What are the Six best Platforms for Free Conference calls?

January 20th, 2017 by ali No comments »

Online conference calls have become a popular way of communication today. From R-HUB Turbomeeting to Paltalk, here comes a quick description of six products for free conference calls that in our opinion offer the best in terms of quality and user-friendliness.

R-HUB Turbomeeting

What I like most of R-HUB products is their technology. The adoption of an on-premise server based approach has solved many of the problems that are usually connected with web applications, like spotty internet connections and security issues.

The price to pay is that there is some hardware to install; but this is manageable, as R-HUB’s web video conferencing servers are silent, light and take little space. A big plus is that there is no need of a dedicated team for installation and maintenance, being R-HUB’s web video conferencing servers real plug and play products.

R-HUB Turbomeeting offers a wide set of tools to engage your audience, from command/ screen sharing to polling. In one word, you get a product that has all the pros of a web app without the cons. For further information, visit R-HUB web site at http://www.rhubcom.com

Skype

Probably the most popular and known conference call platform in the world, Skype is easy to use and allows clients to host groups up to 25 participants. It is endowed with a rich set of tools that assure you and your guests a great user experience.

The cons: some security issues are possible as well as the risk of bad audio quality on faulty internet connections, as Skype is web based. Like most products of its kind, Skype requires the downloading and installation of software on your pc or mobile.

GoToMeeting

This product is not completely free, as you can use all its features for a trial period of 30 days only. Purposely designed for face to face video conferencing, GoToMeeting offers a high video quality and a great easiness of use.  The price to pay is that it is necessary to download GoToMeeting conference call software; but this is a common issue of many web-based solutions.

Free Conference Calling

Free Conference Calling allows you to host up to 1000 participant conferences for free 24 hours out of 24. For this reason, it may be considered as one of the most powerful conference call software available.

Other interesting features are free recording (on other platforms you have to pay for this service) and the ability to dial into their free conference call services by mobiles or landlines, as VoIP is fully supported.

TokBox

TokBox have some features that are not usually available for free, like the ability to do webinars or create talk show formats. Other interesting features are free video and audio calls, screen sharing and messaging.

PalTalk

PalTalk strong point is its compatibility with many devices, for example iOS, Android and Amazon Kindle. Both free video conference calls and free voice calls are supported.

A special feature of PalTalk is that they have about 5000 group chat rooms where you have chance to meet people that can share the same interests.

In conclusion, never has it been so easy to find a platform that offers conference calls for free.  Consider that this list is far from being exhaustive; start to browse the web, and you will discover immediately new products. If you spend time in researches, it won’t be difficult to find the right product.

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What are the five best Video Conferencing products on the Market?

January 17th, 2017 by ali No comments »

Whoever you are – manager, small business owner or team member – there is a moment in life when you need a remote communication tool. Which is the best option among the several platforms that have become available on the market in the last few years? From on-premise servers based solutions to web apps, the choice is wide. In this article, we outline the main features of what in our opinion are the five best video conferencing products of 2016.

It is important to know exactly what you need, in order to choose the right product. While on-premise servers based solution could be great for a small business, a browser app often reveals to be a good option for occasional users.

It isn’t only a matter of costs; you should also consider some issues like security, reliability, the necessity to download software or install hardware, the frequency of utilization, and the max number of participants to your conferences.

However, it is also true that an outline of the main features of the most popular platforms could help to clear ideas. So, let’s start with the review of first product on the list.

The on-premise servers based solution: R-HUB Turbomeeting

There are several features that make the difference between R-HUB Turbomeeting servers and the web based solutions. First, they are secure and reliable. Hackers and spotty video streaming will become a distant memory soon, as R-HUB technology is not web dependent. Second, the number of participants to a chat room  can be scaled up to 3000, which is quite uncommon in web conferencing  products world; third, from mobiles to TV, almost any kind of device is supported, no matter if it runs on iOS or Android.

Coming to price, R- HUB web video conferencing servers start from $295. They are sold under a flat license that allows you to add additional participants at zero cost. Maintenance and installation are inexpensive and there is no need of a dedicated team of technicians, as R-HUB web video conferencing servers are plug and play products.  For further information, please visit R-HUB web site at http://www.rhubcom.com

A web based solution: GoToMeeting

Very popular among the web based solutions, GoToMeeting have been advertised a lot especially on TV. Its strong point is that it runs well alongside programs like Gmail and Outlook. It also ensures a clean, simple user experience.

The trial period lasts thirty days. After, you have to buy one of their packages.

The right tool for webinars: OnStreamMedia

Webinars that are managed through this platform can host up to 300 participants, and a great user experience is ensured by its many tools to engage the audience. Unfortunately, this software comes out without the usual tiered pricing benefits that other platforms offer.

Thought for small businesses: WebEx

Among WebEx’s most interesting features, there are conference recording, application sharing and the benefit of tiered pricing that makes this product a good idea for a small business.

No software to download: Zoho Meeting

If you are looking for a 100% browser based solution, this product is what you need. Very easy to use, Zoho Meeting is great for those who are seeking for a two people conference web app for free. Over this number of participants, you have to pay.

Have you cleaned your ideas? If not, start to browse the web. This list is not exhaustive, as web conferencing platforms have been mushrooming in the last few years. And please feel free to signal us any software that in your opinion deserves a mention.

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How to get rid of Skype for Business and still have great Video Conferences?

January 15th, 2017 by ali No comments »

Skype for Business is not the only possible option on the market for your video conferences. There are many new products that ensure an overall better experience than the popular platform. Let’s have a glance at some of the most popular video conferencing tools.

There is a moment in life when we need to change our habits, maybe just for curiosity. If you start to feel annoyed when the icon of Skype for Business pops up, it is time to consider a new solution for your video conferencing needs. Luckily, the alternatives are many. Here come some good suggestions:

 

R-HUB Turbomeeting

R-HUB web video conferencing servers support conferences up to 3000 participants (it depends on the model) per meeting room, full screen HD, different display formats and resize,  telepresence, tablets and mobiles. The endowment of tools to engage guests is rich and includes instruments like polling, screen sharing, control sharing, conference recording.

R-HUB offers a period of 30 days of free trial. For further details, please visit R-HUB web site at http://www.rhubcom.com

 

Google Hangouts

This tool allows you to chat over text, video or VoIP calls at a very affordable price.  Group video chats up to 10 participants are free, and it is possible to broadcast the conference on air.

The strong point of the product is that you do not need to download any software on your pc, as you gain access to Hangouts via your Google Plus or Gmail account.

 

VSee

Totally free, VSee offers you unlimited group video calls for free. It consumes half bandwidth than Skype for Business and have file sharing and HD video calling as one of its main features. The free plan allows you one screen share per day.

 

Uber Conference

It is probably the most used video conferencing software. The free plan offers unlimited conferences with up to 10 participants, the possibility to record and lock the conference for security reason, and HD quality audio.

 

GoToMeeting

The free trial lasts 30 days, then it is necessary to continue with the paid plan. Its prominent features are the tools to engage the audience, like screen and control sharing. GoToMeeting supports up-to 25 members video conferences in HD, and Android, iOS, Mac, Windows devices.

 

Webex

It has been expressly designed for holding online meetings. The paid plan offers users conferences up-to 8 participants and features like screen, apps and file sharing, online whiteboards, the possibility to highlight documents. Noticeable the Call Me feature that places a call on your mobile at the time of the meeting.

As you see, there are several tools on the market that are able to assure you a great video conferencing experience at affordable prices. Replacing Skype for Business is a piece of cake today; simply browse through the available products and pick up the one that fits your needs.

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What is the best Video Conferencing Software for Large Meetings?

January 12th, 2017 by ali No comments »

Free video conferencing programs like Skype for Business work well for one-on-one talks, but they cannot support large meetings very well. It is inevitable to move to other platforms, if you are looking for something more powerful. So, what is the best solution for small businesses?  To answer this question, in this article we compare the features and prices of four top video conferencing products,  Join.Me, GoToMeeting, R-HUB web video conferencing servers and Zoom.

Choosing the video conferencing product that suits best to the company needs is not so easy and immediate.  The best approach is comparing the features of the best available tools, so that we can have an idea of their pros and cons in a glance. In the comparison, we have taken into consideration four criteria that are supposed to ensure the best in terms of user experience both for hosts and participants.

  • Is it possible to join the conference without annoying software downloading?
  • Dos the product offer a rich set of in-call tools to host an engaging meeting?
  • Is the video quality good?
  • Is the level of security high?

How these four product perform in relation to each of these criteria? Here come the results of our studies:

R-HUB Turbomeeting

Software downloading:  the pros: there is no software to download on the devices of the attendees. The cons: it is necessary that the host owns a R-HUB server.

In-call tools:  R-HUB’s suite offers all the necessary  tools to make any video conference engaging, like document sharing , pools, raising hand buttons, screen sharing.

Video quality: R-HUB web video conferencing servers offer fast screen speed and high video quality. Being R-HUB products not web based, they are reliable and independent from users’ connections as well.

Security:  R-HUB web video conferencing servers offer the best in terms of security, being an on-premise server based technology.

Price: R-HUB turbo meeting web video conferencing servers start from 295$.

Join.Me

Software downloading: not strictly necessary, as participants may also join through their browsers.

In-call tools: the set of tools is not complete. For example, it is not allowed to mute individual participants.

Call-quality: it is considered good by users.

Security: not very secure. If you opt for the access through the web browser, there are the usual risks of being hacked that are implied in this solution.

Price: 240$ per year

GoToMeeting

Software downloading: not necessary, as participants may join through their browsers.

In-call tools: there are some limitations and restrictions. For example, on-screen annotations are available only for Windows users, and mouse sharing is possible only for those who install a GoToMeeting app.

Call-quality: it is considered good by users.

Security:  risks of being hacked if you opt for the access through web-browser.

Price: 468 $ per year

Zoom

Software downloading: unfortunately, participants must install Zoom app.

In-call tools: there are some limitations. For example, mouse/keyboard control sharing is allowed only to users that have installed Zoom and are using a pc, Mac or iPad.

Call-quality: it is considered the best by many users.

Security: high, as it is no access through web-browsers.

Price: 240$ per year.

In conclusion, there is not  something like the best product. Much depends on your needs. While R-HUB web video conferencing servers can be particularly suitable for firms with high concerns of security and video quality, products that rely on the web can be a good solution for those who do not want any hardware on the way, no matter how small and silent it is.

If you are interested in web conferencing, you are going to find more materials and posts on R-HUB web site at http://www.rhubcom.com

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6 Top-quality Video Conferencing tools for small groups you can get for free

December 12th, 2016 by ali No comments »

Video conferencing is free for small groups on some popular platforms like Skype and Google Hangouts.  But is their quality as good as in one-on-one meetings? Yes, if you are able to choose the right tool for your goals. In order to help you, we have made a list of 6 web conferencing products listing their pros and cons.

Organizing video conferences for groups is much more challenging than hosting 2 people chat. So, a good video conferencing program comes out helpful in these cases. Here is a list of 5 top-quality video conferencing tools we selected for you.

 

1 R-HUB TURBOMEETING

Pros: being able to host up to 3000 participants per conference room in HD screen, R-HUB servers are among the most powerful  web conferencing tools available on the market today.

Cons: it is necessary to buy a R-HUB HD video conferencing server, as this is an on-premise server based solution.

 

2 SKYPE

Pros: The design of the interface is very easy to learn and use and the quality of the video call that your system is able to support is automatically checked.

Cons:  Video is not available on Linux, mobiles, and TVs: you have to fall back on audio in these cases. There is a time limit, 100 hours per month only.

 

3 GOOGLE HANGOUTS

Pros: Being totally web-based, there is nothing  to download and install. Just login in into your Google account and browse to the page hangouts.google.com. The user interface is smart and very intuitive.  Full support for Linux, Android and iOS, which makes it possible to host a video conference on a tablet and play games.

Cons: It is necessary to have a Google account and install the Hangout plugin on Safari, Explorer and Firefox.

 

4 OOVOO

Pros: The max participant number limit goes up from the usual 10 people to 12. Available on tablets, as it supports Amazon Fire, Android and iOS (but not Linux).

Cons: The red tape. You need a Facebook account to use the application in addition to your Oovoo account. So, getting logged in is a bit long and complicated. Plus, you have to install the software.

 

5 ANYMEETING

Pros: There are many tools that enrich the user experience, as slide sharing, polls and the possibility to take notes that can be further emailed to the participants of the meeting.

Cons: Limited range of supported devices (it is only available for Windows, iOS, Mac, Android).  The limit of participants is set on 6, too few in comparisons with the generosity of the other platforms.

 

6 GOTOMEETING

Pros:  A powerful chat platform with many interesting and useful features, like video conference recording, screen sharing, commenting options.

Cons: It is strictly limited to 6 participants only. This limit drops down to only 3 people per conference in the free version.

If you are interested in R-HUB Turbomeeting, you can have a 30 days free trial period. For more information, visit their web site at http://www.rhubcom.com

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