limitation you will find is that you have only 40 minutes for each meeting having more than 3 people. But you get an unlimited duration of meetings with the paid plans. Another limitation of zoom that a lot of users prefer to have is that the lacking audio or video preview. A preview before formally joining a meeting can be a little step forward to achieve the top-notch user experience.

Alongside zoom meetings, there are a lot of different video conferencing platforms that companies use for arranging team meetings. Some of the other widely used video conferencing software we have found for 2021 are-

Skype for business

Skype is one of the earliest of the days of video conferencing software. Skype accounts are linked with the users’ outlook accounts. Skype for business includes all the basic features of skype, but it is designed to enhance your business meeting experiences. Similar to zoom meetings, skype for business enables you with a simple user interface, meetings for a large group, screen sharing, and sharing any documents.

But one issue some people found with this app is that sometimes the audio and video do not synchronize and the quality of the calls are compromised oftentimes.

Another issue that people have complained about is that skype for business is difficult to maintain as it is synchronized and linked too much with outlook. You have to have an outlook account.

And even after synchronizing with outlook accounts, the experience is quite obsolete and inflexible for the users. The options and features are significantly less.

Microsoft teams

In comparison to skype for business, Microsoft Teams is a much better contender as a video conference/ or meeting software. This is even easier to operate and has great speed for processing. So, in terms of the quality of the meetings, it provides a superior experience and fewer network issues that we sometimes face with zoom.

But on the other hand, Microsoft teams have a baffling filing system due to its cloud-based storage. You need to search for the files to find them, and even after that, the way the channels work, it becomes tricky to find that. Besides, there are very limited options for the activities in the meetings.

Google meet/Hangout

Currently, perhaps the most convenient and low-effort virtual meeting software is Google meet. It is instantaneous, easy to arrange, and has almost all the necessary and preferred features that companies need for video conferencing sessions. The meetings can be run very smoothly and without any significant hassle. And it is more resilient to network sensitivity than zoom. The quality of the audio and video is very good as well.

One thing that google meet lacks compared to zoom meetings is the facility of a virtual background. You cannot have a virtual background in google meet, although, this is not a significant issue in my opinion.

Screen sharing from google meet can be a bit tricky in google meet, which is a lot easier in zoom meetings.

All in all, google meeting performs very well on browser, but for apps, there are some issues people face like- a participant is not reconnected in the meeting in case of any network issue. Similar to that, a Gmail account is necessary for conferencing in the app, and sometimes people face difficulties sharing multimedia through the app. However, it is not seen while operating from a browser.

Go to meeting

GoToMeeting is also a popular platform because of its easy access and effortless communication. You can have large meetings (up to 250 participants) easily and also have the facility to record the meeting. A great thing about GoToMeeting is that you can avail numerous integrations for this software.

A unique feature about this software is that when you are conducting a meeting, you can access another participant’s device and operate from there. But this feature can both be useful and problematic depending on the circumstances. If someone is struggling with any technicalities during a presentation or any other situation, the host can take over and help the person out. However, this can be very intrusive at times and can also be misused as it can directly make one’s device available. So, for a person getting both the work and personal tasks done on the same device, this software might be a breach of security.

The chatting option is only meant for the entire meeting, so no personal messages or smaller group chat within the meeting is not possible.

Cisco WebEx

This particular software is more well-suited for classrooms as it has some top-notch interactive tools that aid the learning experience better. It is very efficient to work with, and very stable with network fluctuations. The audio and video quality are great and allow to share of multimedia files with ease.

But at the same time, it lacks a few of the helpful features from zoom like- the absence of virtual background, difficulty in scheduling and managing meetings, no waiting room facility, and complicated navigation panel.

Another intimidating feature is that administrators can join a meeting invisibly to observe or inspect. This feature might come useful for classrooms, but can be problematic for workplace practices.

FAQs

Q: Which is the best platform to attend online classes?

A: Zoom meetings and google meet are by far the most widely used platforms for classrooms. They are easy to approach for students and teachers and make effective sessions.

Q: Is google meet accessible for everyone?

A: Yes, google meet is now free due to the global pandemic till June 2021. So, by June 2021, you can avail yourself of google meet video calls free of charge if you do not have a Gmail account. But if you are a Gmail user already, the platform is available without charge until any notice.

Q: Is GoToMeeting a free platform?

A: Similar to zoom meetings, GoToMeeting has both free and premium plans. The premium plans include some bonus features, but the free plans also offer great features of any of the video conferencing software.

Q: Is zoom meeting safe?

A: Zoom has SSL encryption to protect the users’ security. But some users have experienced some security issues like the intrusion of unknown meeting attendees. Besides that, a lot of times people found zoom to be having network issues with the very minute inconveniences. Low bandwidth issue is one of them, and sometimes, a pop-up comes up once in while mentioning “your connection is unstable”.

Conclusion:

Regardless of which software you decide to use for your team meetings, be sure that everyone is on the same page as you are and your team members can operate the software on at least a basic level. There will be a learning curve with getting accustomed to it, but you also need to ensure that the version of the chosen software is compatible with the devices of your team members. Otherwise, the meetings will not be effective and you will face disturbances.