Video Conference software reviews and comparisons from a web agency perspective
As a professional web development and design agency, we have many clients that come to us asking what is the best video conference software or system to use. This is a great question as there are many to choose from.
These are our pick of the top video conferencing software for Australia that will help your business run now matter where you are located.
“There are a lot of video conferencing software on the market today, all with different features and offerings. As a the owner of digital agency, we are always asked what platform we recommend to our clients. The tricky thing is, it all depends on the clients needs and also their future requirements. Small businesses can get away with any of the systems that offer a FREE plan, however, if you plan on growing then it’s best to look for a system that wont cost you a fortune”
OUR NUMBER 1 PICK FOR VIDEO CONFERENCE SOFTWARE
Voted #1
If you have people and clients around the world in different time zones, then GoTo Meeting would be perfect to suit your needs. GoTo Meeting is a web-conferencing software that helps you in hosting urgent meetings online.
It has a lot of features that make it perfect for communicating with your clients. The first feature that you are going to like about it is that it allows you to take over someone else’s device. For instance, if someone is struggling to present information and is not doing it the proper way, you can take over his device so you can explain it properly.
Another exciting feature about GoTo Meeting is that you can hold your meeting almost anywhere. All you need would be a stable internet connection. You can send the link of your meeting to your other partners, and they would be able to join as well, provided they have a stable internet connection too.
If you are worried about this SaaS software being not flexible enough to host a large number of people, you are wrong. You can invite up to 250 people in your meeting with this software. Whether you want to conduct a webinar or a large-scale meeting- the options are endless.
We should mention here that if you wish to include a high number of people, you would need to buy the Pro plan.
Zoom is a video conferencing service perfect for those who are looking for an easy-to-use platform to communicate with their clients.
All you need to do to use it is simply download it, make an account, and you will be good to go. The first feature we would like to talk about this software is the connectivity options. Whether your clients wish to connect with desktops, smartphones, or room systems, they would be able to join your meeting without any trouble. What makes Zoom interesting is its ability to deliver consistent results. Whether you are in a small, medium, or large room, you would always get efficient results.
As opposed to other video conferencing services, Zoom’s video conference capabilities are beneficial. For instance, it doesn’t matter how many people have joined your meeting; all the features of Zoom- including audio, sound, video, and chat- would always remain the same. If we were to rate Zoom solely on its video and audio quality, it would definitely be number one for us. Even in areas with bandwidth issues, Zoom never ceased to perform exceptionally.
There was one flaw we found in the software. Those who wish to skip the meeting and hope to record it would be disappointed as the recording feature does not work efficiently.
Though ClickMeeting is advertised as a video conferencing software specifically for webinars, it can be used for several other tasks as well, such as presentations, preparation, interaction, and follow-up.
One of the best things about the software is that it is browser-based. This means that you don’t have to install the software to ensure that it runs effectively. This feature also makes it different from the rest of the video conferencing software. Another feature that this service offers while the rest don’t is that you can customize the interface.
If you don’t want your audience to be greeted with the default ClickMeeting logo, you can set up your own customized brand. Doing that is very easy too. All it takes is a few clicks to change the color and the logo. Hence, with the help of ClickMeeting, you can communicate about your brand with your audience. Moreover, if you wish to show the same webinar to different people, you can do that with the help of ClickMeeting. You can pre-record a webinar and then set it to play whenever you want. What makes things even more interesting is that you can engage with your audience, even on a pre-recorded webinar.
While all of these features make ClickMeeting an excellent solution, what doesn’t is the price. Especially considering it is only a video conferencing solution.
If you are tired of your audio calls not being clear enough for you, or the other members to hear each other properly, then BlueJeans would be ideal for you.
With the Dolby Voice feature, it has changed the way people talk on video conferencing software. One of the most exciting features of BlueJeans is setting it up. All you need to do is enter a few details, including your email address, company size, and a few other necessary details. It would then send you a confirmation email. You can set the password after you have verified it was you who sent the email.
You will need to download the BlueJeans app so you can join a meeting. Speaking of downloading, one of the features that makes it different from the rest of the software is that apart from Mac OS and Windows, you can also download it on Linux.
While BlueJeans is perfect for video conferencing, other occasions allow you to use it as well. For example, if you want to host a webinar, a hands-on event, or a town hall meeting- you can do it all with the help of BlueJeans.
Whether you are a participant or the event manager, you would be glad to have used BlueJeans.
One lacking feature we found in BlueJeans was a file-sharing option.
The last video conferencing software on our list should be ideal for those people who don’t want to compromise on video quality.
When you are talking to your colleagues in a meeting, you want everything to be perfectly clear. You don’t want to miss out on any details. For that, you need software that provides excellent video and audio quality. Well, you can expect all of these things from Lifesize thanks to its multiple features, including full 1080p video up to 60 frames per second, wideband HD audio, and last but not the least, built-in echo cancellation.
The best thing about this software is that you can use it on several platforms, including Windows, Mac OS, Android as well as on iOS. Moreover, you can also use the software on browsers such as Google Chrome, Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge. This option might not be available with other such software. And if you are worried about potential leaks of your data, then you can rest assured as this software has 128-bit AES encryption, web proxy support, and automatic firewall traversal.
Finally, Lifesize offers accessible collaboration opportunities. Each contact of yours can be imported to the platform. Instead of searching for names on your phone, you can quickly call them to a meeting with the help of a few clicks.
What’s not impressive, however, is the participants’ capacity. We believe it should have been higher.
When doing any review there are a range of items we look at and with video conference software the same rules apply. The core review items such as:
So hopefully our reviews will help you in choosing the best Australian video conference software that best suits your needs.
Video conferencing software is a platform that helps you hold meetings virtually. This can be especially helpful when other members who wish to attend the meeting are in different places. Though Skype was one of the most popular tools for holding such meetings, recently, considering the rise in virtual meetings, more and more software has been developed with exciting features.
This totally depends on how you intend to use the software. With free software, your options would be limited. You might not get a lot of features with free software. The number of participants might be limited, and chat options might not be available either. With a paid software, however, you will get features which might help you with your meeting.
There are a few factors you should consider before buying video conferencing software. We have listed them down to make things easier for you
The first factor you should consider is the number of people who will be joining your meeting. Are you using it to teach a class? Is it going to be a small meeting? Are you using it to discuss important matters with your few colleagues? These are some questions you need to ask before buying software. Some software allows you to connect with a few participants without the need to obtain their premium memberships. Why pay a high price when you can get the work done in free? Similarly, different software has different participants’ capacity. Their price varies too. You should choose the one that suits your needs.
Some of us might be tech-savvy, but there are a lot of others who aren’t. And if you fall into the latter category, then it is essential to consider how easy the software is to use. Otherwise, instead of tending to your meetings, all of your time would be spent on learning about the software. A lot of software is relatively easy to use. You just need to download them, make an account, and you will be set. Some don’t even ask you to create an account. Generally, such software is browser-based. This factor is especially important to consider if it is you who often arranges the meetings. If you find software hard to use, you will not only be wasting your time, but other people’s time as well.
Since all of the video conferencing software runs on the internet, it is of utmost importance that you have a stable internet connection. Otherwise, you would have a problem hearing other members in the meeting and vice versa. That is why it is recommended before buying software, you know about the lowest internet speed required to run it. If you have a higher speed than what is needed, good. However, if the software requires high speed to work correctly, then you should think of upgrading your internet. If you want to ensure high-quality audio and video, then invest in high-speed internet. The higher it will be, the better some software will work.
Another essential factor for you to consider is the type of meeting you intend to hold with software. Do you need people to just listen to you? Or do you want to be sure that they interact with you as well? Some software allows you to mute your participants. This feature is perfect for those people who are delivering a lecture. After you are done, you can unmute other people one by one and resolve if they have any queries. However, if you hold meetings where you want your participants to tell you what they think of your idea, then you should look for software that has this option. For that, you need to be aware of the kind of meeting you are going to host.
The last factor for you to consider is the recording option. Sometimes, you may not make it to your virtual meeting. The reason could be anything; your internet might stop working, or the device on which you had installed the software might have a problem. For that, you need a software that can record the meeting. You might not be able to attend it, but one of your colleagues can record it and then send it to you. That is why you need to check whether the software allows you to do this or not.
