As a component of the AgentKit, OpenAI has introduced the Agent Builder, which gives developers the means to create agentic processes, enhance performance, and create agents using a visual-first canvas.
In a blog post announcing the capability, OpenAI stated that up until now, creating agents required balancing disparate tools, including intricate orchestration without versioning, unique connectors, manual evaluation pipelines, timely tweaking, and weeks of frontend work prior to launch. Developers can now more quickly integrate agentic UIs using new building pieces and graphically design workflows with AgentKit.
Features of OpenAI’s Agent Builder
The drag-and-drop functionality of the Agent Builder allows developers to design multi-agent workflows. It makes it simple for teams to test agents, see how they operate, and make adjustments. ChatKit makes it simple for developers to incorporate chat-based agents into websites or applications for conversation experiences.
These can be applied to knowledge assistants, research, onboarding, and customer service. In order to create agents on the visual canvas and integrate them into their applications using the Agents SDK for Node.js or Python, advanced users can also select Agent Builder. Reinforcement fine-tuning (RFT), which enables programmers to teach models to follow specific rules and make better decisions, is being expanded by OpenAI.
Some models already have the feature, while GPT-5 is presently under beta testing. The new function incorporates pertinent context, such as file and online searches, using the most recent AI models. In order to pull in both internal and external context, it may also link to well-known corporate programmes and MCP servers.
OpenAI’s Connector Registry
Additionally, OpenAI unveiled the Connector Registry, which aids businesses in managing data across various workspaces and applications, such as Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft Teams, and SharePoint. Guardrails, a security layer that stops agents from disclosing private information or performing dangerous actions, was developed by OpenAI to keep agents safe.
Guardrails to identify jailbreaks, implement personalised security measures in the Canvas, conceal personally identifiable information, and more are integrated into the Agent Builder. All developers have access to the Evals capabilities, and Agent Builder is presently under beta testing. Standard API pricing includes the new tool.
Quick
Shots
•Part of AgentKit, Agent Builder enables developers
to create AI agents using a visual-first canvas.
•Drag-and-drop interface allows multi-agent workflow
design, testing, and adjustments without complex orchestration.
•Easily add chat-based agents for knowledge
assistants, customer service, research, and onboarding.
•Supports Agent SDK for Node.js/Python and
Reinforcement Fine-Tuning (RFT) for better decision-making.
•Agents can access internal and external data,
including files, online searches, and corporate systems.
•Manages data across Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft
Teams, SharePoint, and more.
Many people invest a significant amount of time and effort in transcription, as it is a common practice for journalists and web content curators to convert spoken words into written text. Gone are the days when journalists used to take notes with pen and paper during events, conferences, and interviews for later use in reports.
Nowadays, most media professionals prefer to record conversations and transcribe them afterwards, thanks to the widespread use of mobile devices. However, transcription can be a laborious task, as the transcriber needs to listen to the audio repeatedly to ensure the accuracy of every word and sentence.
The emergence of artificial intelligence capable of performing this previously tedious task adds an exciting new dimension to an already dynamic profession. Here are the top 8 AI programs that can accurately transcribe your work.
In addition to providing real-time transcribing services, Otter also provides automatic meeting notes. Instead of automatically connecting to Microsoft Teams, highly priced, and Google Meet, the software can also generate meeting recaps.
Apart from being a lifeline for journalists and online content creators, it might be useful for students to take notes during both online and in-person classes. It was founded by Sam Liang and Yun Fu.
Pros
Provides free tests for a basic experience.
Easily transcribes audio from both recorded files and real-time meetings.
Playable on desktop computers, tablets, and smartphones.
Cons
Comparatively, it is highly priced to its similar sites.
Efficiency decreases with background voice.
Pricing
Plan
Pricing
Basic
Free
Pro
$8/month
Business
$20/month
Enterprise
Custom
Trint
Tool Name
Trint
Founded
2014
Website
www.trint.com
Trint – Top AI Transcription Tools
Users can convert audio files to text using Trint, an online transcription service. Provides a one-stop shop for the discovery, creation, and sharing of media. Clients can export the highlighted sections and realign the timecodes to match the source recording.
Users can import video and audio clips, and the app will transcribe them using AI. It was founded by Jeff Kofman.
Pros
The transcribing rate is satisfactory.
Easily supports multiple types of files.
Cons
Once used, files can not be deleted or removed.
The precision of automatic transcription poses a challenge.
The Rev AI product line includes a speech-to-text technology that can transcribe spoken words into text. Building on the foundation of Temi, another Rev product, this service enhances transcription by allowing for the transcription of both live and recorded audio and video.
Rev AI can analyze audio and video recordings to determine the language that is most commonly spoken and extract important subjects from text but it can only do so in English. It was founded by Dan Kokotov.
Pros
Available in a total of 36 languages.
Provides support for a maximum of eight independent speaker channels.
Profanity filtering capability.
Cons
The system tends to make errors when the speaker has a heavy accent.
No free trial option is available.
Pricing
Rev AI’s machine translation services cost $0.002 per minute and are priced on an as-you-go basis.
Sonix
Tool Name
Sonix
Founded
2017
Website
www.sonix.ai
Sonix – Top AI Transcription Tools
Users of Sonix, an audio transcription program, can create information and have it translated into over 38 different languages. Users can search, edit, and share transcripts with others using the in-browser editor.
To ensure that visual content is accessible to all audiences, the platform also generates automatic subtitles. It was founded by Jamie Sutherland.
Pros
It can easily identify speakers and divide conversations into paragraphs.
Transcripts can be exported in a variety of formats, such as PDF, Microsoft Word, and Text.
Cons
Premium collaboration plans are pricey.
No free trial plan is available.
Pricing
Plan
Pricing
Standard
$10/hour
Premium
$22/hour
Enterprise
Custom
Fireflies
Tool Name
Fireflies.AI
Founded
2016
Website
www.fireflies.ai
Fireflies.AI – Top AI Transcription Tools
Fireflies’ main focus is transcribing meetings that take place in various online video conferencing platforms, such as Zoom and Google Meet.
However, users also have the option to upload pre-recorded content and have it translated into the language of their choice. It was founded by Krish Ramineni and Sam Udotong.
Pros
The software can transcribe text in 60-plus languages.
A free forever plan is available.
Cons
Fireflies’ per-seat pricing model can be prohibitive for teams with a lot of members.
The Enterprise edition offers training bespoke models to improve accuracy, but it comes at a higher price.
Beey is an intuitive platform that specializes in language translation, subtitling, online meeting transcription, interview transcription, and podcast transcription.
If the user’s content has subtitles, the platform can read them and translate them into other languages automatically. It was founded by Newton Technologies.
Pros
They provide an API that can be used to incorporate it into your projects.
It can translate text into 20 different languages.
Cons
The prices are slightly high for individuals and small teams.
Pricing
Plan
Pricing
Start
$0
Plus
$28/month
Business
$50/month
Enterprise
Custom
MeetGeek
Tool Name
MeetGeek
Founded
2021
Website
www.meetgeek.ai
MeetGeek – Top AI Transcription Tools
To let users concentrate on having meaningful conversations during meetings, MeetGeek automates a lot of tasks. For example, it can automatically take notes during live meetings, transcribe them, and then summarise them.
It may also organize the transcribed content according to topics so that the user can simply follow along. It was founded by Dan Huru.
Pros
Able to record meeting highlights and distribute them to attendees effectively.
In both live and recorded meetings, it can pick out particular keywords.
Cons
You can only get five hours of transcribing in the free version each month.
The accuracy of output is a bit of a challenge.
Pricing
Plan
Pricing
Basic
$0
Pro
$15 Per User Per Month
Business
$29 Per User Per Month
Enterprise
$59 Per User Per Month
Scribie
Tool Name
Scribie
Founded
2008
Website
www.scribie.com
Scribie – Top AI Transcription Tools
For more precise transcripts, Scribie provides a four-step transcribing service. At the outset, it conducts content analysis using AI and automatically generates text from speech.
The accuracy of the outputs is subsequently checked by human reviewers. Before being put through a quality check, the transcripts are proofread one more time. Scribie uses both automated and human reviewers, to put it another way. It was founded by Rajiv Poddar.
Pros
The transcripts are backed by human verification.
It is possible to decipher audio and video files that contain background noise or distorted audio.
Cons
Fees per minute could add up quickly when dealing with lengthy films.
Compared to competing products, it’s a little sluggish.
Pricing
Plan
Pricing
Basic
$0.80/minute
Conclusion
Even though all of these tools make it easier for people to finish laborious transcription tasks, the output of these tools still requires human participation to construct the final script for the project. The area of quality has a significant amount of room for development and improvement.
In addition, the subscription models that are provided by several players are somewhat pricey, particularly for students, because of the limited access to funds that students have. Therefore, these factors must be solved as quickly as possible if artificial intelligence-driven transcribing is to become a tool that humans can rely on.
FAQs
How accurate is AI transcription?
AI transcription accuracy depends on multiple factors including the audio quality, transcription engine used, presence of any background or overvoice etc. However, the accuracy can range between 80% to 98% depending on the good factors.
Is Otter AI safe?
Yes, Otter AI is considered to be safe based on its security encryption and data protection methods.
Is Sonix free?
No, Sonix is not a free platform but it does offer free services to its all-new accounts for the start 30 minutes as a trial version.
In today’s fast-paced business world, keeping in touch with colleagues and clients is more important than ever. With more and more companies turning to remote work, video conferencing has become a vital tool for staying connected. According to a recent study by Grand View Research, the global video conferencing market is expected to reach $19.73 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 12.5% during the forecast period (2022–2030).
Video conferencing is the future of business communication. With the ability to connect with team members, clients, and partners from anywhere in the world, it has become an essential tool for companies of all sizes. Studies have shown that video conferencing leads to increased productivity, improved collaboration, and reduced travel costs.
This means that now is the perfect time for businesses to invest in good video conferencing software. With the right software, you can take your business to new heights of success.
Video conferencing software is an advanced technology that allows users to conduct real-time, online meetings, presentations, and video calls with one or more people via the Internet. This innovative tool has revolutionized the way businesses and organizations conduct meetings and presentations. It enables users to connect with others from anywhere in the world, regardless of their physical location, and share ideas and information in real time.
Video conferencing software provides a wide range of features and capabilities, such as screen sharing, document collaboration, and recording. These features allow users to share presentations, documents, and other multimedia content with their colleagues and clients. This makes it easier to collaborate and get things done.
One of the major benefits of video conferencing software is that they save time and money by eliminating the need for travel. Businesses and organizations can conduct virtual meetings and presentations, which can save thousands of dollars in travel expenses. This also allows employees to be more productive and efficient, as they can participate in meetings and training sessions from the comfort of their own homes or offices.
List of Best Video Conferencing Software
The following are the best video conferencing software for individuals and businesses in 2024:
Google Meet
Video Conferencing Software
Google Meet
Rating
4.5
Best For
User-friendly video conferencing
Website
meet.google.com
Google Meet – Best Video Conferencing Platform
Google Meet is a video conferencing tool developed by Google LLC. It allows users to conduct virtual meetings, webinars, and video chats with remote teams, clients, and partners. One can use this tool free of cost for up to 100 participants and a 60-minute meeting duration. It is highly secure and compliant with industry-standard security protocols. It is suitable for use by companies of all sizes and across all industries, whether they are small businesses or large enterprises.
One of the key features that set Google Meet apart from other video conferencing tools is its integration with the rest of Google’s suite of productivity tools, such as Gmail and Google Calendar. This makes it easy for users to schedule, join, and manage meetings directly from their inbox or calendar.
Features Offered by Google Meet:
Participants can share their screens with others during the meeting, making it easy to collaborate on documents and presentations.
It can be easily scheduled, joined, and managed directly from Gmail and Google Calendar.
Meetings can be recorded and saved to Google Drive for later viewing.
Up to 500 participants can join the meeting at a time when you opt for a paid plan.
Noise cancellation feature that reduces unwanted disturbing background noise.
Automatic captions are generated during the meeting, making it easy for people with hearing impairments.
Hosts get full control over who can enter the meeting.
Pros:
It can be used via mobile app or web browser on any device
Highly secured
Live caption
Easy to use
Screen sharing and recording
Comprehensive help articles
Also available for free
Cons:
Difficult to get live customer support
Pricing Plans of Google Meet:
Pricing details of each pricing plan of Google Meet are given below:
Plan
Pricing
Free
Free
Business starter
$6/user/month
Business Standard
$12/user/month
Business Plus
$18/user/month
Enterprise
Contact Sales
Note: It’s a Google workspace Pricing which also includes other products of Google at the same price.
Zoom
Video Conferencing Software
Zoom
Rating
4.5
Best For
Feature-Rich and High-Quality Virtual Meetings
Website
zoom.us
Zoom – Best Video Conferencing Platform
Zoom is a video conferencing platform by Zoom Video Communications, Inc. founded by Eric Yuan in 2011. Zoom has quickly grown in popularity since its launch and is now used by millions of people around the world, including businesses, schools, and government organizations. With its user-friendly interface and robust feature set, Zoom is quickly becoming the go-to choice for virtual meetings and collaborations.
It can host large meetings with up to 1000 participants. This makes it ideal for hosting webinars, conferences, and other events where a large number of people need to be connected at once. Another aspect that makes Zoom stand out is its ability to work seamlessly across devices, including desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. This makes it easy for people to join meetings from anywhere and on any device.
Features Offered by Zoom:
It provides the ability to create and customize virtual avatars to use at the meeting.
Several meeting templates are available that are fully customizable based on the type of meeting you’re conducting.
Threaded messages and reactions allow participants to chat in a threaded form and reply to comments, and also react to replies with emojis.
Leverage the Q&A feature to engage the participants throughout the meeting session.
It allows for meetings with up to 1000 participants, making it ideal for hosting webinars, conferences, and other large-scale events.
Users can share their screens with others during meetings which makes it easy to present documents, slides, and other materials.
Meetings can be recorded and saved for later playback, which is useful for training and review purposes.
It allows users to change their backgrounds during meetings, which is useful for hiding messy rooms or for adding fun backgrounds for meetings.
Pros:
Huge learning resources
Interactive dashboard
Accessible on any device
A free plan is available
App Marketplace with more than 2300 app integration
Virtual background
Excellent support with useful articles
Cons:
Limited features when you join via browser
Pricing Plans of Zoom:
Pricing details of each pricing plan of Zoom are given below:
Integrated video conferencing for collaborative teams
Website
microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/
Microsoft Teams – Best Video Conferencing Platform
Microsoft Teams is a collaboration and communication platform developed by Microsoft Corporation. It is designed to bring teams together in one place, allowing for seamless communication and collaboration on projects and tasks. It is available on various devices, including desktop and mobile, making it easy for teams to stay connected and productive while working remotely.
One of the key features that set Microsoft Teams apart from other similar tools is its integration with other Microsoft products such as Office 365. This allows users to easily access and share documents, schedule meetings, and collaborate on projects without leaving the Teams platform.
Features Offered by Microsoft Teams:
It offers a free plan in which up to 100 participants can join the group meeting for 60 minutes.
Features like guest access allow teams to collaborate easily with external partners, vendors, and clients.
You can create custom tabs, channels, and bots to streamline your workflow and improve collaboration.
It supports screen sharing and recording, making it easy to collaborate on projects and documents.
Built-in HD video and audio conferencing capabilities, allowing teams to hold virtual meetings and discussions.
Users can also share files, images, and videos within the chat.
A feature called Together mode uses AI to place participants in a shared virtual space, such as a conference room, making it feel more like an in-person meeting.
Provides breakout rooms that help the organizer of the meeting to divide attendees into smaller groups for more focused discussion.
Pros:
Single sign-on
30-day free trial on a paid plan
The free plan is available
User-friendly interface
Accessible on any device
integration with Microsoft products such as Office 365 and SharePoint
Learning resources are available
Cons:
Limited integration with non-Microsoft products
Difficult to get direct support
Pricing Plans of Microsoft Teams:
Pricing details of each pricing plan of Microsoft Teams are given below:
Plan for Home
Pricing
Microsoft Teams (free)
Free
Microsoft 365 Personal
$6.99/ month
Microsoft 365 Family
$9.99/ month
Plan for Business
Pricing
Microsoft Teams (free)
Free
Microsoft Teams Essentials
$4.00/user/month
Microsoft 365 Business Basic
$6.00/user/month
Microsoft 365 Business Standard
$12.50/user/month
Zoho Meeting
Video Conferencing Software
Zoho Meeting
Rating
4.5
Best For
Growing Teams and Webinars
Website
zoho.com/meeting
Zoho Meeting – Best Video Conferencing Platform
Zoho Meeting is a powerful and versatile web conferencing tool that allows businesses to easily conduct online meetings and collaborate with team members. It is developed by Zoho Corporation, a global software company that offers a wide range of products and services to help businesses of all sizes to streamline their operations and increase productivity.
It has the ability to integrate seamlessly with other Zoho products, such as Zoho CRM, Zoho Projects, and Zoho Mail. This allows users to easily schedule meetings and collaborate on projects with team members, directly from the platform. The platform is user-friendly and intuitive, making it easy for anyone to start a meeting or join one with minimal setup. It also offers a wide range of customization options that allow users to personalize their meetings and make them more engaging.
Features Offered by Zoho Meeting:
Provides insightful reports of webinar data such as engagement, polls, Q&A, attendees, and registration.
Lock meeting feature that doesn’t allow other participants to join the meeting even if they have a joining link, the host can allow and disallow the joining request.
Provides seamless integration with Zoho products and other useful tools like Slack and Gmail.
It helps you to conduct webinars with features such as live streaming, live chat, and Q&A sessions.
Empower users to personalize their meeting links with their own branding and logo.
Breakout rooms are available that empower users to split a large meeting into smaller groups.
Users can annotate and mark up shared screens in real-time which makes it easy to give feedback and make suggestions.
Pros:
2-factor authentication
Integration with other Zoho products
Intuitive interface
The mobile app is available
Excellent support
Learning resources
A free plan is available
Cons:
Limited integration with non-Zoho tools
Pricing Plans of Zoho Meeting:
Pricing details of each pricing plan of Zoho Meeting are given below:
Plan
Pricing
Free
Free
Standard
Starting at $1.00/ month
Professional
Starting at $3.00/month
Skype
Video Conferencing Software
Skype
Rating
4.3
Best For
Seamless Video Calling and Conferencing
Website
skype.com
Skype – Best Video Conferencing Platform
Skype is a communication tool that allows users to make voice and video calls, as well as send instant messages and share files. Developed by Microsoft, Skype uses advanced compression technology to ensure that calls are clear and lag-free, even when the internet connection is not the strongest.
Skype for video conferencing doesn’t charge any money and allows group calls with up to 100 people. This is a great option for businesses, as it allows team members to collaborate easily and stay connected with each other. The created link comes with no expiry which means you can use the link to pre-plan any meeting. You can even use this link anytime in the future to connect with the people with the joining link.
Features Offered by Skype:
It ensures that the calls and messages are encrypted, keeping your conversations private and secure.
Background blur feature to blur the background so that the next person doesn’t see the messy background.
It allows Easy pairing with visual studio live share extension which helps you to collaborate with your team and debug the code.
Skype offers a real-time translation feature in call and chat. This makes it easy for users to communicate with people who speak different languages.
Screen sharing feature during a call for presentations and remote collaboration.
Users can record their calls for later reference. This is a great feature for businesses, as it allows team members to easily review important conversations.
You can send instant messages to other Skype users. This feature is great for quick conversations and sending files or links.
Doesn’t support browsers other than Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome.
Average support
Pricing Plans of Skype:
Skype-to-Skype calls are free anywhere in the world. You can use Skype on a computer, mobile phone, or tablet. If you are both using Skype, the call is completely free.
Users only need to pay when using premium features like voice mail, SMS texts, or making calls to a landline, cell, or outside of Skype.
Plan
Pricing
Unlimited North America
$7.99/month
Unlimited World
$13.99/month
Unlimited US & Canada
$2.99/month
Slack
Video Conferencing Software
Slack
Rating
4.5
Best For
Team Collaboration with Video Conferencing
Website
slack.com
Slack – Best Video Conferencing Platform
Slack is a powerful and versatile communication tool that is designed to help teams work more efficiently and effectively. Slack Technologies Inc. is the company behind the tool. Founded in 2009, Slack Technologies is headquartered in San Francisco, California, and has grown rapidly in recent years. It has attracted a large and loyal user base with more than 200,000 paying customers.
The most unique feature of this tool is its integration. Slack has a huge network of more than 2,500 apps that allow seamless integration. The robust API of this tool enables you to connect it with your favorite tool and fetch important data. The platform is designed to be easy to use, with a clean and simple layout. This makes it easy to find the information and tools that you need. Additionally, Slack offers a wide range of features, such as direct messaging, group chats, and video and voice calls.
Features Offered by Slack:
Hurdles and clips feature that helps in collaboration with short audio and video sharing, multi-screen sharing, link, notes, and much more.
Different visual controls are available such as dark and light modes, message display settings, and zoom level.
Customize the images and emojis to send a reaction on the chat.
Slack offers advanced security features to keep user data and communication safe and secure.
It is available on all major platforms, including web, desktop, and mobile.
You can customize your notification settings, so they are only notified of important messages and events. This helps you to stay focused on the task at hand and reduces distractions.
Powerful search functionality that helps users to find messages, files, and other information quickly and easily.
Users can invite other team members to join a group chat and can also share files and other information within the chat.
Pros:
A mobile app is available
A lot of integration options
User-friendly interface
Accessible on any device
A resource library to learn
Workflow builder
Cons:
Lack of live customer support
Pricing Plans of Slack:
Pricing details of each pricing plan of Slack are given below:
Plan
Pricing
Free
Free
Pro
₹218/user/month, when billed annually
Business+
₹375.20/user/month, when billed annually
Enterprise Grid
Contact Sales
BlueJeans
Video Conferencing Software
BlueJeans
Rating
4.3
Best For
Cloud-Based and Seamless Video Conferencing
Website
bluejeans.com
BlueJeans – Best Video Conferencing Platform
BlueJeans is a revolutionary video conferencing platform that allows users to connect easily with colleagues, clients, and partners from anywhere in the world. BlueJeans is developed and maintained by Verizon Communications, one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world. With a reputation for quality and reliability, Verizon has been at the forefront of the video conferencing industry for many years.
Airtel has a partnership with Verizon to offer BlueJeans as a video conferencing solution to its enterprise customers. Airtel’s partnership with BlueJeans allows its enterprise customers to access the BlueJeans video conferencing platform and its features through Airtel’s network infrastructure. This partnership allows Airtel to expand its enterprise communication services portfolio. It also attracts more business customers who are looking for a reliable and advanced video conferencing solution.
Features Offered by BlueJeans:
It is compatible with a variety of devices and platforms, including Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and web browsers.
It Uses advanced technology to provide high-definition video and audio quality for clear and seamless communication.
You can share your screens during a video call to facilitate collaboration and presentations.
Allows users to record their video calls and provides a transcription service that generates a text transcript of the conversation.
Integration feature that allows users to schedule and join video calls directly from their calendars.
Virtual backgrounds to video calls, help to reduce distractions and improve the overall video call experience.
Host control over the meeting, such as mute/unmute, lock/unlock, end meeting, etc.
Facility to create smaller groups of participants for a proper discussion on the topic.
Pros:
AES 256-bit encryption
A lot of integration options
A free trial is available
Virtual background
Meeting Highlights and Recordings
User-friendly interface
Accessible on any device
Cons:
A free plan is not available
Lack of file-sharing facility
Pricing Plans of BlueJeans:
Pricing details of each pricing plan of BlueJeans are given below:
Plan
Pricing
Pro
₹699/month, when billed annually
Enterprise
Contact Sales
GlobalMeet
Video Conferencing Software
GlobalMeet
Rating
4.2
Best For
Businesses and Professionals Needing Web Conferencing
Website
globalmeet.com
GlobalMeet – Best Video Conferencing Platform
GlobalMeet is a Video Conferencing platform for businesses and organizations looking to connect with their teams, clients, and partners from anywhere in the world. It supports large-scale high-definition video conferences with up to 1,000 participants. With the ability to share screens, documents, and other multimedia content, users can easily collaborate and share ideas. This makes it an ideal tool for creative brainstorming sessions or project meetings.
GlobalMeet Video Conferencing is highly secure, with end-to-end encryption and a range of security features to protect user data and communications. It offers a range of options for personalizing the platform to suit the specific needs of different teams. One can create custom meeting rooms, set up recurring meetings, and even schedule meetings in advance.
Features Offered by GlobalMeet:
It is a cloud-based platform, which means that users can access it from anywhere, at any time.
Participants can communicate with one another through instant messaging or chat, this makes it easy to ask questions or share information during the meeting.
Screen recording feature to record the screen and use it in the feature.
The host can split the screen into smaller groups for more focused discussions or tasks.
Users can record live sessions for future reference.
You can schedule meetings in advance, which makes it easy to coordinate with others and plan ahead.
It is highly customizable, with a range of customization options.
End-to-end encryption and a range of security features to protect data.
Pros:
Multi-lingual support
G-suite integration
Accessible on any device
Advanced reporting and analytics
Custom branding
Digital whiteboarding
Cons:
Price is not disclosed
Pricing Plans of GlobalMeet:
GlobalMeet offers three plans: Essential, Professional, and Enterprise. You need to contact their sales team to get details on the pricing of each plan.
Webex Meetings
Video Conferencing Software
Webex Meetings
Rating
4.2
Best For
Collaborative Video Conferencing Solutions
Website
webex.com
Webex Meetings – Best Video Conferencing Platform
Webex is a video-conferencing platform by Cisco that offers high-quality video and audio capabilities. The platform uses advanced technology to ensure clear and crisp video and audio, even in low-bandwidth environments. It uses encryption to protect your data and offers features such as password-protected meetings, waiting rooms, and the ability to lock or end meetings at any time.
One of the most highlighted features of this tool is its customization. You can customize meeting room layouts, choose from a range of background images and themes, and even create your own branded meeting rooms. It offers top-notch security to secure your valuable data. Features such as password-protected meetings, waiting rooms, and the ability to lock or end meetings at any time are available.
Features Offered by Webex Meetings:
Provides detailed insights into meeting attendance, engagement, and more. It allows users to make data-driven decisions about their meetings.
It has the ability to integrate with popular apps such as Outlook, Google Calendar, and Slack.
Hosts can create smaller, more intimate meetings within a larger meeting that allows more focused and productive conversations.
Users can join and participate in meetings from any device, including smartphones and tablets.
Meeting management tools such as screen sharing, recording, and polling help users effectively manage and lead meetings.
You can customize meeting room layouts, and choose from a range of background images and themes.
The advanced technology of Webex ensures clear and crisp video and audio, even in low-bandwidth environments.
Participants can easily schedule and join meetings from their calendars, share files and documents, and collaborate on projects.
Pros:
A free plan is available
Two-way Whiteboarding
Advanced search and filter
Third-party integration
Accessible on any device
User-friendly interface
Cons:
Complex to use
Lack of interaction feature between host and participants
Pricing Plans of Webex Meetings:
Pricing details of each pricing plan of Webex Meetings are given below:
GoTo Meeting is a web conferencing software by GoTo that is designed for businesses of all sizes. With its reliable performance and user-friendly interface, GoTo Meeting has become a go-to choice for virtual meetings, webinars, and online collaborations.
GoTo Meeting video conferencing platform is trusted by millions of people for real-time virtual communication and collaboration. It is an easy, fast, and reliable professional virtual meeting solution that allows individuals and businesses to meet face-to-face, and connect with colleagues through in-meeting chat, screen sharing, and more with just a click of a button.
Features Offered by GoToMeeting:
Customizable meeting templates to suit different types of meetings.
Easy scheduling and calendar integration for efficient meeting management.
Real-time screen sharing and presentation capabilities for seamless collaboration.
Integrated chat and Q&A features for interactive discussions.
Recording and playback options for future reference and training purposes.
Virtual backgrounds to customize the meeting environment.
Mobile apps for on-the-go participation in meetings from any device.
End-to-end encryption for secure and confidential meetings.
Pros:
User-friendly interface
Flexible pricing plans
Integrations with popular productivity tools
24/7 customer support
Cons:
Advanced features require additional subscriptions or add-ons
Pricing Plans of GoTo Meeting:
Pricing details of each pricing plan for GoTo Meeting are given below:
Plan
Pricing
Professional
$12/organizer/month, billed annually
Business
$16/organizer/month, billed annually
Enterprise
Contact Sales
Conclusion
Video conferencing is the future of communication. With these software platforms, you can easily connect with your team, clients, and partners from anywhere in the world.
The platforms are easy to use and provide a seamless experience for all users. This makes them the perfect solution for any business looking to improve its communication and collaboration. So choose the suitable software from the above-mentioned list and experience the power of video conferencing for yourself!
FAQs
What is video conferencing software?
Video conferencing software is an advanced technology that allows users to conduct real-time, online meetings, presentations, and video calls with one or more people via the Internet.
Which is the best video conferencing software?
The best video conferencing software includes the following:
Zoom
Zoho Meeting
Microsoft Teams
Google Teams
Skype
Slack
GlobalMeet
Who are Zoom’s top competitors?
The top competitors of Zoom are Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Webex Meetings, Skype, and Zoho Meetings.
The COVID-19 pandemic has made governments across the world to take measures to contain the spread of coronavirus. Many governments have implemented lockdown. So almost all the companies are asking their employees to stay home and work remotely as much as possible to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The companies are asking employees to keep in touch with one another while working in teams, with the help of phone & video conferencing. To increase the efficiency of work, the right software and tools must be chosen. Many are using video conferencing software like Zoom to get work done and talk to colleagues or family.
Video Conferencing tools have become the Need of the Hour
Zoom is one of the fastest-growing video conferencing apps out there. It’s easy to set up and host video calls. But due to recent security and privacy concerns about Zoom, the company has landed itself into trouble. While the company promises it’s working to address those issues, one can switch to other similar apps offering the same services rather than waiting to get issues solved.
There are plenty of video chat services, each with their advantages and disadvantages making them better suited to different uses. Some of these have free versions, some are paid while some offer temporary access to additional features if you need them. Though some are paid ones, they are worthy of spending money. This article will show you some of the best alternatives to Zoom.
The best alternative to Zoom is Cisco Webex Meetings. Webex is a video-conferencing app whose company was originally founded in 1995 and was subsequently acquired by Cisco in 2007. Since then, it is known as one of the best business applications and continues to focus on serving companies. It also offers a trial free version that’s worth checking out. It has expanded the features of the trial free version from 50 to 100 participants, removed of the 40-minute limit on meetings and added call-in abilities.
Cisco Webex Meetings
Webex also offers premium plans starting at $13.50 per month, per host. The premium plans offer additional features like cloud storage, recording transcripts, a downloadable video file of meetings, customizable meeting room links, and more. The company also sells a range of video conferencing products for business users such as the Cisco Webex Room Kit and the Cisco Webex Desk Pro.
It’s one of the great apps like zoom for small businesses that often hold short meetings, as the service offers a free plan. If that’s too short for you, upgrading to one of the company’s paid plans is the way to go. With Webex, one gets all the standard business-focused features one would expect.
Another alternative to Zoom app is Skype. Skypeis one of the few video-conferencing software that was made available to the public in 2003. It is popular for its high-quality audio and video due to its large bandwidth. It’s Meet Now feature offers free video-conferencing. Meet Now in Skype allows you to easily set up a collaboration space and invite both Skype contacts and friends or family who are not on Skype.
How do I create a meeting in Skype?
For more professional meetings and conferences, the paid version is also available – Skype for Business that helps you manage your employee accounts with enterprise-grade security. In standard Skype, number of participants is limited to 25 people on a conference call at once but Skype for Business raises this limit to 250, making it much more suitable for large-scale presentations, meetings or live webinars. It just costs $2 per user per month.
Key Features
Keeps a recording of the call for up to 30 days.
Can blur the background (if required).
Share presentations.
Skype for Business Price: $2 per user per month
Number of participants: Up to 250
Google Hangouts & Google Meet
If you need a google alternative to the Zoom app, we have Google Meet. Google Hangouts is a video-conferencing app by Google, which is free to use. You can use Hangouts to video chat with up to only 10 people. There aren’t a lot of features. You still have access to a text chat and can share your screen, but that’s all about it.
If you are an existing G Suite (paid) customer, you may want to consider looking at Hangouts Meet. Meet allows a few additional features like real-time captions and support for up to 250 participants and 100,000 live stream viewers. The video conferencing service is part of the company’s G Suite subscription that includes several other features.
Google Meet
G Suite starts at $6 per month per user and includes access to Gmail for Business and also up to unlimited cloud storage space, as well as access to all of Google’s other services such as Calendar, Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc. for your business. Thus, Hangouts Meet gives you all the business-centered tools you need to hold online meetings. You can record and then save them to Drive, easily invite people to join in via a link, and much more.
Key Features
Free plan available: Only Google Hangouts
Free trial: 14 days
Meet Pricing: Starts at $6 per month
Number of participants: Up to 250
Gives access to all of Google’s services like Calendar, Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc
Another Zoom alternative is Microsoft Teams. In 2017, Microsoft replaced its Skype for Business tool with a new service called Microsoft Teams that combines messaging as well as video conferencing into one. It allows you to host online meetings for up to 250 people. You get all the business-focused features expected from a tool like this including screen sharing, instant messaging, and the ability to record meetings.
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams pricing starts at $5.00 per month, per user. Microsoft’s video conferencing tool is just one part of the Google Teams subscription plan. You also get access to all Office apps, 1TB of OneDrive storage, and more. The exact features depend on the plan you go with.
Key Features
Free plan available: No
Free trial: No
Pricing: Starts at $5 per month
Number of participants: Up to 250
Zoho Meeting
Zoho Meeting is a nice alternative to Zoom app. It is a great tool for online meetings as well as webinars and comes with lots of features. You can share your screen, mute the mics of the participants, and record your group chats & calls among other things. And you can easily import documents, spreadsheets, and presentations since the service is integrated with Zoho’s Office suite. Zoho Meeting pricing starts at $8 per month.
Zoho Meeting
The open-source video conferencing service allows you to host end-to-end encrypted video meetings and calls for up to 100 people. Participants don’t need to sign up for a login; they can access the meetings through a link or a dial-in via web browsers, desktop clients, or mobile apps. Zoho has even provided a handy chart comparing its product to Zoom.
Key Features
Free plan available: No
Free trial: 14 days
Pricing: Starts at $8 per month
Number of participants: Up to 250
GoToMeeting
GoToMeeting is a feature-packed Zoom alternative and one of the first video conferencing services out there. The entry-level plan allows for 150 participants, while the enterprise plan can include up to 3,000. GoToMeeting pricing starts at $12 per month. It also offers a free 30-Day Trial.
GoToMeeting
GoToMeeting offers all the standard tools, like the ability to record meetings and share your screen. You can also have multiple meeting facilitators. And the service is accessible on web browsers, Mac, PC, Linux, iOS, and Android. Whether you’re a small business or a large company with thousands of employees, GoToMeeting has you covered.
When you want to offer a special member or audience the opportunity to learn from you or share the news with your fans who are excited to attend, you need to host seminar-like event. With your topic and materials on hand, all that’s left is setting up a webinar to broadcast the workshop. For this Crowdcast is a great tool.
Crowdcast is the most engaging and easy-to-use live streaming experience on the market. It is a browser-based solution for creating interactive webinars, live Q&As, workshops, and online summits that meet your needs. Crowdcast offers a simple platform to engage with attendees via live chat, polls, time-stamped Q&As, and face-to-face calls. Beyond collecting emails, Crowdcast provides advanced data and analytics around your event and audience and much more!
Crowdcast
Crowdcast tries to simplify that by making webinars a teaching tool to connect with your audience. Teachers, thought leaders, and professionals can use Crowdcast to reach out and share their knowledge with their fans and followers. Whether you’re hosting a workshop or a 3-day digital conference, you can create events where interaction and conversation are necessary.
Crowdcast costs little more due to its features at $49.00 per month. Managing live events successfully requires careful preparation and hard work. With multistream, built-in engagement tools, and quick payments for paid events, Crowdcast makes sure you only need to focus on bringing high-quality content toyour audience.
Key Features
Pricing: Starts at $49.00 per month.
Free trial: 14 days
Number of real-time viewers: Up to 3,000
Lets you hold digital conference up to 3 days
FAQs
What is Zoom app?
Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise video communications, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, chat, and webinars.
Is Zoom secure?
Yes, it is secure.
Who are zoom competitors?
Competitors and Alternatives to Zoom:-
Microsoft
Google
Cisco
247meeting
TeamViewer
BlueJeans by Verizon
Zoho
Are there safer alternatives to zoom?
Yes, there are safer alternatives to zoom.
What is the safest way to use zoom?
To maintain the security of your next meeting, our recommendations are below:
There is a plethora of team chat applications out there, but that also means that you will have to look for the one that suits your needs best. Pandemic or no pandemic, official work requires team collaboration, especially on occasions such as building projects, presentations, or even planning out an event. Team communication is extremely important in such tasks. This begs the question, which team chatting applications should we use instead?
What makes an exceptional Organization Chatting Application?
To filter out the best team chat application for any organization, we should consider a few things in mind. To begin with, we all know that for different team chats or office chats, we need diverse platforms for group chats.
In addition, one should also keep in mind that the corporate messaging app needs to be organized. For instance, some messages need to be seen by the entire company, others at the team level. Furthermore, the office instant messaging system demands good search and filter options along with excellent navigation and control.
In conclusion, a business chat app should offer exceptional video and audio chat so that employees can converse easily. There are various features that we expect from a team conversing application, while some are complimentary, some are provided at a cost or a subscription.
Here we discuss the top 5 Teams Chatting Applications, for you to decide which suits you best.
Slack
Rating
4.5/5
Platforms
Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux, and the Web.
Slack Communications Platform
Slack is a popular Teams Communication Platform that offers safe and secure collaboration and chats among your colleagues. You can form different channels for diverse niches or projects, similar to Discord. You can also contact us through video conferencing or collaborate over a voice call. You also get to integrate your internal tools with slack, for a more efficient workflow.
Features Offered by Slack
Create dedicated channels for individual topics, projects, and events, and use those channels solely for the assigned purpose.
Slack saves your previous data, so if you need to navigate an earlier project or a chat, you can probably find that on Slack.
Slack lets you manage remote teams from other companies just like yours, with a comprehensive message archive feature, so you do not have to shuffle between tabs.
Slack can be further integrated with applications such as Office and Google Drive, with over 2200 integrations available, to manage tasks more efficiently.
Security is of paramount importance in the data-driven world and slack knows this. Slack also offers complete control and visibility with encryption keys.
Pricing for Slack
Standard Plan
Plus Plan
Enterprise Grid
Used by SMEs and costs $2.67 per user per month when billed annually and $3.20 when billed monthly
Used by larger businesses and costs $5 per user per month when billed annually and $6 when billed monthly
Used for big enterprises and industries and offers custom pricing
Offers unlimited message archiving and applications along with group video calls with screen sharing
Offers user provisioning and dis-provisioning, and single sign-ins using SAML
Offers unlimited workspaces, data loss prevention, and offline backup providers
Use Slack connect to collaborate with other organizations
Allows for data exports for all messages
Offers message compliance of HIPAA with file collaboration
Ryver
Rating
4.4/5
Platforms
Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows.
Ryver Teams Chatting App
Ryver is an easy, simple, and affordable team collaboration platform to organize meetings and communicate with a single application. Ryver allows group messaging with unlimited file sharing, task management with unlimited tasks and boards, along with audio and video calls with screen sharing. Also, like Slack, it offers a single sign-in through SAML and direct support during regular work hours.
Ryver offers Forums for open discussions, Teams for private or project-based conversations, and people platforms for one on one communications.
Allows you to chat, organize conversations by tasks, and call over voice and video calls for better communication.
Ryver offers a number of integrations such as Dropbox, Google Drive, and applications using Zapier, while also offering new Streaming Services.
Ryver does not limit your work. It also offers unlimited chats, tasks, video and audio calls, teams and forums, and file sharing to ensure your work goes on without obstacles.
Ryver uses SSL-based encryption to protect your data, as well as AWS cloud service security features.
Pricing for Ryver
Starter Plan
Unlimited Plan
Enterprise Plan
Costs $49 per month and allows up to 4 users
Costs $79 per month and allows unlimited users
Costs from $149 per month with a custom plan and allows unlimited users
Offers unlimited chats and file sharing along with task management
Offers unlimited chats, file sharing, and task management with custom invite links
Offers unlimited chats, file sharing, and task management with premium support and Single Sign-On
Offers up to 12 member guests
Offers unlimited users and member guests
Offers advanced team management and a dedicated testing sandbox
Microsoft Teams
Rating
4.3/5
Platforms
Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, and the Web.
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is another chat application for business, that helps groups stay organized and connected with a suite of features. Teams allow you to chat, video conference as an attendee or a presenter, make audio calls and collaborate with file sharing. Make the best use of Teams with screen sharing and Together Mode, like in the above image. Moreover, teams help you organize workflows and are available in 53 different languages.
Teams help you to leverage AI during meetings and webinars and display the context of the meeting, with quality audio and video.
Teams allows you to organize and host live events with members of as many as 10,000, within your organization or outside of it
Invite anyone with an email to your video conferencing with just a link, and enhance your productivity in real time.
Teams also allows you to record meetings, chat during live meetings, turn on captions in real-time, and many more functionalities, making it the perfect team collaboration application.
You also get to manipulate your background like blurring it or even changing it, to have a more focused meeting.
Pricing for Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams Free Version
Microsoft 365 Business Basic
Microsoft 365 Business Standard
Office 365 E3
Is free of cost
Costs Rs125 per user per month
Costs Rs660 per user per month
Costs Rs1320 per user per month
Allows for chat and collaboration
Allows for chat and collaboration with some features of meetings and calls
Allows for chat and collaboration with some features for meetings and calls
Allows for chat and collaboration along with unlimited meetings and calls
Partial features with productivity applications and security
Partial features with productivity applications and security
Full range of security compliance and productivity applications
Full range of security compliance and productivity applications
Does not offer administrative features or support
Does not offer administrative features or support
Offers a suite of both administrative features and support
Offers a suite of both administrative features and support
Flock
Rating
4.4/5
Platforms
Android, iOS, and the Web.
Flock Team Chat
Flock is a team communication application that offers seamless collaboration among colleagues and organizations, with an all-around suite of features. With the help of custom channels and team directories, organize conversations and use productivity-enhancing tools, all in the same place. Flock can be efficiently used for different domains including Sales, Marketing, and Human Resources, offering you excellent customer support.
Features Offered by Flock
Chat with colleagues, make voice and video calls, and share screens in real-time, to collaborate without feeling distant.
Create dedicated channels for focused communication public or private and view all your new messages at once, regardless of the channel.
Flock allows you to send personalized voice notes, and search, share, and pin your channel history, for any important messages or notifications.
Flock also allows you to share files up to 100 MB on your device or cloud, and offers a minimum of 5 GB space for users for file storage.
Flock also offers a number of security features such as data retention, Authentication, Administrative features, and managing permissions.
Pricing for Flock
Free/Starter Plan
Pro Plan
Enterprise Plan
Is free of cost with basic features for small teams
Costs Rs199 per user per month for midsized teams and companies
Costs Rs349 per user per month for larger enterprises
Unlimited chatting with individuals and groups and up to 10k searchable messages
Unlimited chatting with individuals, groups, and searchable messages
Unlimited chatting with individuals, groups, and searchable messages
Up to 10 Public channels and 5GB storage space per team
Unlimited public and private channels with 10GB storage space per team
Unlimited public and private channels with 20GB storage space per team
Offers single team admin and one on one video calls
Allows multiple group admins, video calls for groups, and screen sharing
Allows multiple group admins, video calls for groups, and screen sharing
Rocket.Chat
Rating
3.9/5
Platforms
iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Rocket.Chat is a team communication hub that helps you collaborate with colleagues, manage data and enhance productivity. Be it file sharing, chatting, or audio/video conferencing, Rocket.chat helps you do all of that on an ideal and unified platform. Moreover, Rocket.chat is fully customizable and can be tailored to your needs, while also offering ML-based message translation in real time.
Features Offered by Rocket.Chat
Rocket.Chat allows you to integrate with WebHook integrations and plugins with popular applications such as Drupal and Pidgin.
With an open source code for Rocket.Chat, you can customize the interface any way you deem fit, and tailor it to your specific needs.
AI-powered real-time message translation in over 50 languages ensures everyone is on the same page, regardless of ethnicity.
Rocket.Chat offers secure conversations with CCPA and HIPAA compliance along with moderators who can manage permissions.
Rocket.Chat also allows for an omnichannel strategy, allowing you to integrate other communication tools, to serve your clients.
Rocket.Chat Communication Platform
Pricing for Rocket.chat
Community Version
Pro Plan
Enterprise Version
Free version for small teams to offer centralized communication
Costs $3 per user per month for SMEs for business communication
Custom pricing for larger enterprises and high scalability
Allows for up to 1k users and offers a custom domain
Allows unlimited users with a custom domain
Allows unlimited users with a custom domain and scope for scalability
Offers public, private, and broadcast channels
Offers all features in the free version along with guest users and end-to-end encryption
Offers all features in the Pro plan with secured push notifications and audit panel
You get queue management, chat tagging, integrations API
Real-time monitoring, Facebook, and Whatsapp integrations, and Omnichannel proxy API
Offers the use of Analytics API, priority assignment, and chat routing
Conclusion
These top 5 team chat and office communication tools, and there are many more out there. Team chat apps are a natural communication solution for contacting and communicating with staff members, both for small employment and big institutions.
FAQs
What is the best group chat platform?
Slack, Ryver, Microsoft Teams, Flock, and Rocket.Chat is the best platform for group chat.
What apps are good for group chats?
iMessage group texting and chatting on iPhone.
Google Messages group texting and chatting on Android.
Messenger on Facebook and Instagram.
WhatsApp.
WeChat.
GroupMe.
Line.
Signal.
Is there a team chat app?
Yes, Slack, Ryver, Microsoft Teams, Flock, and Rocket.Chat is an example of a Team Chat App.
Microsoft Skype had a wider adoption and is still the preferred medium in some areas of the world to connect to the. Skype for Business formerly known as Microsoft Lync is a platform for instant messaging developed by Microsoft as part of the Office suite.
Skype for Business is designed to use with the on-premises Skype for Business Server, and software as a service version offered as part of Office 365. This software also supports video call, text, audio, and integrates with Microsoft Office components such as SharePoint.
Skype for Business is a strong and robust replacement that lets the users collaborate with 250 people at one time and helps coordinate the employee accounts with enterprise-based security. This user-friendly solution allows us to integrate all the office apps on the go and is available with the Office 365 suite of products costing $2/month/user.
Skype for Business can be deployed on-premises, in the cloud service. It can be licensed as a stand-alone product or as part of the Office suite. It is known as Skype for Business Server, or a cloud-based service, known as Skype for Business Online.
Microsoft Teams is an online collaboration software that has similar facilities and capabilities to Skype for Business. While both Microsoft products are part of Office 365 and feature calling, messaging, presence, voice and video communications, and conferencing.
Skype for Business is an online communications platform that integrates common channels of business communication and providing the users with multiple features like virtual meetings, including instant messaging, VoIP, voicemail, file transfers, video conferencing, web conferencing, email and much more.
Features of Skype for Business
Set Meetings from Outlook
Skype for Business can be easily scheduled with the Outlook plugin. This allows to schedule required online meetings through Outlook with an easy single click. The host can choose a meeting topic and can even determine which and how many participants can join the meeting.
Data Sharing
Skype for Business helps to take the business meetings to the next level by allowing the user to share the desktop screens, files, Excel sheets, and presentations.
Record and Playback
Skype for Business allows the user to record important meetings. The recording facility is cloud-based and is available on the latest version of Skype. TheSkype calls for Mac can be recorded too using various third-party software available in the market. As soon as the recording begins, everyone in the call is notified. The recording can be saved for the next 30 days after the call.
Portability
Skype for Business, is based on Cloud technology, lets the user connect with the workplace from anywhere, anytime and via any device. Thus, the hectic office travels are saved and can be dialled in from anywhere and participate in the video, audio and web-based conferencing.
No Compulsory Authentication
Authentication is not mandatory for Skype for Business participants. If a particular attendee does not have an account but has received an invitation, they can easily join the meeting by signing in with a guest account.
Easy Accessibility
The users have easy accessibility to meetings and calendars using Skype for Business. This helps to stay updated with the latest tasks, schedule and track the meetings.
Broadcasting
The Skype Meeting Broadcast facilitates the user to broadcast content to over 10,000 attendees which are a viable solution for conducting webinars. Users can also reduce the number of participants to any number.
Furthermore, the tool allows the posting of recorded video meetings. Anyone can join the call with a web browser and can either watch it live or afterwards.
Some of the key features of Skype for Business include HD video conferencing, Instant messaging, Whiteboard collaboration and many more.
The global pandemic forced many businesses to go remote and work from home which comes with tons of communication challenges and lack of physicality. Microsoft’s Skype for Business is one of the best options for video conferencing that can help and overcome the issue.
Microsoft will be replacing Skype for Business with Microsoft Teams, support for Skype for Business will come to an end nearly by 2025. Additionally, new Office users won’t be able to download Skype for Business anymore.
Number of Skype users in millions
Step 1- Register/Login to the respective Skype for Business account.
Step 2– Setting an availability status makes it easier for the other team members and business clients to communicate effectively. Skype for Business allows the user to display the availability status with various statuses like Available, Busy, and Away.
Step 3- Setting up and syncing the contacts in Skype for Business. Skype for Business lets the user add people from their contact list.
Step 4- To make a call, find the person in the contact list and click the Audio or the Video icon. When received a call on Skype for Business, a pop up offering various call settings appears.
Step 5- Video Conferencing with Skype for Business. Skype for Business features video conferencing to combat the lack of face-to-face interaction when working remotely. Skype for Business users can also share their screen with participants during a call easily.
Step 6- Share the screen during Skype for Business calls. Users can show someone how to perform a specific task and need to discuss the file or data which is screen shared. As a presenter, the screen can be easily shared via Skype for Business. By clicking on the Present icon which is shaped like a monitor in the meeting window. This activity will open a pop-up, giving the presenter several options to share the screen.
Skype, Microsoft Teams, and Skype for Business
There are several notable differences between Skype, Microsoft Teams, and Skype for Business.
Skype
Skype is used at home and is great for smaller businesses of up to 20 employees. It is free to use unless the user wants to buy credit to make calls to landlines and mobiles.
Microsoft Teams
Teams let the user host audio, video, and web conferences with anyone inside or outside your organization. Teams of 10 or 10,000 members can meet in one place. Files can be shared easily, participating in one-to-one and group chats, and more, all with enterprise-grade security.
Skype for Business
It lets to add the user up to 250 people in online meetings, providing enterprise-grade security, and also allows to manage employee accounts.
Wrap Up
There are several communication tools which facilitate video calling, voice and recording help organizations better organize teamwork and achieve higher results. Skype for Business is amazing with its capabilities and a great tool to meet the modern collaboration which needs a digital workplace.
Google began as an online search firm, but it now offers more than 50 internet services and products from e-mail and online documentation for mobile phones and tablet computers. In addition, the 2012 acquisition of Motorola Dynamics has put it in a position to sell hardware such as mobile phones. Google’s comprehensive product portfolio and size make it one of the top four impressive companies in the high-tech market with Apple, IBM, and Microsoft. Despite these innumerable products, its original search tool remains the origin of its success. In 2016, Alphabet earned all its revenues from Google advertising on the basis of users’ search requests.
The Google Inc business model can be seen more clearly when it is divided into a few key areas:
Key Partners: Google’s key partners include Suppliers, Distributors, Open Handset Alliance, and Original Equipment Manufacturers.
Key Activities: Key activities include research and development for both the development of new technologies and features and the improvement of existing ones. Significant time is spent in the maintenance and management of large-scale IT infrastructure and products and services. Apart from this, work is done on marketing, strategy and alliances.
Key Resources: Google’s core resources will include data centers, servers and other IT infrastructure, IP as well as human resources. Other resources include patents, licenses and proprietary materials.
Value Proposition: The company aims to create value for its customers for internet search, advertising, operating systems and platforms, and the enterprise. The overreaching principle is derived from the mission statement to manage the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.
Channels: Channels to reach customers include google.com, Google affiliate website, and Google Ads Words. Sales and support teams are involved to reach advertisers and network members.
Customer Relationships: The channel can include sales and support services as well as a dedicated team for large customers to build customer relationships.
Customer Segment: Google has three main customers. Users who are able to organize information in a useful way using Google products and services, advertisers who have an effective way of displaying online and offline advertisements for customers and members of the Google Network and other content providers, Those who use the Ads Sense service. Other expanded segments may include mobile device users and manufacturers and developers.
Google’s Business Model Change Over The Next Ten Years?
Here are the Major Trends:
Search traffic is moving to mobile and voice. This reduces advertising revenue
Advertising is moving from traditional to digital. This increases advertising revenue.
Servers and services are moving to the cloud. This increases cloud revenue.
Supporting-based tools are ecosystem coalescing. The effect is… complicated.
AR / VR. Google’s bet is on phone-based VR.
The magnitude of trend 2 surpasses the magnitude of trend 1, so Google’s advertising revenue will continue to grow indefinitely.
Trend 3 is all the opposite. The main question is whether they can hold on to Amazon and Microsoft, and if not, can they build a fairly profitable business from third place. Strategically, they are unlikely to make major changes to their cloud strategy until they exit the market entirely, which seems impossible.
Trend 4: The instrument, is an interesting one. This is an important new market for Google which, in the best case, outperforms other tech companies in profits. This is their best chance to build a huge new profit center. The Google device is well-positioned to win the competition. They have better AI than Amazon and Apple, they have a phone that Amazon doesn’t, and they have a successful speaker device, which Apple doesn’t. However, things can change rapidly, such as Amazon launching a successful phone.
It is also unclear how big the market will be. Google’s system, which makes phone calls on your behalf, hints at the size Google sees in this market: Vishal. If Google is able to use AI to transact with humans, then a whole host of tasks will be automated and the value will be very high. This would be so disruptive that they would have to carefully consider the social consequences. But it represents another revenue source with advertisements. On the other hand, if accessories remain merely a technological toys, then Google won’t really lose anything. Like trend 3, it is all upside down.
Trend 5 has no upside or downside for Google. If it turns out Google is right, then AR / VR will not be a significant revenue source for anyone. If they are wrong, some other company will get rich. This is a big trend in the industry but one Google is staying away from most.
So overall, Google’s big business model shift will be a new AI-based device and services ecosystem. This is his big bet for the coming decade
Google’s Other Products
Google Other Product
Some of Google’s other basic products include:
Google News: The service started in 2002 as an automated service, which summarizes news items from multiple websites.
Google Fiber: The Google Fiber Project began in 2010. The plan was to build an ultra-high-speed broadband network in some US cities. Kansas City was chosen as a pilot project, and the project was completed in 2012.
Google Phone and Android OS: Google launched Android, a mobile phone operating system in 2007. Google acquired the OS as open-source software and allows developers to use software development kits to develop applications. Google also released a phone called Nexus One.
Google Chrome: Google Chrome was announced in 2008 as an open-source web browser. Google Chrome OS was launched in 2009 as a Linux-based operating system. The OS only supported a web browser, which is used to log people into their online Google accounts.
Google Goggles: This is a mobile application for Android and Apple iOS. It is used for image recognition and image-based searches. The application can identify historical sites, scan business cards and even solve riddles.
Google launched the ‘Shopping’ tab to enable users to flip through the products and direct them to the merchant websites or e-commerce platforms when searching for products to buy in June 2020. Similar to the News and Image tab on Google, the shopping tab allows users to seamlessly control their search by putting necessary filters and browsing the desired product through listing on different websites. Google has collaborated with e-commerce players such as Flipkart,Paytm Mall,Myntra, Koovs, etc., to join the company’s shopping tab initiative.
“We are always exploring options to help consumers find the products they want to buy more quickly and efficiently from local merchants,”
The Google spokesperson confirmed the latest initiative in an email response claiming that the feature will facilitate customer online shopping more efficiently from the local merchants as well along with e-commerce players. Reportedly, Google has collaborated with the leading e-commerce platforms including Flipkart, Snapdeal, Myntra and Paytm Mall on board in their latest project.
Besides, the search giant also intends to tap the SME space from local Kirana stores (like JioMart) to expensive art collection stores whose merchants are not necessarily listed on the e-commerce players’ websites. The ongoing talks between Google and retailers both big and small will help the search giant understand the country’s shopping trends. These local merchants need not necessarily list on platforms like Amazon or Flipkart.
Another Google spokesperson said, “ They (Google) will partner with retailers of all sizes. It can tell the user where the product is available, is it available online, etc. For now, this service is being provided free of cost.”
Through Shopping Tab, Google lists products through its ‘product listing ads’, the Shopping tab will give users a lot more control. For instance, users can filter the product they are looking for based on price or any other attributes such as price, seller, delivery, department, colour, shape, and so on…, while also getting more details of the product by going to the ‘details’ page.
Google Shopping Tab allows users to filter Products
The most popular search engine operating company, Google was functioning the Shopping tab in 30+ countries when last reported in June 2020. On the merchant side, anyone with a product feed can plug into Google’s merchant centre to be listed on the shopping tab. On the user side, the tab has also seen high rates of engagement, largely due to the specificity that product search allows filter by attributes. With 80-85 million online shoppers, India is an important market for Google.
Google Funding And IPO
The company got its first financing from Sun Microsystems co-founder Andy Bectolsham. The company had financed 100,000 US dollars before the incorporation. Page and Brin tried to sell their website for 1 million US dollars in 1999 because they thought it was distracted by the work of their PhD. They went away and went to secure $25 million in funding from major investors. Among them, Cleaner Perkins Kaffield and Biers along with Venture Capital companies like Secucau Capital were included. The company’s IPO was five years later. 19, 605,052 shares were presented at $85 per share on the August 19, 2004 IPO of Google. Morgan Stanley and Credits were underwriters for Suisse Deals and an online auction system was also prepared for the sale of shares. The valuation of Google at IPO was $23.1 bn. Sales were worth $1.67 billion and by 2014, the company’s market capitalization was then worth $23 billion, which increased to $397 billion.
The company has secured around $36.1 mn in funding:
Date
Name of the Funding Round
Funding Raised
June 1, 2000
Funding Round
$10 mn
June 7, 1999
Series A
$25 mn
November 1, 1998
Angel Round
$1 mn
August 1, 1998
Angel Round
$100 K
The company retained control of most shares. There were mistakes that the IPO will impact the company’s culture through the impact of the company, such as a sudden millionaire situation of shareholder pressure and many officers on paper. The founders addressed these concerns and assured potential investors that the company’s culture will remain intact. To ensure that it is continuing, the company has a designated main culture officer. This role is served by the director of human resources and its purpose is to ensure that culture and methods are developed and maintained and be kept right for the original values that form the company’s base. Over the last few years, there were concerns and suggestions that the company has lost a bad way of anti-corporate thinking and has also given some allegations about sexuality and age. However, none of them turned out to be true.
Google Interesting Facts
The name of Google is taken from Googol, which is equal to the number 1 after 100 zero (1 x 10 ^ 100).
The original name for the backrub search engine was until Sergey Brin and Larry Page Google’s URL Google, Inc.
Google registered its domain on September 15, 1997.
Google’s URLs are often misspelled. For example, the user queries of Google, often become www.gooogle.com, www.gogle.com, and www.googler..com, however, all of them are owned by Google, Inc.
According to the 2013 PU Research Center survey, most Internet users (about 56%) have to use Google to find information about themselves
The Google search technology is called PageRank.
Withholding a dominant 91.94% market share, when last reported in 2021, Google is the biggest search engine.
Google has an enviable 24.4 million followers on Twitter.
Google turned out to be unreachable for 5 minutes on August 16th, 2013. It was found that on that specific time interval, global internet usage saw a fall of 40%.
We all know Google has a Twitter account. But do you know Google’s first tweet? You would be surprised that the first tweet that came from the colossal search engine operator was: “I’m feeling lucky” in binary code.
Google has made its homepage available in 80+ languages.
Google’s revenues mostly come from the advertisements it features. It drew 89% of its revenue from advertisements in 2014.
King of Online Search: Google is the undisputed king of the online search engine division. It processes about 2% of world questions.
Huge Market Share: Currently, Google has a 28% share in the worldwide desktop searches market.
Invincible: So far, no competitor has come close to challenging its position, let alone its market share in the search engines.
Largest Traffic Generator: Every month, this powerful brand generates over 1.2 billion hits. It is the largest traffic generator and has a clear advantage over its competitors such as Bing, Yahoo, Baidu.
High Revenue: The huge revenue of $65 billion (2017) that Google has gained through various partnerships with various sites has ensured its growth.
Adaptability: Google has successfully adapted mobile and Android technologies, giving Apple the ability to compete directly with the iPhone
Google’s Weakness
Reputation is being affected as users and governments feel that they do not up to their social corporate responsibility.
For example not paying enough tax on profits. The social network site Google Plus has failed and will be shut down. The main income is from advertising revenue. This can be a problem if advertisers decide to cut their costs.
Dependence on the Internet
Minimal physical presence
Google’s Opportunity
Wearable market: In November 2019, Google acquired Fitbit for $2.1 billion to compete with Apple and Samsung in the attractive and growing wearable (smartwatch and fitness band) market.
Android OS: The most important opportunity for Google is its noticeable efforts in Android operating system provisioning. This has strengthened their chances of competing directly with Apple iOS.
Google Glasses and Google Play: Google is set to market its newly launched Google Glasses and Google Play. This can boost the progress and development of Google.
Cloud computing: With its storage and cloud solutions, cloud computing can play a significant role in Google’s marketing enterprise. In January 2018, Google introduced a new digital store, which provides cloud-based software to all organizations. Correspondingly, the company also launched Mobile Iron, Inc., To integrate its Orbitra Commerce platform with Mobile Iron’s app distribution, security, and analytics capabilities.
Non-advertising business model: Google needs to start a diversification process and aim to create a non-advertising business model accordingly. There is a need to further enhance adaptability by committing to more commercial transactions. This will ensure permanent revenue
Google’s Threat
Market Shares Decline: According to data gathered from Emarketer, Google’s US digital advertising revenue is expected to see a decline in market shares. It was 38.8% (2017), 37.2% (2018). The reason for this is the increasing competition from Facebook, Amazon, Instagram, and Snapchat for advertising market share.
Gender Bias: A Google memo published by its employer James Damore has sparked a strong debate on the issue of gender bias and free speech in the company, highlighting its diversity policy.
Change Of Information: China has drawn a lot of criticism over its alleged cooperation with China on the search engine project (Dragonfly) by the censors. Antitrust controversy: Google has been involved in antitrust disputes for years with US and EU lawmakers. Anti-EU antitrust regulators fined EUR 5 billion which Google has sought to challenge.
Censorship Policy: Google has not managed to protect itself from backlash over its censorship policy. Many whistle-blowers have started leaking about its political, and ideological leanings.
Competitors: Google is the primary threat from its rivals Facebook and Amazon. Both competitors are slowly joining up with Google. Their new features and increasing popularity can take the headlines away from Google.
Google’s SWOT analysis shows the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the largest online search engines. The popularity of Google allows it to enjoy huge profits.
The search engine keeps growing every year and keeps improving its technology. If Google addresses its weaknesses and threats, no other competitor can outperform or match this company.
FAQs
Who created Google?
Google was created by Larry Page and Sergey Brin.
Who is Google CEO?
The CEO of Google is Sundar Pichai.
What is Larry Page’s net worth?
Larry Page’s current net worth as estimated by Forbes in April 2022 is $111 bn.
What is Sergey Brin’s net worth?
The net worth of Sergey Brin is $107 bn.
What is Google known for?
Google is a multinational conglomerate that is known for the creation of the world’s most popular search engine platform.
What year was Google founded?
Google was founded in 1998, on the 4th of September.
During the ongoing coronavirus crisis, Indian SMBs (small and medium businesses) are facing various challenges in running their operations smoothly. These challenges include access to remote working solutions with secure and scalable environment, disaster recovery and advanced security with device management and threat protection. Microsoft has announced the launch of the Back2Business Solution Boxes to help SMBs maintain business continuity and start their cloud adoption journeys.
Needless to mention, COVID-19 has created havoc all over the world. Many countries are currently going through economic slowdown and global crisis like layoffs and increasing unemployment. Startups and small and medium businesses are no exceptions. They are facing more challenges due to limited capital and resources to keep the operations going.
To provide support in keeping these businesses running through any interruptions and reducing on-premise infrastructure management costs, Microsoft has launched the Back2Business Solution Boxes on May 12. It will help Indian small and medium enterprises or SMBs continue their operations without interruptions. These offerings aim to boost employee productivity and improve customer engagement.
Microsoft set up its India operations in 1990. Today, Microsoft entities in India have over 11,000 employees. They provide sales and marketing, research, development and customer services and support, across 11 Indian cities – Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, New Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Pune.
Microsoft offers its global cloud services from local data centers to accelerate digital transformation across Indian start-ups, businesses, and government organizations. To help Indian SMBs, Microsoft has decided to bring together offerings across Azure and Modern Workplace. Azure is a cloud computing service created by Microsoft for building, testing, deploying, and managing applications.
Harish Vellat, Senior Director of Small and Mid-Corporate Business, Microsoft India,
“Small and medium enterprises are an integral part of the Indian economy. We’ve witnessed their resilience and entrepreneurial energy in action as we build the new normal in these difficult times. In our efforts to support these businesses operate today without constraints and be future-ready with the best-in-class technological platform and solutions, the Back2Business Solution Boxes offer speed in deployment and usage and flexibility with pay-as-you-go pricing, along with our commitment to privacy and security.”
Microsoft will offer Cloud computing through Azure & Teams
Back2Business Solution Boxes
Microsoft will provide near-term challenges through COVID-19 offerings around Windows Virtual Desktop and Microsoft Teams. Microsoft has also designed some solution packages to accelerate the cloud adoption journeys of SMBs. These are designed to help increase legacy systems and migrate workloads to Azure or modernize apps and websites. These solution boxes are standard and easy to customize according to requirements of customers.
The boxes come in four variants –
Starter: Designed for small organizations that require remote working and collaboration solutions in a secure environment.
Booster: Developed for mid-sized businesses that need both online and desktop applications, customer management, backup service, and a secure disaster recovery strategy.
Modern Business: Designed for SMB customers who require a simple security foundation along with their productivity suite.
Advanced: Developed for SMBs that need advanced security capabilities, cost reduction and better infrastructure management.
Microsoft mentioned that their partners have the additional flexibility of customizing the boxed packages with their own value offerings for migration and deployment. Microsoft’s partner ecosystem is at the centre of delivering technologies and driving business transformation for its customers. Together with its partners, Microsoft is committed to helping the small and medium business community in India navigate the current challenges and scale up their operations seamlessly.
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed every aspect of work and life. Coronavirus spread during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic led many organizations to recommend their staff to work from home full-time; now also being known as WFH, for their safety. As more and more companies implement work-from-home policies due to the spread of COVID-19, employees are now asked for trying to be just as productive without the normal routines and resources that they get in the offices while working. While working from home sounds like a luxury, in theory, it’s certainly no vacation and being productive is not very easy.
But to get the same productivity from work from home, some specific strategies & Goals need to be implemented. Every job is different and the amount of work one can achieve will vary between career types, employers and internal policies, but there are some key strategies to working from home when it comes to getting your tasks done efficiently. Working remotely or the practice of working for an extended period outside the formal office environment is growing steadily in popularity by using various digital tools from Web conferencing, e-mail to mobile collaboration applications and virtual event platforms to connect people and make sure the work-from-home is possible without any difficulty. “Some of the best strategies & Goals to make yourself productive without distractions are”.
As an employee, one needs to create a dedicated work area at home even if it is temporary during this Coronavirus outbreak situation. It can be a separate room or a space at home where you can’t get distracted. Although it’s convenient to stay in bed or on your sofa but to get in that work mode, it is always better to create a dedicated workspace. A separate workspace is healthy as well as keeping to your regular work routine, even though you are not in the office. If you don’t have a desk, one can use the dining room table which can make you feel like you’re at the office. This helps you focus on your work, avoid distractions, and maintain a work-life balance at home.
Creating a Dedicated Workspace
Make sure you have Strong Internet access
Internet access is the most important thing for getting your tasks done at home. When you work at home, having a strong internet connection will be most advised as most of the work or tasks assigned to you will be over the internet. Wifi/Data Card/Hot Spot is used for better network connectivity. Having a robust internet connection is required for video conferencing and chatting will make you an active participant and also helps in finishing your tasks without difficulty.
Strong Internet access
Stay Connected with colleagues
Staying connected with colleagues is very important for a professional. It helps you evaluate your work, perform well in your tasks and also social skills. If you work on a team, it is essential to keep in touch with the other team members. For this purpose, there are many platforms like WhatsApp, Slack so that people get updates for the quick task. One can also stay connected with team members with the help of email communications. Any queries, inputs must be discussed with the other teammates. Messaging programs like Slack is a good idea to set up regular check-ins via phone or video conferencing like Skype, FaceTime, or Zoom.
Get used to Video Calls
Working from home means a lot more video calls. On the tech front, video calls can make a remote workday feel more connected. Video calls are crucial as teams like to see each other when they collaborate for a better understanding of each other’s perspectives. For this, you need a good webcam and headset to have a comfortable and quality experience. Using your built-in webcam and basic headphones should work well enough but if you want to upgrade the experience, investing in a webcam or headset is a good idea if the worker’s base computing device does not have one. In some organizations, 720P is the minimum acceptable resolution for quality results, for which one may need to get a webcam. A high-quality headset or headphones with a mic are a must for phone or web conferencing. Apart from this, using appropriate software for web or video conferencing is important. There are many software available for connecting people on video conferencing like Skype, FaceTime, Zoom, Microsoft TeamsWebex, Zoho & so on. Accounts are free for the basic plan in Zoom if your company does not already have a corporate one. Zoom is packed with features and is fast with clear audio and video. Now, these companies are making many features free and lifting the limitations to cope with coronavirus outbreaks.
Make use of Google Docs and Sheets
Google docs and Sheets are used to interact & update the status or progress of the assigned task. It is advisable to use Google Docs and Sheets to keep the records and store the data. Google Docs and Sheets let teams collaborate making monitoring tasks easier and evaluating the progress without any confusion. There is one more tool named Zapier which is a web service having many features like voice typing which increases productivity and also makes the work easy.
Prepare for Distractions
Needless to say, working at home comes with the high possibility of distractions. Working from home is never as same as working in offices. You must realise that at home we can’t always be as productive as we are in the office with the family being at home.
Conclusion
The Covid-19 pandemic has changed our perspective towards many things. Work-from-home is one of them. Work-from-home can be possible and very effective if you make an effort to make yourself productive by creating your own goals and strategies. Following a strict routine and improving your skills every day can make you a better professional.
