Due to the pandemic, most people are working remotely, from home. During the first few months of the COVID-19 outbreak, companies hurriedly looked to find the best online meeting platforms for their employees to use. Months later, there is still a need for the best online meeting apps and high speed broadband connection, as COVID-19 cases continue to surge and the new strain of the virus is proving to be even more contagious. In these circumstances, it is best to keep working from home. In order to work from home efficiently, you need the best online web meeting tools/software/platform/apps as well as the best broadband connection for online meetings. Here’s a list of 5 of the best online meeting platforms for work from home.
Zoom is one of the most popular online meeting platforms today. When the pandemic started there was a major increase in the number of Zoom downloads. It is compatible with Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Chrome OS, and Linux. Zoom allows up to 1000 participants to video call and chat together. The service is free for up to 40 minutes, after which users have to subscribe to a paid plan. The app is popular for work, for teaching and education, as well as for social and recreational purposes. Its features include screen sharing, plugins, browser extensions, one-on-one meetings, group video conferences, and the ability to record meetings and have them automatically transcribed. It is easy to use even if you are not the most tech savvy and is great for multiple uses.
Google Meet is a video-communication service developed by Google. During the pandemic, it became the second most popular video conferencing device after Zoom, getting 100 million users a day. It works for upto 30 participants at a time and its apps work on Android and iOS systems. The app’s features include two-way and multi-way audio calls with a resolution up to 720p, call encryption between users, and a noise cancelling audio filter. Users have the ability to chat during an audio or video call, and are also able to screen share and present presentations, documents, and spreadsheets. If you have a Google account, any scheduled meetings will appear on your Google calendar, making it easy to remember when you have meetings and sign in on time.
Skype specialises in providing video and audio calls between computers, tablets, phones, and smart watches using the internet. Founded in 2003, Skype was a popular audio and video conferencing platform long before Zoom and Google Meet were. At the end of 2010, there were over 660 million worldwide users. During the pandemic, Skype was regularly used alongside Zoom and Google Meet, averaging a 100 million users daily. Skype’s features include audio and HD video calling, call recording and live subtitles, instant messaging, the ability to call phone numbers abroad, screen sharing, and private conversations. Skype is perfect for one-to-one meetings, group meetings, socialising, education, and more.
Most Indians use internationally developed online meeting platforms, but there are plenty of online meetings apps in India as well. Say Namaste is an online meeting app developed by an Indian-based company called Inscripts. Inscripts is a software product development company specialising in real time communication. Currently, 700,000 people are using Say Namaste. It is a secure, private, and encrypted 1:1 multi-party text, voice, and video conferencing platform. It is available on both android and iOS. At one time, up to 50 users can join a video conference. Its features include screen sharing, chatting, and file sharing among all participants.
Blackboard Collaborate is the best online meeting platform for educators, students, and office workers. The tools creates a classroom environment for students’ laptops, tablets, and smartphones. On Blackboard Collaborate you can join a live web conference, communicate via audio and video, break out into rooms to participate in smaller groups, share screen, and transfer documents. The app also lets teachers’ record grades and share it with their students and conduct assessments. Currently, Blackboard Collaborate has millions of users.
Once you have decided the best online meeting platform to use, your next move is to look at the various best broadband connection for web meetings and broadband plans for video conferencing and pick one which is right for you and your work from home/business/education requirements. Before you decide which internet connection for online meetings to use, you have to consider the internet speed requirements for online meeting apps and the internet speed for video conferencing. Hathway Broadband offers a range of plans perfect for using online meeting platforms. For the best broadband plans for online business meetings and more, check out Hathway Broadband plans here:
