Ever wish you had the same tools that large corporations utilize for virtual meetings? Your wait has ended thanks to Zoom.Us. This startup company whose principals herald from both Webex and CISCO allow up to 15 people to use their virtual meeting tool at no charge.
I've thoroughly tested the service, and am most impressed. It even allows one to include iOS devices in your meeting! In addition, one can accomplish the normal tasks such as screen sharing, and chat. If desired, one can also watch live video of each participant. Zoom.Us does require your computer to have a microphone (uses VOIP) and an optional webcam. Here are a few screenshots from the setup process, which was very easy. (obtain an account)
Click upon any image to view at full size.
Configure Settings
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Meet Now!
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Invite Someone to an Instant Meeting!
A solution I've used a couple of times for sharing screens (including requesting mouse control) is join.me, which allows sharing with up to 250 people at a time! It does not offer any video of the presenter. It also has "internet calling" which I assume means a VOIP line to speak on, though I haven't used it. Your end users/screenshare recipients don't have to register to join a session. It also seemed to work at my company, even though most people don't have rights to install software on their work PCs. I've used it to give remote computer support to my Dad. Works like a charm!
https://join.me/
Posted by: Luke Stollings | December 27, 2012 at 10:09 AM