GoToMeeting vs Live Meeting

Last March, before Skype was acquired by Microsoft, it announced that the GoToMeating web-conferencing tools will be integrated into Skype's client. It could be a logical partnership because GoToMeeting and Skype are often used together to organize online meetings. But then Microsoft bought Skype, and apparently the plan was changed. After all, Microsoft and Citrix (the owner of GoToMeeting) - are more rivals than friends. Anyway, yesterday GoToMeeting launched the new version with its own video tool called HDFaces. Moreover, HDFaces can not just replace Skype for GoToMeeting users, but also compete with Skype in the global enterprise video meating market.

Recently Skype is intending to increase profits by expanding its business services. Skype already offers to business the VoIP service, IP-PBX integration and group video conferencing. And it would be very logical to add web-conferencing to this list, because many Skype partners (like Yuuguu, Yugma, Mikogo) are already earning on it. As known Skype almost 2 years ago added the screen-sharing feature. But it would be a shame to charge money for it. Firstly, it is the very basic implementation of screen-sharing without application selection, screen annotations, granting mouse control... Second, Skype's screen-sharing only works in one-to-one sessions and doesn't work simultaneously with video calling. So, finally, Skype has decided to pump-up and sell this feature and surprised everyone by announcing the partnership with Citrix GoToMeeting.

So, iPad is now available in US and like Avatar is breaking all records (already about 400 thousand devices are sold). The first users have already downloaded several millions iPad applications, but most of them are consumer apps, rather than business applications. As we noted earlier, iPad has a little chance to become a revolutionary business tool. And not just because of the lack of webcam, multitasking, Flash support and security measures. Despite its originality, iPad will compete in the corporate market with an army of netbooks and smartphones (including iPhone). But certainly iPad will be useful for business of software vendors, which have already begun to announce iPad clients to get the customer attention.