Top 10: Cloud Videoconferencing Software

2018. Polycom launched Cloud Services for Enterprise



Polycom is expanding its cloud capabilities for enterprises with Polycom Cloud Services. It's a unified cloud solution that initially is focusing on giving enterprises the tools to easily provision and manage the myriad voice and video endpoints that are in conference rooms around the world. The vendor’s Polycom Device Management Services (PDMS) is aimed at enabling enterprises to manage those devices, measure their performance and troubleshoot any issues that arise. With the service, customers are able to provision, update and secure tens of thousands of desk and conference room phones. PDMS initially will be available for audio systems, but Polycom officials expect to expand its support to video conferencing devices by the end of the year.


2017. Video conferencing service Zoom raised $100 million



Zoom, the cloud video conferencing service, announced a $100 million Series D round and now boasts a $1 billion valuation. The company also announced a significant update to the product that includes the ability for customers and third parties to build applications on top of the Zoom platform. Zoom unifies cloud video conferencing, simple online meetings, group messaging, and a software-defined conference room solution into one easy-to-use platform. Its solution offers high quality video, audio, and wireless screen-sharing experience across Windows, Mac, Linux, Chrome OS, iOS, Android, Blackberry, Zoom Rooms, and H.323/SIP room systems.

2012. Google+ Hangouts comes to iPad and iPhone



It's very strange that Apple doesn't really try to become the video chat king, and even doesn't prevent the competitors of using its platform for this matter. Though it was Apple's iPhone that made mobile video chat popular and Skype position not so strong. But since then Apple's video chat app Facetime didn't progress, and competitors continue to use it. Yesterday Google released a new Google+ app for iPad with Hangouts video chat and updated Google+ for iPhone app, that now also supports Hangouts. Recall, Google Hangouts allows you to organize online video meetings with up to 10 users - for free. In addition to iOS, Google's video chat works on Android smartphones and tablets, as well as on any computer via a web browser and a small plug-in.


2005. Macromedia updates its Web conferencing tools

Macromedia has unveiled the latest version of its online video conferencing application, adding support for VoIP, among other features. Known as Breeze 5, the software is the company's latest effort to expand the range of applications supported by its Macromedia Flash Player software, which it says has now been downloaded more than 500 million times. The primary selling point of the technology is that people who have already downloaded the freely available Flash client software do not need to load other applications in order to use Breeze 5. Macromedia, which is being bought for $3.4 billion by Adobe Systems, released the hosted version of Breeze 5 on Monday. The company plans to introduce a packaged version of the application sometime in the next month.