Top 10: Online Meeting software for business

2018. Zoho Meeting adds moderator controls



Zoho Meeting has introduced Moderator Controls to its online meetings software. With this new feature, presenters can lock meetings to minimize interruptions during important discussions. Once a meeting is locked, no additional participants can join. Furthermore, the Switch presenter feature allows anyone to share their screen and effectively demonstrate their point. Through screen sharing, participants have the ability to share various types of content such as documents, presentations, spreadsheets, or any other application. To maintain a focused session, background noise can be eliminated by muting individuals or all participants. In the event that someone unintentionally joins or is no longer relevant to the topic, they can be promptly removed, allowing the discussion to proceed smoothly.


2018. Google Meet gets voice commands support



Google is introducing voice commands to enhance its videoconferencing system, Google Meet. Users will now have the convenience of saying phrases like "Hey Google, start the meeting" to initiate a meeting. This is just the beginning, as Google plans to introduce more voice commands over time. The functionality will be added later this year. Notably, Google launched the Hangouts Meet hardware program last Fall, enabling Meet customers to initiate meetings using Google hardware or other popular conference room hardware from brands like Cisco or Polycom. Thousands of Hangouts Meet-enabled meeting rooms have been set up by customers. By incorporating simple voice commands to facilitate tasks such as meeting setup, participant invitations, and joining meetings, Google aims to streamline meeting administration. This advancement seeks to address the often complex and frustrating nature of managing meetings, providing a more accessible and user-friendly experience for participants.

2016. Cisco acquired online meetings startup Worklife



Cisco has completed the acquisition of the startup Worklife, which was established in 2015 with the aim of enhancing online meetings—a field that Cisco has been actively involved in for several years. As the owner of WebEx and a continuous effort to improve the meeting experience, Cisco has introduced Cisco Spark in recent times. By incorporating the Worklife team into the Spark division, Cisco plans to leverage their expertise in optimizing meetings. Worklife's core concept revolves around maintaining meeting efficiency by providing pre-planned agendas to keep participants focused. Additionally, their solution includes an on-screen timer, indicating the remaining time for the meeting before attendees can resume their regular tasks. Moreover, it enables users to create meeting records and distribute them to the participants afterward, ensuring everyone remains informed.


2015. Fuze acquired online team collaboration platform LiveMinutes



Web Conferencing company Fuze has recently acquired LiveMinutes, an online team collaboration platform. LiveMinutes offered a workspace where co-workers could collaborate by sharing various file types, including Office documents, PDFs, and PSDs. Additionally, it facilitated conference calls via the web or Skype. This acquisition marks a significant expansion for Fuze, as it transitions from solely focusing on online meetings to introducing a new product called Fuze Spaces. Fuze Spaces enables colleagues to chat, share, and provide feedback on files, organize projects, and more through a web-based dashboard. In parallel, Fuze has secured $20 million in fresh funding to support its ongoing business growth. The company positions itself as a contemporary alternative to services like WebEx and GoToMeeting, offering voice and HD video conferencing solutions that empower distributed teams to connect, share content, and collaborate via the cloud.


2014. Citrix launched free version of GoToMeeting



GoToMeeting is a highly popular service utilized for video calls, web-conferencing, and webinars. Despite its relatively higher cost, companies are willing to invest in it due to the paramount importance of communication quality in online meetings. Excitingly, Citrix has now introduced the free version of the service - GoToMeeting Free, enabling online meetings with up to three participants. This application is developed based on the Chrome browser, eliminating the need for registration, software downloads, or browser extensions. By simply clicking the "Start Meeting" button, you receive a meeting link that can be shared with one or two colleagues. It is worth noting, however, that this service exclusively focuses on video chat and does not provide the extensive web-conferencing collaboration tools for which GoToMeetings is renowned.


2009. DimDim makes webinars more affordable



DimDim - is a web-conferencing service, hated by all its competitors (Webex and Co) for the low prices (combined with sufficient quality of service). How can one compete with DimDim, providing 20-person online meeting solution for free? Moreover it s available as SaaS and Open-Source solution. And recently DimDim unveiled new webinar service, that supports large online meetings with up to 1000 concurrent users for $75 per month. It goes beyond comparison with WebEx Meeting Center, that asks $69 a month for a virtual meeting room with 25 seats (imagine the price for 1000 seats). ***