![]() ![]() Features include a presence interface, an IM tool, the ability to transfer control of presentations to participants, and support for custom polls and Q&A sessions. Customers can sign up for stand-alone Skype for Business plans that start at $2 per user per month, or choose an Office 365 plan that includes Skype.Īll plans offer group HD video and audio calling for up to 250 participants. Skype for Business is available for Windows and Macintosh computers, iOS and Windows tablets and smartphones, and Android and BlackBerry devices. An enterprise version, Skype for Business, is now part of the Microsoft product line (replacing Microsoft Office Communicator and Microsoft Lync). Microsoft purchased Skype in 2011, and a free version still exists for personal Skype-to-Skype calls. The Skype service has been around since 2003, originally created as a way for people to video-chat with friends and family. Participants can use an app to join a conference or get access via a LogMeIn account using PCs, Android devices, Macs, iPads, iPhones or Apple Watches. Paid plans let you record meetings, use annotation tools, lock meetings and use a custom URL they also include cloud storage, among many other features. Paid plans include Pro, for meetings with up to 50 participants, and the Enterprise plan, for meetings with up to 250 participants. The free plan lets you hold conference calls with screen-sharing, whiteboarding and videoconferencing over VoIP with up to 10 participants. LogMeIn’s service is easy to use and includes lots of options. The company’s Unified Meeting 5 service facilitates screen- and presentation-sharing, and lets participants join breakout sessions. Host controls include line muting and attendee disconnection, as well as the capability to dial out from a meeting and prevent new callers from dialing in (for security). All plans have dedicated dial-in numbers, a toll-free number, mobile apps, and 24/7 operator support. InterCall offers monthly plans geared for small businesses that typically have meetings with 10 and 25 attendees, as well as a pay-as-you-go plan for conference calls with up to 125 attendees. Citrix offers a free plan for meetings with up to three participants and sells monthly or annual subscriptions for plans that accommodate up to 10, 50 and 100 participants. It also lets users log in using their Windows usernames and passwords (through a feature called Enterprise Sign-In), which is a boon to IT administrators. Although it doesn’t have as many bells and whistles as some of its competitors, GoToMeeting is reliable, moderately priced and supports various mobile devices. It includes a chat tool that lets the host communicate with individual participants. ![]() GoToMeeting is a conferencing service owned by Citrix that supports Web-based audio meetings and high-definition videoconferencing. Here’s a look at eight conference call services, some of which offer certain options free of charge:, ,, Skype for Business, GoToMeeting, UberConference, InterCall and WebEx. Some services also offer personalized greetings to participants who dial in, customized hold music, operator assistance and a participant “dial-out” feature, where the service calls participants to bring them into the meeting (also referred to as “call me” functionality). ![]() Standard features typically include audio recording capability, support for screen-sharing, automated transcripts (created by converting digital recordings into text), Web interfaces with hosting tools for managing calls and keeping track of participants, and 24/7 availability. The good news is that the leading conference call services are full of features that take the sting out of group calls and online meetings. The capability to browse a post-meeting transcript or zoom through an audio recording would be big bonuses, especially for fastidious note-takers who don’t always catch everything in real time. ![]() Because we spend so much time in meetings, we want conference-calling systems that that launch quickly and work flawlessly so we can get the information we need and move on to other pressing matters. Conference calls are a big part of work life today - sometimes too big. ![]()
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