By Allison Howen, Associate Editor
Although the words "hot"¬ù and "cool"¬ù are opposites by definition, there are times when they can be used to describe the same thing or circumstance.
For example, a new amusement park may be a "hot" hangout spot while also being a really "cool" place to have fun and meet new people. The same concept holds true in the professional world too, as a popular technology may be a "hot commodity" due to the fact that it offers unique features that are really "cool" to use. Such is the case with the three Web conferencing solutions featured below:
Blue Jeans offers cloud-based video collaboration services that work with any video-enabled device and Internet access. The coolest aspect of Blue Jeans' Web conferencing solution, however, is that users can launch large meetings with up to 100 interactive participants. For even larger Web conferencing needs, users can leverage Blue Jeans' Primetime events service, which enables them to have up to 3,000 remote participants. This service is ideal for businesses looking to hold large training sessions, marketing events or interactive lectures, and was even leveraged by the Sundance Film Festival in 2015.
With the Primetime service, Sundance was able to broaden the audience for a documentary premier at its Festival, as well as hold an interactive video panel discussion after the premier with audience members across the country. By using the service, Sundance brought new audiences into the Festival's experience and fostered interactive discussions by inviting remote audiences into the conversation.
Join.me started out as a screen-sharing tool, but evolved into a complete Web conferencing solution that focuses on ease-of-use, enabling anyone to participate in meetings without the need to download software first. With the solution, meeting hosts can leverage features like customizable links and one-click scheduling. While customizable links enable hosts to add a branded element to the meeting, one-click scheduling makes it simple to set up meetings in advance with either the join.me Scheduler or directly within Outlook or Google Calendar. It is also important to note that join.me offers mobile apps to make it easy for participants to join meetings no matter where they are located. In fact, the solution offers Android and iOS apps (including an Apple Watch app) that participants can leverage to join conversations and view presentations. These apps are available for all three plans that join.me offers, including its free offering that allows for up to 10 meeting participants and features screen sharing, file transfer, video conferencing and whiteboarding capabilities.
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AnyMeeting offers a vast tool set that is sure to cover any needs a host may have for his or her Web conference. In fact, the solution offers functionality to support every step of a Web conference, from custom email invitations to after-meeting reports. AnyMeeting provides three plans, all of which come with their own unique tools.
The Meeting Lite plan, for example, provides unlimited meetings for up to four people, as well as chat, screen sharing and meeting notes functionality. On the other hand, Meeting Pro can host up to 30 people, enables users to record meetings and leverage in-meeting file sharing. Lastly, Webinar Pro can host up to 200 people in a meeting, offers PayPal webinar ticketing functionality, as well as custom surveys, audience polls, an attendee waiting room and integrations with both Facebook and Twitter to make it easier for hosts to promote their conference.
While these Web conferencing tools are both hot and cool in their own ways, it is important for professionals to consider their own company's unique needs before selecting a solution. When available, users should take advantage of free trials before making a final decision.