Zoom, Google Meet, Skype and many more video conferencing apps and companies

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NOTE: I checked the links on 3/31/2020 during the coronavirus / Covid-19 pandemic. They all work! 🙂

Cloud-based video conferencing is a great way for small to medium sized businesses to get involved with multi-point video conferencing.

These businesses do not need to purchase expensive infrastructure components, nor do they need the support personnel needed to run that infrastructure.  Simply sign up for a relatively inexpensive cloud-based service and meet with your clients, colleagues, friends, and family.  The quality is great and the services are on 24 x 7.

Use this blog post as your jumping point to the world of cloud-based video conferencing.

This is a living breathing blog post that will grow over time, so check back often!

Last Update: 10/13/2016, 1/24/2019, 3/31/2020, 4/17/2020 4/29/2020, 5/14/2020

Google Meet

Google Meet is, now, FREE to everyone.

Bringing Zoom like capabilities to the Google family of video chat, video conferencing, apps, Google Meet can be used by schools and businesses to gather up to 16 participants per window and up to 100 to 250 participants total.

Until the end of Sept 2020 you can use Meet for any length meeting, after that they will limit meetings to 1 hour.

This was formally Google Hangouts.

I played with it a bit and it worked well enough, but, I had a hard time getting the remote participants video to display on my Pixel 3 XL. You have to download the app before starting.

I will play with it more as time goes by.

Google Duo

As of March 2020, Google Duo now supports up to 8 people by video and 4 people by audio, for a total of 12. It’s free and works well. 🙂 On Android the texting app now has an icon to Duo your contacts. Since my contacts use iPhones, I have no one to call. 🙂

Skype

Skype works well and has multipoint video. I will catch up on Skype and add a bit more info here. I have evaluated Skype in this blog, but, it’s been years. 🙂

Skype just introduced “Meet Now” call-in to a video conference feature yesterday. If that sounds familiar….I designed the first Ad-Hoc IP-based call-in service for video calls in like….the late 1990’s. I can send you a copy of my seminal paper, if you wish to be bored. 🙂

Blue Jeans Network

Google Chat, Skype, H.323, Telephone call-in, Web RTC browser, Microsoft LYNC,  SIP is in Beta.  Schedule a meeting or an instant meeting to fire up the virtual room.  People call in or the system can call them.  Full administration to add, drop, mute, etc.

EasyMeeting

This snippet is from their web site: “The easyConference3 or 6 is a cloud service that enables several video conferencing systems to connect in the same meeting. This is a service where you can seamlessly collaborate with any videoconferencing system, and Win/Mac, iPhone/iPad. To join, you only need to dial the EasyNumber and meet “

Visionable

“IOCOM, now Visionable, is advanced collaboration made easy. It is different from other video conferencing platforms that rely on SIP, H.323 or WebRTC and similar peer-to-peer communication methods. IOCOM’s core technology is covered by 29 issued patents, with additional patents pending. This unique solution means IOCOM can provide unprecedented scalability, control and features beyond other common products. Every participant in an IOCOM meeting can be a simultaneous, active participant, with unlimited video and data sharing.”

LifeSize Connections

Completely ad hoc and guaranteed availability e.g. reservation-less
Virtual WaterCooler call in is supported, up to 12 hour call duration on multiparty, unlimited on one to one calls.
Adminstration:  All call participants have the ability to add/drop participants, share content etc. Connections is chair-person-less.

Liveconf

H.323, SIP, Skype, and Audisoft Frontline Communicator  connectivity.  Supports Android and iOS mobile devices as well as “kits” available for Windows and Mac computers.  Up to 10 participants in a meeting, can share presentations, etc.

MyEasyConnection (G2J)

This is from the G2J web site:

Using G2J’s virtual rooms, you can connect all these people to the same meeting:

Ubiety

With full interoperability with PC/Mac/iOS/Android, web browsers via native WebRTC with no downloads, traditional video conference units like Cisco/Polycom. Also Microsoft Lync, Cisco Jabber, Skype and phone participants. Utilizing customers existing conferencing/desktop/mobile hardware and software investments

VideoCentric VideoCloud 365

“Launching in February 2015, VideoCloud 365 enables seamless interoperability between any professional video conferencing endpoint, such as any standards-based video system, Microsoft® Lync®, desktop software clients, mobile applications, Web browsers, WebRTC, Skype™, and even Office 365™ users. “

VidyoWay

From the Vidyo web site:  “Enables seamless inter-connectivity of Cisco, Polycom, Lifesize, and other legacy H.323 and SIP-based endpoints, supports Microsoft Lync and voice only devices, provides free mobile client for users without access to legacy VC or MS Lync”

WebEx

Downloaded app on your browser, presentations / desktop sharing, video conferencing (3 for free).  Mobile apps available.

Zoom

Zoom, the cloud meeting company, unifies cloud video conferencing, simple online meetings, and group messaging into one easy-to-use platform. Our solution offers the best video, audio, and screen-sharing experience across ZoomPresence, Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and H.323/SIP room systems.

 

More to come soon….help me build this list. 

Comment below! 

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11 comments

  • Jeff Urdan
    August 17, 2012 3:20 pm

    VeaMea (http://www.veamea.com), rated 4 watertowers by none other than Mike Pihlman ! (And he hasn’t seen our latest version). Up to HD video collaboration from standard PCs, laptops and tablets. AES 256 encryption, presence, chat, whiteboard, testing/polling, IT Management controls, user profiles, domains, interoperability with SIP and H.323, and the list goes on…

    Like

  • Mike Pihlman
    August 18, 2012 9:38 am

    Hi Jeff….thanks, I will add this to the list! Then try the latest version….since I make no money with the blog, my work on it has to take a backseat sometimes. 🙂

    A few questions: In the Cloud…Do you support? Google Chat? Skype? H.323 EP’s? SIP EP’s? MS LYNC? Web RTC? Do I need to schedule a meeting then people call in? Can I set up a “virtual watercooler” meeting space that is available 24 x 7? Do you have administration features that allow a moderator / leader to add, drop, mute, etc participants?

    Like

  • Jeff Urdan
    August 19, 2012 4:43 pm

    Hi Mike –

    In response to your questions…
    * VeaMea supports H.323 and SIP endpoints (we dial out to them only, they cannot dial in today – this is on the roadmap for 2013)
    * Google Chat support – not yet
    * MS Lync support – not yet
    * Web RTC support – we demoed it in the lab, but do not yet have a production version
    * You can schedule a meeting or do it ad hoc (we have a presence list that allows you to click and call)
    * We do not currently have a “virtual watercooler,” but since our system is presence driven, any user can send a chat message or initiate a video call to any other user at any time. You don’t have to “go” anywhere, it is right on your desktop
    * We have a full IT administration backend which allows set up of user groups, roles, levels of privileges, profiles, features available to users, etc. Within a vcall/meeting, the person who initiated the call can add or drop participants. Anyone on the call can raise or lower mic and speaker volumes for other participants.
    * iOS and Android clients are in alpha and XMPP gateway is a 2013 roadmap item

    Regards,

    Jeff

    Like

  • Mike Pihlman
    August 20, 2012 9:22 am

    Thanks! 🙂

    Like

  • Philipp Pavelka
    August 28, 2012 4:02 am

    Hi Mike,

    I think if you mention WebEx you also should not forget about GoToMeeting. I would say they are in the same league. Although GTM doesn’t do HD IMHO.
    Another big player would be Adobe Connect and a plethora of “smaller” products like ooVoo, Saba Meeting, etc.

    I’ve just registered for a trial of IOCOM Visimeet and so far I like what I see.
    The video quality is really good (up to FullHD) and the desktop sharing feature offers high motion support which I miss from other competitors (maybe someone knows some).
    The GUI needs getting used to.

    Vismeet also offers H.323/SIP connectivity. But I couldn’t test it yet.
    Apparently IOCOM is collaborating with Vidtel to interoperate with Skype and Google Talk.
    More features:
    http://www.iocom.com/pricing/

    Then there would be also SeeVogh from the guys at Caltech. You mentioned it before in the blog.

    Regards,
    Philipp

    Like

  • Mike Pihlman
    August 28, 2012 10:27 am

    Philipp:

    Thanks! I will add GoToMeeting (HD is not a requirement….as you can tell from reading my blogs :-), IOCOM Visimeet, and SeeVogh (and I will try to contact Philippe for old times sakes….). :-))

    ooVoo was one of my favorites when it first came out, I never liked Adobe Connect (oh, sorry…), I will look at Saba…I suppose you are right, these are technically “cloud-based” videoconferencing services and have been around (at least ooVoo and Adobe) for quite awhile….

    I just need time….:-)

    Thanks again!

    Mike

    Like

  • Montandon Francois
    September 23, 2012 2:25 pm

    Another cloud videoconferencing http://www.liveconf.net. Vidyo based but works with Skype, H323 and other stuff. Have a try. Looks not bad. Take a look.

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  • Mike Pihlman
    September 23, 2012 6:35 pm

    Thanks I will add it tomorrow, unless I forget. 🙂

    Like

  • Aliasgar Babat
    January 7, 2013 3:58 am

    Hey, in addition to cloud based video conferencing such as bluejeans, easymeeting etc. one can even deploy on premise web-video conferencing appliance such as RHUB appliances in order to conduct webinars, web conferences, online meetings etc.

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  • Mike Pihlman
    January 7, 2013 4:48 pm

    Good point! Thanks for commenting…

    Like

  • Mark@Mivnet Connect
    January 21, 2015 12:02 pm

    MIVNETConnect.com offers a pretty cool solution and a marketplace. If you have not visited lately, try a free meeting guest account.

    Like