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Tag: Video Conferencing Tools

  • Best Webinar Software Platforms for Marketers in 2023

    It is nearly impossible to communicate ideas and have important discussions face-to-face always, owing to one’s busy schedule. Advanced communication technology can help this situation smartly. Webinar means conducting an online seminar, meetings, and conferences online, using the internet facility. Webinar software can be defined as video conferencing software that helps host or broadcast training, workshop, meeting, lectures, etc. on the web.

    The best webinar software makes recording, sharing, and engaging your prospects. Plus, it should have super high-quality video and audio quality, allow multiple presenters, and even have email marketing capabilities to ensure everyone shows up for your webinar. Most webinar software also comes with features like built-in surveys, polls, live chat, automated webinar sequences, live streaming, and more. These automated webinar sequences are excellent for hosting evergreen content like online courses, podcast interviews, or employee onboarding videos.

    Best Webinar Software Tools in 2023

    This list of the 12 best webinar software tools will help you figure out which tool is best for your business marketing needs.

    Zoom
    Webex
    GoToWebinar
    EverWebinar
    MyOwnConference
    ClickMeeting
    WebinarJam
    Livestorm
    Demio
    GetResponse
    DaCast

    Zoom

    Launched in 2011
    Rating 4.5/5
    Mobile App Yes
    Starting Price Free

    Zoom - video conferencing platform
    Zoom – video conferencing platform

    Zoom comes with a range of cloud video conferencing capabilities, including HD voice and video functionality, dual streams for dual screens, the ability to join as a view-only attendee, as well as by Zoom Rooms and telephone dial-in. It also has accessibility features, which allow employees with physical disabilities to schedule, attend, and participate in Zoom meetings and webinars.

    The group collaboration feature of Zoom allows simultaneous screen sharing, group messaging, whiteboarding, annotation, and co-annotation, iOS mirroring on iPhone or iPad, and the ability to share documents, photos, and videos. Zoom includes unlimited VOIP with toll-free options in more than 60 countries available. You can also integrate any third-party teleconferencing service. Zoom lets you create a personal meeting ID and URL name to share with participants when you schedule your meetings. The security features enable you to give role-based control and include SSL encryption plus HTTPS access.

    Zoom works across all platforms and will record the entire event, including questions asked by viewers. It also offers screen sharing and annotations and allows you to broadcast to Facebook Live or YouTube. It is also one of the only major webinar platforms that offer a free plan. If your webinar is under forty minutes and your attendees are under 100, you can use its basic features for free.

    Pros and Cons of Zoom webinar software are listed below:

    Pros:

    • Interactive features like screen sharing, hand-raising, virtual background options, and live chat.
    • Easy to use.
    • Marketing tools to nurture contacts.
    • Ability to back up meetings in the cloud.
    • Allows meetings with a large number of participants.

    Cons:

    • The free version of Zoom has a relatively low limit of 40 minutes.
    • Zoom has faced security and privacy concerns in the past.

    Pricing Plans of Zoom:

    Free 100 participants (40-minute limit)
    Pro $14.99/month
    Business $19.99/month
    Webinar $79/month
    Event $99/month

    A free personal meeting plan is available with some restrictions. Paid plans start at $14.99/month, with Business and Enterprise plans starting from $19.99/month available as well. Also, Zoom charges per host. If you go with the basic paid plan at $14.99 per month but use two hosts, you’ll pay $14.99 x 2 or $29.98 per month.

    Zoom pricing
    Zoom pricing

    Top 10 Best Video Conferencing Apps for Businesses
    Are you looking for best video conferencing tools? The listed apps are the best video conferencing apps suited for every kind of business.
    StartupTalkyNiku Mandal

    Top 10 Best Video Conferencing Tools for Businesses

    Webex

    Launched in 2000
    Rating 4.2/5
    Mobile App Yes
    Starting Price Free

    Webex - webinar platform
    Webex – webinar platform

    Webex is more than a webinar platform, combining a wider range of features for holding online meetings, events, training sessions, interactive presentations and team collaboration. This sets it apart from the tools we’ve looked at so far, although the pricing is very similar. So you get a lot of features for your money compared to GoToWebinar and a completely different set of features to EverWebinar.

    It provides some impressive features, such as a host room along with HD video and audio services that can be accessed on multiple devices. It allows its users a high degree of customization so that the host environment can be tailor-made to suit business requirements. Through Webex webinars, you can hold meetings throughout your organization, offer online and offline training sessions, and provide remote support. The key USPs of Webex include mobility, user-friendliness, and compatibility with all devices and browsers.

    Setting Up a Webinar via Cisco Webex Events

    Pros and Cons of Webex webinar tool are listed below:

    Pros:

    • Offers a free plan for up to 100 attendees.
    • Built-in Q&A sessions, surveys, and polls for audience engagement.
    • Translates live webinar to more than 100 languages.
    • Live polling.

    Cons:

    • Must contact sales to get started.
    • Real-time translation costs extra.
    • Third party devices can be a problem.

    Pricing Plans of Webex:

    Basic Free
    Business $25/month
    Enterprise Custom Plan

    Webex webinars pricing plan includes Free Basic plan for up to 1oo participants. Its Business plan cost for $25 per month up to 2oo participants, and Enterprise is a custom plan for up to 1oo0 participants.

    Webex Pricing Plan
    Webex Pricing Plan

    Best Email and Workflow Automation Tools.
    The software space is noisy. Workflow automation makes complicated business[https://startuptalky.com/tag/business/]processes easier to manage. When a form fill, useraction, or internal signal is triggered, automated workflows can move ortransform data according to your instructions. This hands-of…
    StartupTalkyRishabh Rathi

    GoToWebinar

    Launched in 2006
    Rating 4.2/5
    Mobile App Yes
    Starting Price Free

    GoToWebinar - Best Webinar Software
    GoToWebinar – Best Webinar Software

    GoToWebinar is by the folks at GoToMeeting, the popular meeting and screen-sharing application/service. GoToWebinar software is designed to cater to your webinar and web conferencing needs. The tool comes featured with functionalities that facilitate retain customers and also generate leads. Reminder emails and notifications help to stay well-prepared and not miss important deadlines.

    You can easily measure participants’ level of engagement with this tool by using engagement metrics. Pre-recorded webinars are available with this webinar platform. The software also allows customization, so your webinar materials can be designed with your company’s logo easily. You can share at ease videos and demos while holding web conferences or during broadcasting events. It is compatible with mobile.

    Some of the biggest benefits of GoToWebinar include a handy video-sharing feature, breakout rooms to split up your audience, and a few mobile apps that can be used for webinar management. As such, it offers some of the best webinar tools on the market. It also features advanced lead management and reporting tools which allow you to integrate with your existing CRM. By doing so, you can handle lead generation and event creation all in one place.

    Pros and Cons of GoToWebinar software are listed below:

    Pros:

    • Audience engagement by conducting online seminars, polls and surveys.
    • Options available for custom branding and registration pages
    • Lead management and reporting tools.
    • Allows for large numbers of participants.

    Cons:

    • Software feels a bit outdated.
    • Relatively expensive compared to other web conferencing and online seminar platforms.
    • Technical issues were reported by some users.

    Pricing Plans of GoToWebinar:

    Free 7 days
    Starter $89/month
    Pro $199/month
    Plus $429/month

    After a free 7 days trial, prices start at $89/month billed annually. GoToWebinar also offers a Pro Plan for $199/month and an Enterprise plan at $429/month.

    GoToWebinar pricing
    GoToWebinar pricing

    How to Remotely Manage your Workforce?
    The rise of remote work [https://startuptalky.com/tag/remote-working/] might beunavoidable, and you should want to take advantage. Allowing remote work canbenefit not only your employees, but you as a manager and the organization as awhole. Not only do remote workers tend to enjoy what they do mo…
    StartupTalkyRishabh Rathi

    EverWebinar

    Launched in 2015
    Rating 3.9/5
    Mobile App No
    Starting Price $199

    EverWebinar - Webinar automation tool
    EverWebinar – Webinar automation tool

    EverWebinar is a powerful webinar automation tool that aims to help you build email marketing lists. With EverWebinar, you can schedule and automate your webinar footage to play at set intervals and the software aims to recreate the live experience for users. The goal is to increase engagement and attendance by telling users the next webinar is about to begin, even if they choose to replay it a dozen times per day.

    Like evergreen content, evergreen webinars are existing webinars that are re-broadcasted over time. The idea is that some webinars contain topics and content that stays relevant and can be replayed to new attendees (and new potential customers). With EverWebinar, you have three options:

    • Show the webinar live.
    • Show a hybrid – a pre-recorded video with live chat enabled.
    • Show a fully automated video – no work or interaction from you required.

    EverWebinar is the best webinar platform for you if you want to automate screenings of your pre recorded webinars and turn them into a highly effective lead generation strategy. This is a truly unique platform.

    Pros and Cons of EverWebinar webinar automation tool are listed below:

    Pros:

    • EverWebinar has a user-friendly interface that makes it easy for users to schedule and host webinars.
    • EverWebinar allows users to create automated webinars, which means that the webinar can be run without the need for the host to be present.
    • It allows users to customize the look and feel of their webinars, including the ability to add logos, branding, and custom graphics.
    • It can be integrated with other tools, such as email marketing software and CRM systems, which can help users to manage and track their webinars more effectively.

    Cons:

    • EverWebinar is a paid webinar software.
    • EverWebinar does not offer some of the advanced features that are available in other webinar software, such as the ability to conduct polls or surveys during the webinar.
    • As with any webinar software, there is a risk of technical issues occurring during the webinar, such as connectivity problems or audio/video issues.

    Pricing Plans of EverWebinar:

    Free Not Available
    Installment Plan $199×3 yearly
    Annual Plan $499/yearly
    Biennial Plan $799/2 years

    There are a few options in EverWebinar pricing plans. You can pay in 3 installments of $199 or pay $499 annually but most importantly, you can try it out and get a feel for it first with a 14 day trial. There is also a Biennial Plan (799$/ 2 years).

    EverWebinar pricing
    EverWebinar pricing

    MyOwnConference

    Launched in 2014
    Rating 4.3/5
    Mobile App No
    Starting Price Free

    MyOwnConference - web-based webinar software
    MyOwnConference – web-based webinar software

    MyOwnConference is a robust, web-based webinar software. It provides easy access to the webinar room from any popular browser without the installation of additional software. It offers a wide range of features, including Q&A, chat, screen sharing, recording, quizzes, whiteboard, and much more. This makes MyOwnConference useful for different types of events: webinars, video conferencing, business meetings, training sessions, remote work, e.t.c.

    Pros and Cons of MyOwnConference web based webinar software are listed below:

    Pros:

    • MyOwnConference allows users to host online meetings and webinars with up to 1000 participants.
    • MyOwnConference offers a range of features, including screen sharing, audio and video conferencing, and chat, which can be useful for various types of online meetings and webinars.
    • Records webinars in HD.
    • The interface supports sixteen different languages. This enables you to engage with a multilingual audience.

    Cons:

    • UI isn’t that user-friendly.
    • The platform only supports a maximum of 10 different speakers. This may cause problems if you have a lot of expert presenters lined up.

    Pricing Plans of MyOwnConference:

    Free 20 attendees for lifetime
    One Time Plan $12/day
    Monthly Plan $36/month for 60 attendees
    Annual Plan $348

    MyOwnConference offers a free plan for 20 attendees for lifelong use. As for paid plans, it provides 3 types of tariffs: one-time, annual, and monthly. A one-time plan starts at $12/day and includes all available features. The monthly price starts at $36/month for 60 attendees. The annual plan will cost you $348 with 20% discounts.

    MyOwnConference pricing
    MyOwnConference pricing

    Project Management Tools for Virtual Teams
    Project management [https://startuptalky.com/tag/project-management/] software assistsemployees, administrators, and teams with managing team goals and long-termprojects, as well as coordinating individual tasks. Project management softwareaccomplishes this through a range of tools to manage work…
    StartupTalkyRishabh Rathi

    ClickMeeting

    Launched in 2011
    Rating 4/5
    Mobile App Yes
    Starting Price Free

    ClickMeeting - webinar management tool
    ClickMeeting – webinar management tool

    ClickMeeting is a webinar management tool for businesses who want to increase their digital reach by hosting branded webinars. All features are intuitive and straightforward to use and come in handy while dealing with international speakers and audiences. It is easy to personalize the webinar room and every associated element with just a few clicks while managing all sorts of webinars such as paid webinars, automated webinars, etc.

    Webinar hosting is free from the hassle of device and operating system incompatibility. Types of content that can be hosted include Facebook and YouTube Live, Presentations, Whiteboard, Polls, Surveys, and more. With analytical capabilities, users can derive useful predictions and trends and strengthen their relationships with webinar attendees with regular engagement. With a dedicated webinar tool, it is easier to move prospects through the sales funnel, attract a larger and targeted user base, deliver knowledge-oriented sessions, and measure the progress.

    How to Create and Deliver an Exciting and Impactful Webinar on ClickMeeting

    Pros and Cons of ClickMeeting webinar management tool are listed below:

    Pros:

    • You can stream webinar live on YouTube or Facebook.
    • A user-friendly interface makes it easier to use and manage.
    • ClickMeeting offers a range of features, including screen sharing, audio and video conferencing, and chat, which can be useful for various types of online meetings and webinars.
    • Engage your audience with live chat and Q&A sessions
    • Unlimited webinar landing pages.

    Cons:

    • Can’t schedule recurring meetings.
    • It does not have a phone support hotline.
    • The storage capacity is limited to 10-hour maximum.

    Pricing Plans of ClickMeeting:

    Free 30 Days Trial
    Live $25/month
    Automated $40/month

    The price is reasonable, but the number of attendees allowed is a little low. The rates start at $25 per month (billed annually) for 25 attendees, $40 (billed annually) per month for up to 50 viewers. There is also an option for custom-pricing that’s best suited for enterprise customers.

    ClickMeeting Pricing
    ClickMeeting Pricing

    Chatbot – Perfect SaaS Business Tool
    Software as a Service (SaaS [https://startuptalky.com/tag/saas/]) is a high engagementaffair with its users. Modern businesses face crucial challenges related to customer retention [https://startuptalky.com/tag/customer-retention/] and businessdevelopment. Due to a shift in focus from primarily s…
    StartupTalkyRishabh Rathi

    WebinarJam

    Launched in 2013
    Rating 3.7/5
    Mobile App No
    Starting Price $39 per month

    WebinarJam - Webinar Software
    WebinarJam

    WebinarJam is developed by the same team as EverWebinar but the focus is on screening live webinars this time. WebinarJam is more like a traditional online seminar platforms, designed for live events so there’s no automation or scheduling with this tool. However, it syncs perfectly with EverWebinar to provide a platform combination that caters to all of your webinar needs – more capable and cheaper than most of the competition.

    It has all the table stakes features like HD video, multiple presenters, slick customer-facing interface and an easy presenter dashboard. It also has features like- live broadcast to YouTube, live chat in webinar, ability to moderate and highlight comments, private messages between moderators, popups for selling your product during your webinar, the ability to poll your audience, or share a video or whiteboard annotation mid-webinar and a super robust analytics dashboard.

    Pros and Cons of WebinarJam webinar platform are listed below:

    Pros:

    • Enterprise plan allows for up to six presenters and 5,000 live attendees
    • One-click webinar registration.
    • User-friendly and quick to set up.
    • Support multiple languages.
    • Interactive and engaging features

    Cons:

    • .Customer support isn’t always friendly.
    • Can’t stream directly from your website.

    Pricing Plans of WebinarJam:

    Starter $39/month
    Basic $79/month
    Professional $229/month
    Enterprise $379/month

    Webinarjam pricing plans starts at $39/month (when paid annually). There are also other options like Basic ($79/month), Professional ($229/month) and Enterprise ($379/month).

    Webinarjam Pricing
    Webinarjam Pricing

    Livestorm

    Launched in 2016
    Rating 4.4/5
    Mobile App No
    Starting Price Free

    Livestorm - webinar software
    Livestorm

    Livestorm is a webinar software that facilitates hosting eye-catching presentation and demonstration of products/services. With this tool you can improve your customer training process, by creating live sessions to answer queries and give tips.

    This webinar software helps creating and sharing online live courses for your targeted masses. You can craft attractive landing pages without a landing page builder software, and emails without any need to opt for email automation software. Livestorm facilitates hosting webinars quickly,without any requirement to download anything. It can easily be accessed from any device, including PCs, laptops, tablets, and mobile phones. Their webinar software also works on any browser without any restrictions for attendees.

    An area where it stands out is the email logistics where you can send promotional emails, automate those emails, check email status, and add a touch of personalization. This webinar tool also takes your data security very seriously and is 100% GDPR-compliant. Livestorm is also focused on customer engagement with activities like polling, Q&A sessions, and the use of up-votes.

    Pros and Cons of Livestorm webinar software tool are listed below:

    Pros:

    • Run live, on-demand, or fully automated webinars.
    • Livestorm is easy to use and set up.
    • Intuitive landing pages.
    • Engage attendees with features like polling, Q&A sessions, and upvoting.
    • Perfect tool when handling interviews and testing candidates.

    Cons:

    • As browser software, video quality can be affected by the host’s internet connection.
    • It does not have a slideshows upload feature in the webinar.
    • Webinar duration must be 20 minutes or less for its free plan.

    Pricing Plans of Livestorm:

    Free Up to 30 active contacts/month
    Pro $88/month
    Business Custom Plan
    Enterprise Custom Plan

    Livestorm offers four pricing plans Free, Pro, Business and Enterprise. Free plan allow Up to 30 active contacts/month, Pro plan cost $88/month, billed annually, Business and Enterprise are custom plans with unlimited active contacts and other attractive features.  Get a personalized quote as per your requirements.

    Livestorm pricing plans
    Livestorm pricing plans


    Try Livestorm for FREE

    Best Shared Calendar Apps
    Business [https://startuptalky.com/tag/business/]owners should constantly be looking fortechnology to make their business and employees more productive. While computersand smart phones come with a calendar, it might not be the best option for youor your business. Thankfully, there isn’t a shortag…
    StartupTalkyRishabh Rathi

    Demio

    Launched in 2014
    Rating 4.7/5
    Mobile App No
    Starting Price $34/month

    Demio - Webinar Software Platform
    Demio

    Demio is one of the best webinar software platforms available out there. It’s super easy to record your webinar automatically in the cloud. When it comes to visual aesthetics, it delivers real-time, HD streaming, and great looking platform design. The software has powerful tracking options. Retargeting, tracking, or conversion pixels may be freely added on the registration page, thank you page, or in the webinar room.

    Also, demio offers automation rules, such as sending the webinar recording to those who joined only after the 30-minute mark. With these rules, it is easy to segment the audience in real-time based on the actions that people take. Finally, demio is a very simple tool. It usually takes just several minutes to schedule the first event and even less time to setup the recurring webinars.

    Pros and Cons of Demio webinar software platform are listed below:

    Pros:

    • Webinar pages are highly customizable.
    • Includes engagement features like live chat, document handouts, and CTA pop-ups
    • You don’t have to download any additional software to run webinars.
    • 14-day free trial available.

    Cons:

    • There is no general link available instead, there’s a separate link for each attendee.
    • Webinar replays don’t display annotations, chats, and polls.
    • You only got to share the entire screen. Thats so painful in a webinar.

    Pricing Plans of Demio:

    Free 14 Days Trial
    Starter $34/month
    Growth $69/month
    Premium $250/month

    Demio provides a 14-day free trial, which allows you to test out all its features. The Starter plan starts at $34 per month for a 50-person webinar room, Growth plan of $69 for a 150-person room, and Premium Plan of $250 per month for a 500-3000 person room. These monthly rates are valid on annual subscriptions.

    Demio Pricing
    Demio Pricing

    Top Payment Processing Software (SaaS)
    Software as a Service (SaaS [https://startuptalky.com/tag/saas/]) applications’ paymenttypically need a shopping cart / payment checkout or the ability to managerecurring or subscription payments. Both present challenges and opportunitiesfor the SaaS platform. Choosing the right payment processor…
    StartupTalkyRishabh Rathi

    GetResponse

    Launched in Not Available
    Rating 4.2/5
    Mobile App Yes
    Starting Price $15/month

    GetResponse - webinar platform
    GetResponse

    GetResponse is all-in-the-box solution incorporates not only a webinar platform, but also different marketing tools, including autoresponders, custom emails, list segmentation feature etc. With this, it is possible to have the email database and webinar tool under the same roof. As a result, the account holder may schedule webinar campaigns for the subscribers, send the reminders to them; share the event on social media.

    Like the others on this list, it includes features like polling, desktop sharing, integrated whiteboard, and access to detailed reports. It is also possible to use the registration feature to collect new emails and to send automatic thank-you messages to the registrants.

    Pros and Cons of GetResponse webinar platform are listed below:

    Pros:

    • Lots of templates to choose from, making building almost anything on the platform possible
    • Nothing is left to the imagination – you can view your marketing automation workflows and funnels in a visual manner.
    • Retarget visitors to your webinar page.
    • Comparatively good at split test.
    • Third-party tool integration.

    Cons:

    • No free plan for webinars.
    • Complex email automation structure.
    • Complete automation is not available at the basic plan.

    Pricing Plans of GetResponse:

    Basic $15/month
    Plus $49/month
    Professional $99/month
    Max Custom Plan

    GetResponse Basic plans starts from $15 per month. Plus plan cost for $49 per month, Professional plan cost for $99 per month and Max is a custom plan.

    GetResponse Pricing Plans
    GetResponse Pricing Plans


    Start Using GetResponse Now

    DaCast

    Launched in 2010
    Rating 4.5/5
    Mobile App No
    Starting Price 14 Days Free Trial

    DaCast - webinar platform
    DaCast

    DaCast may be a great choice for companies and individuals who are just trying their hand in webinar conducting. While the majority of webinar platforms are subscription based, this pricing format may not be ideal for those who only hold live events from time to time.

    Dacast is the live streaming platform with a unique approach to pricing. The customers may pay on an event by event basis. Prepaid bandwidth may be used when the client needs it during the following 12 months. However, there are also subscription-based plans for those who hold webinars regularly. With Dacast, it is possible to stream from your website over social networks including Facebook, or any other way.

    While it lacks a few of the more advanced features of other webinar platforms, it offers a good variety of functionality across all plans, including: Quality Streaming, No Viewer Limits, Unlimited Channels, Watermarking, Play on Facebook, Playlist, Third-Party Integration, Multi-Bitrate, Secure Delivery, Analytics, Mobile Device Support, and Video Paywall.

    Pros and Cons of Dacast webinar management tool are listed below:

    Pros:

    • Monetization features like price groups, promo codes, and subscriptions available.
    • Customize your paywall.
    • Free trial for 14 days available.
    • Interactive video on demand.
    • Private streaming.

    Cons:

    • Plans have a bandwidth limit. If you go over, you have to pay $0.25 per GB.
    • Not many customization options.

    Pricing Plans of Dacast:

    Starter $39/month
    Event $63/month
    Scale $188/month
    Custom Available

    Free trial for 14 days available. Starter plan is available for small audiences for $39/month billed annually, Event plan (One time or occasional events) for $63/month billed annually, Scale plan is available for Business & organizational video for $188/month billed annually. There is one quote-based custom plan as well that allows you to cherry-pick the features you require.

    DaCast pricing
    DaCast pricing

    Conclusion

    Due to the popularity of webinars, there’s no shortage of platforms to choose from. There are some great webinar platforms on this list and a few outside bets that cater to more specialist needs. The above is by no means an exhaustive list, but it does highlight some of the biggest platforms with the best features, pros and cons and pricing details . The right webinar platform for you, depends on your specific needs, of course. However, I can fully recommend taking a closer look at the options we’ve covered today by trying out a few free trials. Do you know of some other webinar tool? Feel free to drop it in the comments section below.

    FAQs

    What is Webinar Software?  

    Webinar software can be defined as video conferencing software that helps to host or broadcast training, workshop, meeting, lectures, and other virtual events on the web.

    Which are the best webinar software platforms?

    Best webinar software platforms are:

    • Zoom
    • GoToWebinar
    • EverWebinar
    • MyOwnConference
    • ClickMeeting
    • WebinarJam
    • Livestorm
    • Demio
    • GetResponse
    • Webex
    • DaCast

    What is the main purpose of webinar?

    The main objective of conducting a webinar is to instruct, demonstrate, or educate your targeted audience.

    Are webinars live or recorded?

    It can be both, either live or recorded.

    Is Zoom, a good webinar software?

    Zoom Video Webinar is the best virtual platform for hosting meetings, webinars, conferences, etc.

    Are webinars still effective?

    Yes, webinars are still effective, and they should be a part of your marketing strategy.

  • How Pandemic Contributed to the Success of Zoom Video Communications?

    Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations. The content in this post has been approved by Zoom.

    The global video conferencing market size is expected to reach USD 10.92 billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 9.7% during the forecast period. Zoom Video Communications, Inc. incorporated on April 04, 2011, is a provider of video-first communication platform and Web conferencing services. In recent times, Zoom became a global phenomenon as businesses had to revert to working from home.

    The Company offers cloud-native platform, which unifies cloud video conferencing, online meetings, group messaging and a software-based conference room system, which enables users to easily experience Zoom Meetings in their physical meeting spaces.

    With the coronavirus pandemic hitting the whole world at large, face-to-face business activities had to take a plunge. That’s when this company became a savior for every online meeting that took place. We are talking about the Zoom cloud meeting which was founded by Eric S. Yuan in 2011.

    Zoom is an American company offering remote conferencing services. It is headquartered in San Jose, California. Zoom also has offices in Europe, Asia, and Australia. It primarily provides a remote conferencing service that combines other tertiary services like video conferencing, online meetings, chat, and mobile collaboration to facilitate conducting business virtually. It is one of the online meeting platforms which paved its way for success.

    Zoom success during pandemic was unexpected and it was a turning point in their organization. Read on to know more about the Zoom success story below.

    Zoom – Company Highlights

    Startup Name Zoom
    Headquarters San Jose, California, United States
    Industry Video Communication and Conferencing
    Founder Eric Yuan
    Founded 2011
    Total Funding Raised $276 Million
    Parent Organization Zoom Video Communications, Inc.

    Zoom – About
    Zoom – Impact of COVID19
    Zoom – Founder
    Zoom – Startup Story
    Zoom – Customer Acquisition
    Zoom – Mission
    Zoom – Business Model
    Zoom – Mergers and Acquisitions
    Zoom – Funding and Investors
    Zoom – Valuation
    Zoom – Competitors
    Zoom – Challenges Faced
    Zoom – Future Plans

    Zoom – About

    Zoom Video Communications, Inc. (or simply Zoom) is an American communications technology company headquartered in San Jose, California. It provides videotelephony and online chat services through a cloud-based peer-to-peer software platform and is used for teleconferencing, telecommuting, distance education, and social relations.

    The company develops a people-centric cloud service that transforms real-time collaboration experience. The Company offers unified meeting experience, a cloud service that provides a 3-in-1 meeting platform with HD video conferencing, mobility, and web meetings. The company’s cloud-native platform enables face-to-face video and connects users across various devices and locations in a single meeting. Zoom, which was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in San Jose, California, serves companies of all sizes from all industries around the world.

    Zoom Cloud meetings offer a free video-conferencing facility for up to 100 participants. It offers a communications platform that connects people through video, voice, chat, and content sharing. Zoom is compatible with Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Chrome OS, and Linux. Originally, it came with a 40-minute time limit but now due to coronavirus lockdown, this limit has been removed. If the companies want to add more participants and avail of more advanced features, paid subscriptions are available with the Zoom meeting app. Zoom’s closed source software is claimed to be compliant with FedRAMP, HIPAA, PIPEDA and PHIPA, and the GDPR.

    Initially, when Zoom was launched, it could host video conferences with only 15 participants which got increased to 25, two years after its inception. From there, it directly jumped to a participation limit of 100 in 2015 followed by 1000 for business customers.

    Users can hold one-on-one meetings or conduct video conferences with up to 500 participants. Screen sharing allows meeting participants to better coordinate within meetings and distribute information.

    The company has an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, collaboration, chat, and webinars across mobile devices, desktops, telephones, and room systems.

    The worldwide adoption of Zoom is powered by its two core products: Zoom Meetings and Chat as well as Zoom Rooms and Workspaces. Zoom Meetings can be attended and held via a web browser, or desktop and mobile applications. The  Chat works as an extension to the Meeting product where users can interact through a chat with each other, share files, or create groups.

    Rooms and Workspaces, on the other hand, allows businesses to utilize hardware such as a computer, tablet, camera, microphone, and more to hold virtual meetings. The product is specifically aimed at larger-scale organizations, which need to hold meetings across different offices. To make integration with the hardware easier, Zoom even offers its own set of hardware that they developed in collaboration with other manufacturers.

    Zoom – Impact of COVID19

    COVID-19 really boosted the success story of Zoom. This is when the Zoom Success strategy worked out really well. We’ve outlined its impact below!

    • With the pandemic intensifying, lockdowns were announced in almost all the affected countries which took Zoom to an altogether new level.
    • Be it companies, schools, or colleges, all started using Zoom Video Communications to conduct business meetings and deliver lectures.
    • Zoom offered its services to K–12 schools free of charge in many countries.
    • Zoom also released a paid education plan which allows unlimited meetings for up to 300 people. Not just that, these meetings are graced with the options of recording, transcription, and various other administrative controls.
    • These activities contributed to a sharp rise in Zoom usage and contributed to Zoom success during pandemic. For example, in just a day, the Zoom application was downloaded 3,43,000 times.
    • The company gained over 2.22 million users in the initial months of 2020. This number exceeded the number of users and  Zoom had amassed entirely in 2019.
    • Consequently, by March 2020, the Zoom share price increased to US$160.98 per share. This drafted an increase of about 263% as compared to its initial share prices when it came out with an IPO.
    • Zoom also became the go-to social platform for the Millennials. During this pandemic when they couldn’t step out, they used Zoom for blind dates and recess and many more fun activities that could turn their boredom into delight.
    • The founder, Yuan, added $20 Million to his net worth in just one day. This took his total net worth to $5.6 Billion!

    Zoom – Founder

    The Founder of Zoom is Eric S. Yuan.

    Eric S. Yuan, Founder, Zoom
    Eric S. Yuan, Founder, Zoom

    Educational qualification

    Bachelor’s and master’s degrees in applied mathematics and computer science from the Shandong University of Science and Technology.

    Early life

    Yuan was working with WebEx, which was acquired by Cisco Systems and that’s when he became vice president of engineering. After that, he went on to launch Zoom Video Communications.

    Zoom – Startup Story

    Eric Yuan is a former corporate vice president for Cisco WebEx. He left Cisco in April 2011 with 40 engineers to start a new company, originally named Saasbee, Inc. Prior to starting Zoom, Yuan spent 14 years leading engineering teams – first at WebEx, then at Cisco after its acquisition of WebEx in 2007.

    At Cisco, he often saw how frustrated the company’s customers were with their inability to listen to their demands and the slow product iteration process.

    The company had trouble finding investors because many people thought the video telephony market was already saturated. In June 2011, the company raised $3 million of seed money from WebEx founder Subrah Iyar, former Cisco SVP and General Counsel Dan Scheinman, and venture capitalists Matt Ocko, TSVC, and Bill Tai.

    In May 2012, the company changed its name to Zoom, influenced by Thacher Hurd’s children’s book Zoom City. In September 2012, Zoom launched a beta version that could host conferences with up to 15 video participants. In November 2012, the company signed Stanford University as its first customer.

    The service was launched in January 2013 after the company raised a $6 million Series A round from Qualcomm Ventures, Yahoo! founder Jerry Yang, WebEx founder Subrah Iyar, and former Cisco SVP and General Counsel Dan Scheinman. Zoom launched version 1.0 of the program allowing the maximum number of participants per conference to be 25. By the end of its first month, Zoom had 400,000 users and by May 2013 it had 1 million users. In the recent COVID times, Zoom rose to worldwide prominence as many companies use it to conduct meetings and organize their work processes.

    Zoom – Customer Acquisition

    Zoom's Business Customers growth
    Zoom’s Business Customers growth

    Within just one year of inception, Zoom recorded participation of 1 million user base. In its first year, Zoom established partnerships with multiple B2B collaboration software providers which included Redbooth (then Teambox), and together created a program that was named “Works with Zoom“. This, in turn, worked for Zoom in establishing more superior partnerships with hardware and software vendors like Logitech, Vaddio, and InFocus.

    Zoom in 2014

    Zoom had already reached 10 million users by 2014. And this number skyrocketed in 2015 when it went on to 40 million individuals with 65,000 organizations subscribed to the Zoom Video Conferencing Services. By 2015, Zoom had already hosted a total of 1 billion meeting minutes since its inception.

    Zoom in 2017

    Zoom hosted Zoomtopia 2017 in the year that was Zoom’s first-ever annual user conference. During this conference, they announced a dynamic series of new products and partnerships, which also included Zoom’s Partnership with Meta. This partnership was envisioned to integrate Zoom with Augmented Reality, more popularly known as AR. Also, Zoom announced its native support for Skype for Business and its futile integration with Slack, Workplace by Facebook, and its initial steps towards artificial intelligence (AI) speech-to-text converter.

    Zoom – Mission

    Zoom’s mission statement says, “Our mission is to develop a people-centric cloud service that unifies your meeting experience and improves the quality and effectiveness of communications forever.“

    Zoom – Business Model

    The business model of Zoom is built on charging businesses a reoccurring subscription fee for the various products the company offers. On top of that, Zoom makes money from the promotion of hardware products.

    Zoom – Revenue and Growth

    Zoom's Revenue Growth
    Zoom’s Revenue Growth

    Zoom has recorded annual revenue of $953 Million in 2021.

    Zoom Video Communications’ revenue for the quarter ending October 31, 2020 was $0.777B, a 366.52% increase year-over-year. Zoom Video Communications revenue for the twelve months ending October 31, 2020 was $1.957B, a 262.29% increase year-over-year.

    Zoom has 504,900 business customers.

    Zoom – Mergers and Acquisitions

    Zoom extended its communication network and service through mergers and acquisition as listed below.

    • In 2015, Zoom announced the integration of Zoom video conferencing with Salesforce’s customer relationship management platform. This collaboration allowed the sales team to initiate such conferences with their sales leads without leaving the application.
    • In 2017, Zoom went on to launch Telehealth. This platform is a scalable product in the telehealth category which allows doctors to remotely visit their patients through video communications for consultation.
    • In 2017, Zoom Video Communications announced a partnership with Polycom. This partnership integrated Zoom’s video meetings into the partnered company, Polycom’s conferencing systems and enabled a wide array of features that included multiple screens and device meetings, HD and wireless screen sharing, and calendar integration with Microsoft Outlook, Google Calendar, and iCal.
    • In March 2020, NextTech AR Solutions acquired a software company named Jolokia. Through this acquisition, it intends to integrate Zoom into Jolokia’s Inferno platform. The highlight is that this integration will allow Zoom Video meetings to support up to 100,000 participants. Not just that, with added and advanced features like “real-time Q&A Plus immersive AR.” and additional features like the ability to start a Zoom meeting from the Inferno platform and the incorporation of closed captioning in 64 languages to meeting recordings.
    • Very recently, in May 2020, Zoom acquired Keybase. Keybase offers end-to-end encrypted chat, file-sharing, and code-hosting all based on a cryptographic platform.
    • Zoom has acquired German startup Karlsruhe Information Technology Solutions (KITES) on June 30, 2021. The company’s acquisition would bring in the knowledge of language translation via machine learning and is deemed to be a step forward to break the language barriers and speed up the work across the organizations the world over.

    Zoom – Funding and Investors

    Zoom has raised a total of $276 Million in funding over 8 rounds. Their latest funding was raised in January 2017 from a Series D round.

    Here is a list of all the funding rounds of Zoom:

    Date Stage Amount Investors
    November 2021 Post IPO Equity $130 Million ARK Investment Management
    January 2017 Series D $100 million Sequoia Capital, Emergence Capital Partners
    February 2015 Series C $30 million Emergence Capital Partners, Horizons Ventures, Qualcomm Ventures
    September 2013 Series B $6.5 million Horizons Ventures, Jerry Yang, Patrick Soon-Shiong
    January 2013 Series A $6 million Qualcomm Ventures, Jerry Yang
    June 2011 Seed Round $3 million TEEC Angel Fund, Michael Everett, Matt Ocko
    February 2010 Pre Seed Round $500K –

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    Zoom – Valuation

    The Zoom valuation is currently at $9.2 billion. It raised a total of $751 million at IPO.

    Zoom – Competitors

    There are several online video conferencing services available.

    Top competitors of Zoom are:

    Zoom – Challenges Faced

    With all this extra attention, Zoom is now facing a huge privacy and security backlash as security experts, privacy advocates, lawmakers, and even the FBI warn that Zoom’s default settings aren’t secure enough. Zoom now risks becoming a victim of its own success.

    Zoom has battled security and privacy concerns before. Apple was forced to step in and silently remove Zoom software from Macs last year after a serious security vulnerability let websites hijack Mac cameras. In recent weeks, scrutiny over Zoom’s security practices has intensified, with a lot of the concern focused on its default settings and the mechanisms that make the app so easy to use.

    Each Zoom call has a randomly generated ID number between 9 and 11 digits long that’s used by participants to gain access to a meeting. Researchers have found that these meeting IDs are easy to guess, allowing anyone to get into meetings.

    While Zoom still states on its website that you can “secure a meeting with end-to-end encryption,” the company was forced to admit it’s actually misleading people. “It is not possible to enable E2E encryption for Zoom video meetings,” said a Zoom spokesperson in a statement.

    Zoom – Future Plans

    During the vision keynote of Zoomtopia 2020, Zoom Video Communications, Inc. unveiled major developments to its platform that evolve the future of communications.

    OnZoom: A one-of-a-kind online event platform for Zoom users to create and host free, paid, and fundraising events. Hosts can grow their businesses, expand their reach into new audiences, and give back through native donation integration. Zoom users can discover these events and sign up for new experiences with additional functionality like gifting tickets and an attendee dashboard to keep tabs on favorite events and brands.

    New end-to-end encryption (E2EE) offering: This optional feature will be generally available in technical preview to free and paid Zoom users next week. It can be enabled at the account, group, and user level, and, depending on how the account admin sets up the feature, can be toggled on and off by the host on a by-meeting basis. When enabled, Zoom’s E2EE ensures that communication between meeting participants using Zoom applications is encrypted using cryptographic keys known only to the devices of those participants.

    Customizable SDK: Zoom is adding new enhancements to its SDKs, enabling developers and companies to enrich their own custom video-based applications with Zoom’s platform, available now on Android, iOS, and web. Developers can take advantage of a customizable UI and session control, making it easier for them to bring high-quality video, audio, and instant chat to their applications.

    Zapps: Zapps enable developers to create apps that power workflows before, during, and after the meeting. Zoom has brought first and third-party developed apps into the meeting experience for real-time adoption. Zapps are designed to give developers a fast and flexible web view canvas to create apps, viral distribution, and IT deployment and manageability.

    FAQs

    Is Zoom free?

    The basic plan for Zoom is free for all with no trial period.

    Who is the owner of Zoom?

    Eric S. Yuan is the owner of Zoom. He founded Zoom in 2011 in San Jose, California, United States.

    Who’s the CEO of Zoom?

    Eric Yuan is the CEO of Zoom.

    How does Zoom make money?

    The business model of Zoom is built on charging businesses a reoccurring subscription fee for the various products the company offers. On top of that, Zoom makes money from the promotion of hardware products.

    What are the competitors of Zoom?

    Top competitors of Zoom are:

    • Cisco WebEx Meetings
    • GoToMeeting
    • Google Hangouts Meet
    • BlueJeans Meetings
    • Skype
    • Webex
    • Slack
    • Adobe Connect

  • Alternatives to Zoom App while Working Remotely

    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 Software and Apps
    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.

    Cisco Webex Meetings

    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
    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.

    Key Features

    • Free Trial: Available
    • Free Period: 30 days
    • Premium Price: Starts at $13.5 per month
    • Number of participants: Up to 200

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    Skype Meet Now

    Another alternative to Zoom app is Skype. Skype is 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?
    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
    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

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    Microsoft Teams

    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

    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
    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.

    Key Features

    • Free Trial: Available
    • Free trial Period: 30 days
    • Pricing: Starts at $12 per month
    • Number of participants: Up to 3,000

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    Crowdcast

    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

    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 to your 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:

    • Password protect your meetings
    • Authenticate users
    • Join before host
    • Lockdown your meeting
    • Turn off participant screen sharing
    • Use a randomly-generated ID
    • Use waiting rooms

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  • Reliance launches its own video conference platform JioMeet to compete with Zoom, Google Meet

    After launching JioMart, Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio has launched JioMeet video conferencing app with unlimited free calling on July 2. JioMeet  is available across Android, iOS, Windows, macOS and web. Jiomeet plans to compete Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet during the Coronavirus outbreak. On April 30, Jio parent Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) had revealed its plans to launch the JioMeet platform while announcing its quarterly earnings for the fourth quarter.

    As people are forced to change ways of working due to the COVID-19 crisis, video calling has emerged as a necessary tool for businesses to function. Hence, platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet have become increasingly popular. Now, to compete with these apps, Reliance Jio has decided to enter the market with its own video conferencing app JioMeet.

    However, Jio Meet won’t be a regular video calling platform as the company also plans to integrate its Health platform with it. It will allow users to consult with doctors online and much more. Interestingly, Jio already had an app on Google Play Store listed as JioHH Doctor that allows doctors to offer their services online So this app could possibly be integrated with JioMeet.

    In its Q4 fiscal results, Reliance mentioned that it is launching a video calling platform for India. Senior VP at Reliance Jio Infocomm, Pankaj Pawar, said,
    “Jio Meet is a platform which has many unique options- it actually has an ability to work on any device, any operating system, and it has an ability to do a complete collaboration. And effectively, this collaboration does not limit to a typical video conferencing app.”

    A report states that the Jio Meet app works across different platforms and is available on Android, iOS, macOS, Microsoft Windows and also as a third party plugin for Microsoft’s Outlook email service for enterprise customers. Moreover, the service will be available on browsers(web). It will have a dedicated website that will allow users to join a meeting, irrespective of the platform they are using.

    JioMeet Features

    The company has said that it is ensuring that the service is easy to use and doesn’t come with a lot of complexities. It is also being said that the final version of the app will have health features along with integration with education services like virtual classrooms for students and more.

    The website for JioMeet is listed on Google Search. Users can visit it by going to https://jiomeet.com/. However, it isn’t live yet and you will be greeted by the message saying “India’s own most secure video conferencing solution coming soon.” The website will come into operations soon as Jio has been released officially.

    JioMeet offers features like Zoom and Google Meet. It allows the host control options and to record logs of audio and video calls. JioMeet will also offer HD audio and video quality during the video conference across all devices, similar to Zoom. JioMeet allows unlimited meetings per day. The meetings can be scheduled in advance and details shared with invitees. Unlike Zoom, JioMeet users can expand any participant’s video or shared screen video by a double tap.

    JioMeet offers easy sign up option with either mobile number or e-mail ID. It allows users to host instant meetings while Zoom allows sign up only with e-mail ID. In JioMeet, each meeting is password protected. The host can also enable ‘Waiting Room’ to ensure no participant joins without permission. It also allows for the creation of groups and single-click calling or chatting.

    With JioMeet, users can initiate a video conferencing with their friends, family or colleagues at work. The service supports HD audio and video call quality with up to 100 participants in a group. In one of the screenshots on Play Store, the number of users is more than 200 which indicates the possibility of the increase in limit.

    Moreover, JioMeet also lets you adjust video call quality according to the network zone thus ensuring zero lag. JioMeet also might have many features like locking the meeting. It might also let users share the screen. It lets host control who can join the meeting alomg with control to remove the unwanted attendees if required.

    Apart from all these features, Jio plans to offer healthcare and education services along with video conferencing. Jio’s eHealth platform integrated with the Meets app will allow users to consult doctors virtually. The eEducation platform will create virtual classroom for students and teachers, record sessions and notes, assign and submit homework.

    Also Read: Mukesh Ambani Is All Set To Revolutionize The E-Commerce Industry with JioMart

    How can users use Jio Meet?

    The Reliance Industries stated,
    “Jio Meet is a platform which has many uniqueness- it actually has an ability to work on any device, any operating system, and it has an ability to do a complete collaboration. , this collaboration does not limit to a typical video conferencing app.”

    As the JioMeet app has been officially released here’s how to use Jio Meet once it goes live.

    • Download Jio Meet from Google Play Store or Apple App Store
    • Open the app and it will display a login page that asks email or mobile no. for access. This will be same for all users including the enterprise users.
    • Users can Sign-in with OTP on the bottom right corner, just below the login button.
    • Enter your mobile number to get a verification code and enter the OTP to log in.
    • Once logged in, you can make audio and video calls and can even initiate a group video call by adding you Jio Meet contacts to a group.
    Jio Meet Conference
    Jio Meet will be releasing across many Platforms

    JioMeet Vs Zoom Differnce

    Basic free plan

    The main JioMeet VS Zoom difference is that JioMeet app currently allows 100 participants in on a group video call which can last up to 24 hours with no restrictions whereas Zoom imposes a 40-minute time limit on group meetings of three or more people up to 100. After 40 minutes a new and fresh meeting has to be started. Other features include ‘Safe Driving Mode’ while driving, multi-device login support for up to five devices and seamless switching from one device to other while on call.

    User Experience

    The user experience of both JioMeet & Zoom app is quite similar. JioMeet is available across all platforms such as Androids, iOS, Windows, macOS and etc. JioMeet download can be done from the app store. Users can download JioMeet from its official website as well.

    JioMeet users can schedule meetings in advance, create password-protect meetings and create waiting room as well. However, the video quality has been limited to 720p so far. But users can also use third-party camera apps for better video quality. Zoom also provides this feature.

    There are three paid plans for Zoom users – for small teams, another for small and medium-sized enterprises and lastly for large enterprises. The plans start at ₹1,120 per month, that allows 9 participants per host. For larger enterprises, Zoom allows up to 1,000 participants in one meeting. On the other hand, JioMeet app has not announced its paid plans as of yet. Hence, it is still unclear as to how JioMeet app will accommodate large enterprises. So JioMeet is likely to announce paid plans to accommodate more than 100 users.

    Encryption

    Encryption has a vital role in video conferencing apps. Zoom had to face backlash from users due to concerns regarding privacy and security. But Reliance Jio has claimed that all meetings hosted through JioMeet app are encrypted. Yet the company has not provided any further details of its End-to-End (E2E) encryption. To ensure the more security and privacy, Zoom has started offering E2E encryption to both its paid as well as free users.

    Everything you need to know about JioMeet
    Jio has finally launched its video conferencing app JioMeet to take on the likesof rivals Zoom and Googlemeet. Jiomeet is available across all platformsAndroid, iOS, Windows, mac OS and web. The video conferencing app supports callconferencing up to 100 people and meeting can go up to 24 hours. A…
    StartupTalkyArbaaz sayed

    Meanwhile, Jio said that it is looking at the opportunity from a different perspective to offer consumers with a range of use-cases taking security and simplicity into account. So, we can expect that Jio Meet will go live within next one or two weeks.

  • The Rise Of Video Conferencing Platforms During COVID-19

    The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected the market and economies of all the countries. This pandemic has now become a problem for all types of businesses. Growth outlooks for many economic sectors have been slashed due to this COVID-19 pandemic. The present situation is such that the petroleum, chemical, and gas industry are one of those who have seen losses and negative response during this pandemic. Many experts are also predicting that, there might be end of the airline industry post pandemic. The pandemic has banned the travel due to global lockdown. This has limited the reach of the enterprises in the foreign market and this has now leading to the adoption of video conferencing software. Companies are now adopting an alternative for the recruitment process by engaging on video conferences. Let us see the complete report on the rise of video conferencing platforms during COVID-19.

    Present scenario of video conferencing platform

    video conferencing

    The business conferencing apps are having their best time as they are now experiencing record growth in terms of downloads and their usage. This has now resulted as a biggest hit in the week of March. The stats says that these apps has topped with around 62 million downloads during the week of March 14-21 which was the initial period of global lockdown.

    The statistics also reflects the rise of video conferencing platforms during COVID-19 and this shows the jump in business conferencing app downloads to about 62 million across IOS’s App Store and Google’s Play Store earlier in March was up 45% from just the prior week. It was also the highest growth among any category across the app stores that week, the report said. And it was up 90% from the weekly average of business app downloads in 2019.

    The rise of video conferencing platforms during COVID-19 in the category is due to the global lockdown due to which, the companies have now shifted on the video conferencing platforms like Zoom Cloud Meetings, Google’s Hangouts Meet and Microsoft’s Teams. Zoom app has topped the charts, having the maximum engagement worldwide in the month of February and March, and till now getting the highest engagement with maximum numbers of downloads. These countries include U.S., U.K. and some in Europe.

    Also Read: Top 10 Best Video Conferencing Tools for Businesses

    The benefits of video conferencing platforms

    1) Providing users with convenience

    Due to video conferencing platforms there is no need to travel for any meeting with the colleagues or clients. This can also help in setting virtual office anywhere in the whole world. The video conferencing platforms helps you to connect quickly with the colleagues with the help of a internet connection. This helps the user to connect seamlessly with individuals situated in different time zones outside of standard work hours, while doing so from the comfort of their homes.

    2) Saving time and money

    Travel use to be the ultimate source of a good business relationships but, the travel can consume large chunks from your time and budget which can have a bad effect on your savings. Now, the video conferencing platform has provided an alternative of making relations by travelling. This can help you to gain the time and budget which use to get used as a travelling expense. So, the video conferencing platform can provide you the benefit of extra time, attention and investment.

    3) Recording tools

    The video conferencing platforms provides you the facility of recording. Example:- Zoom, allow for meetings to be recorded. Recordings can help to catch all the important points of your, which you missed while attending. This feature can also work as a proof for any type of mistake done in the meeting so that, it can be rectified in the future itself.

    Also Read: Alternatives to Zoom App while Working Remotely

    Conclusion

    According to Fortune Business Insights, the global video conferencing market reached $3.02 billion in 2018. Now, it is projected to double by 2026 with an estimated projection of $6.37 billion. That would exhibit a compound annual growth rate of 9.8% during the forecast period. This statistics shows the upcoming rise in video conferencing platform in the upcoming period of time.

  • Facebook launches Messenger Rooms to Compete Zoom

    During lockdown imposed due to COVID-19, video calling software is hugely popular at the moment especially Zoom has seen the boom in its usage. Now the world’s largest social network Facebook has released a new video conferencing tool Messenger Rooms that resembles Zoom.

    Due to lockdown and restrictions, many companies have asked their employees to work from home. We can say that Zoom rules the working from home video group chat kingdom right now as millions of people are relying on Zoom during the Coronavirus pandemic. Facebook wants more of the video calling market and hence has introduced a new tool called Messenger Rooms.

    The feature will allow up to 50 people to participate in a video chat through a link. It lets you video chat with multiple people through Messenger even if you don’t have a social media account. Facebook says participants do not need to be Facebook users to access the feature. This could help the company compete with popular videoconferencing app Zoom during the Coronavirus pandemic.

    The reason behind Zoom’s success was the requirement for businesses looking to keep connected and working with the maximum haste and minimum spend. But security and privacy was simply taken for granted by Zoom. One of the biggest security issues in Zoom is the increase in “Zoombombing” when uninvited attendees break into and disrupt your meeting. Thus, journalists, researchers and regulators have noticed its many security and privacy problems.

    Taking security and privacy concerns for granted wasn’t a great idea after all. As a result, many users started looking out for other videoconferencing tool which can also ensure security & privacy concerns. Taking advantage of this situation, Facebook must have taken the decision to launch Messenger Rooms.

    All about Messenger Rooms

    As explained by Facebook in a blog post, Messenger Rooms is not a separate app but rather a feature that can be launched from the existing Facebook or Messenger apps. And users can play around with virtual backgrounds too, like Zoom app.

    On Friday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a live broadcast,
    “ Messenger Rooms allows your friends and family to drop in at any time. Video presence isn’t just about calling someone. It’s starting to be a fundamental building block of a private social platform with lots of different use cases.”

    More than 700 million accounts participate in voice and video calls every day on Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp. Facebook said that the number of group video calls has gone up by more than 10 times in some cases since the coronavirus outbreak began.

    Mark Zuckerberg said,
    ” I know that this is a challenging period for so many of us around the world. My hope is that we can make a difference during this time and in the months ahead.”

    Facebook said that it would soon be adding Messenger Rooms integration to Instagram, WhatsApp, and the Portal video caller too. So users can jump into a video chat from whatever app or device they happen to be on.

    In many countries, video calling on Messenger and WhatsApp more than doubled and views of Facebook Live and Instagram Live videos increased significantly in March when the lockdowns and social distancing came into practice globally. way of keeping in touch with friends and family while we’re all shut up and separated indoors.

    Comparing both apps, in social distancing times, Zoom allows up to 100 people to join a free video meeting from the comfort of their homes. But Zoom has put limit of 40 minutes on free calling. While, Facebook has announced Messenger Rooms that will allow group video calls of up to 50 people with no time limit.

    How to use Messenger Rooms?

    People can create a room right from Messenger or Facebook and invite anyone to join the video call even if they don’t have a Facebook account. In Facebook Messenger Rooms, the users can also post links in their News Feed or in Groups or event pages. All you need to do is create a Room by clicking on a video icon on Facebook Messenger.

    When you create a room, you choose who can see and join it. You can remove people from the call. Users can also lock a room if they don’t want anyone else to enter. If your friends or communities create rooms that are open to you, you’ll see them on Facebook so you can find things to do and people to hang out with. You can join video calls through a phone or computer.

    Messenger Rooms Screenshots
    Facebook has given many controls to Host

    What about Privacy?

    Facebook says it has added a number of privacy features to secure Rooms unlike Zoom. The person who creates a room has the authority to let people join and must be present in order to initiate a call. The room creator can remove guests, and the room automatically locks for that person when he or she leaves.

    If your colleagues or friends create a room that is open for you, you will see them at the top of your news feed. The room can be limited to the members of the group or else anyone with the link can be allowed in. You can control who sees the room.

    Those who have been previously blocked on Facebook won’t be able to see the feature or join in. Additionally, people can report a group video chat for violating Facebook’s rules. Facebook has assured that it does not view or listen to calls. Facebook clarified that room calls are not end-to-end encrypted.

    Stan Chudnovsky, Facebook’s vice president of Messenger explained,
    ” We don’t view or listen to your calls, and the person who creates the room controls who can join, who sees the room, and if the room is locked or unlocked to new guests.”

    Related: Alternatives to Zoom App while Working Remotely

    Difference between Messenger Rooms and regular video calling on Facebook

    Facebook already has video calling feature in its Messenger app. There are several differences between Messenger Rooms and regular calling on Facebook. In messenger rooms, participants do not compulsorily need a Facebook account to join a video call created in Messenger Rooms.

    Like Zoom app, users can lock a room once everyone has joined in so that no one else can join. Only the person who created a room can grant permission to let someone join the video call. If you’ve blocked someone on Facebook or Messenger, they won’t be able to join a call. These features cannit be seen in regular Facebook video calling.

    Facebook is also adding new augmented reality effects in Messenger Rooms. It would include 14 camera filters to brighten your space and your face. Facebook is also introducing 360-degree backgroundsso users can feel like they’re somewhere else like the beach, space, etc. while they video chat. Users can play with AR effects like bunny ears and new AI-powered features like immersive 360 backgrounds and mood lighting.

    Facebook plans to add an option in Facebook Dating feature that makes it easier to meet and start new conversations with people who share your interests. This feature will be integrated within the main social network so that users can invite people to video chat in Messenger.

    When will Messenger Rooms be available?

    Facebook said it will be releasing out Messenger Rooms in selected countries this week before expanding globally. Other countries will get Rooms in the coming weeks. The social network didn’t specify which countries will get the new feature first.

    The release of the new tool Messenger Rooms is part of Facebook’s efforts around video presence which he defined as the ability to feel like you’re connected to someone live over video.

    Also Read: Say Namaste- An Indian Alternative Conferencing Platform for the Apps like ‘Zoom’

    What is the plan of Facebook?

    The company has also been expanding features for Facebook Live which is a tool people have been using more during the pandemic to work out, cook or attend religious services virtually. Facebook said it will bring back a tool that allows users to add another person to a live video.

    Instagram will now let you comment on live videos on your desktop and it also will make it possible to save your videos to IGTV so people can watch them after 24 hours. Facebook also plans to introduce a feature that’ll let you broadcast a live video from Facebook Portal to Facebook Pages and Groups.

    WhatsApp Group Calls will now be able to host a maximum of eight people instead of four. During lockdowns, views of Facebook Live and Instagram Live videos have also increased significantly in March. Facebook’s Live With video will allow people streaming a live video to invite another person to participate alongside them.

  • Say Namaste- An Indian Alternative Conferencing Platform for the Apps like ‘Zoom’

    The COVID-19 pandemic has become a big problem for all the people of the world. This has led to the situation that people are not able to go outside not even for earning money for their basic livelihood due to complete global lockdown. The govt. has asked the people to work from home. In order to work in this lockdown situation, the people are using different online conference platforms, which are able to connect all the employees together at their respective houses.

    One of the successful app in this lockdown situation is the ‘Zoom app’, which is used by the people, the most in this stressful situation. But due to many privacy problems, the app is able to create problems for itself by just creating many alternative for itself. One of such platform, which have gained popularity because of this Zoom problems is the ‘Say Namaste‘ conferencing platform. Let us discuss in detail about it.

    Working USP of Say Namaste Platform

    Say Namaste- An alternative of Zoom app.
    Say Namaste– An alternative of Zoom app.

    ‘Say Namaste‘ is not actually an app, whereas it is an online tool or in other words an online platform which can be easily accessible through your trusted web browser. This conferencing platform is provided by a  private company based Mumbai named ‘Inscripts’ who has introduced ‘Say Namaste‘ video conferencing platform who got this opportunity after looking at cyber vulnerability in the very popular video conferencing app- Zoom app. ‘Say Namaste‘ is using open source techniques. These include making availability of end-to-end encryption like WhatsApp which works best with this service without affecting performance and any privacy concerns.

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    StartupTalky – Your Entrepreneurial Journey Starts Here!Varad Kitey

    Say Namaste- An alternative of Zoom app.

    The ‘Say Namaste‘ platform is also backed by the Indian Government cautioned also cautioned the cyber and privacy problems against the use of the popular video calling app Zoom. The video conferencing platform- ‘Say Namaste‘ is currently available in Beta mode and is going under all the test to make the platform more secure to use without any tension of any privacy and other cyber problems.

    Key Differentiating Points of Say Namaste Platform

    Say Namaste- A Privacy Protected Platform
    Say Namaste– A Privacy Protected Platform

    On giving interview to a channel, the CEO of the company says that he doesn’t wants to work like “an all-purpose communications suite” but focus on highly interactive and easy to use interface who can be easily used by their customers.

    The use of ‘Say Namaste‘ platform is highly easily as any user for now, just needs to create a meeting link using a randomly generated 10-digit ID and four-digit password and other users can join the session without any problem with the help of meeting link. Like the feature in Zoom, there is no ‘waiting room’ and on a single moment of time only one person can joins the meeting one by one.

    Try these Zoom Settings to Protect Your Privacy and Avoid Zoombombing Trolls
    Zoom, a cloud-based meeting platform, is making into headlines almost everyday.The video-conferencing software[https://startuptalky.com/tag/video-conferencing-tools/] has been gainingattention from researchers and journalists lately for a number of potentialprivacy and security issues. The use o…
    StartupTalky – Your Entrepreneurial Journey Starts Here!Varad Kitey

    Say Namaste- A Privacy Protected Platform

    At the present moment, ‘Say Namaste‘ can support 25 callers at once but the company’s aim is to reach 100 callers limit per session. Besides video-calling, the platform also supports screen sharing, file sharing and text chats i.e. all the features which are supported by all the well-known conferencing apps for making an all-in-one multi-utility app. Anuj Garg, the co-founder and the CEO of Inscripts says that ‘Say Namaste‘ app is still under ta testing and has garnered over 500,000 users within a few days and they will be able to provide the stable version within a upcoming small portion of time.

  • 8 Tips to Stay Productive while Working Remotely

    Due to the drastic spread of novel coronavirus or COVID-19, companies are making several efforts to keep their employees safe and maintain the productivity at the same time. Most of companies have asked their employees to work from home. As majority of the people don’t have experience in working remotely, it is difficult for them to stay productive as much as they would be in their offices. Here are the tips for employees to maintain the productivity while working remotely.

    Set Up a Routine

    The remote work obviously often allows you to set your own hours, a lack of structure or routine can be damaging to your workflow. When you engage in remote work, it’s easy for your colleagues in regular offices to think that you’re always there to “take calls.” It is better to use a digital calendar tool to let co-workers know what your working hours are so that they can know when it’s appropriate to ask you questions or when you should be left alone. One must schedule their hours around appointments, lunch, and other activities just as you would at an office job but it’s also important to pencil those into your calendar as well. Make sure to discuss your remote work hours with your manager before you begin and once those hours are established, make a point of sticking to them. Within that “block” of time, divide out your subroutines. It is essential to make sure that you clearly establish which times you’re receptive to emails, phone calls, etc. and when you’re officially off the work.

    Keep Your Workspace Clean

    At the end of every day, or at least every week, it’s worth cleaning your office(your workspace). Make sure that you have dedicated space that’s “yours” to work in. It can help you effectively if that space is solely devoted to work only. After a few weeks, you’ll instinctively know it’s time to lock down as soon as you sit down. Throw away what’s unnecessary. It will help clear your mind too. Psychologically, it is proven way to boost efficiency. It is important to keep things at right places. You can start by creating a dedicated and welcoming workspace. Next, invest in the equipment you’ll need. For example – an office chair and desk, a speedy internet connection, a hands-free headset, a good quality webcam for your video conference calls, etc. Creating a cozy and inspiring environment is important too. This is a space where you’ll be spending a lot of time. Give it some love.

    Communicate Frequently

    When we work in a team, communication becomes extremely important. When in doubt, communicate with colleagues and managers. This will make sure you remain in touch with them. When working remotely, it’s better to over-communicate than it is to under-communicate. After all, your employer won’t necessarily know you’re working, so you’ll need to make sure everyone is aware of what you’re doing. It is advised to keep records or updates on any messaging platform to let other Teammates know what you’ve been up to today. It encourages us to get things done every day and lets others know what we’ve been working on.

    Be transparent

    When you’re out of sight and people can’t reach you as easily, small doubts can begin to arise. Therefore, it is a must to build trust from the start by agreeing with your employer and colleagues by keeping them updated on your progress and activities. You could propose quick but regular status calls to teammates or a simple progress report that you can send out at regular intervals to your manager. If in case you aren’t going to be reachable for a period of time, provide advance notice to the colleagues who might miss you.

    Communication becomes essential while Working Remotely

    Use the right tools

    The right kind of tools can be game changers when it comes to remote teamwork. Tools like Slack, SmartSheet, Skype, Hangout, Zoom and Google Drive are just a few to name. These tools are really essential because they can help you collaborate on projects and share documents. Now, many of these softwares & tools have cut down their charges. Moreover, they are also providing the additional features. Thus, by using the right video conferencing software like FaceTime, Zoom or Skype, etc., one can stay connected with their team to increase the productivity.

    Set goals & meet them

    As mentioned above, it is important to create the routine but it is equally important to stick to the plans. Distractions are an issue when you work from home. At the start of the week, determine what hours you plan to work and stick to them. That’s why it’s a good idea to set concrete work goals to keep you focused and moving forward. And while setting goals is important, one must make sure to hold themselves accountable to them too. Use your smartphone for information and not distractions even though you have got liberty use it whenever you want to. When one works with focus & discipline, after completing those goals, it inspires them more to follow the same attitude towards their goals.

    Take Breaks

    It is the best to mimic from home the same habits you would have if you were working in a physical office such as taking a moment to chat with coworkers or grabbing a cup of coffee at your local cafe. It’s also vitally important to move your body. Don’t sit still for the entire day. Get creative with your breaks and run out for lunch with a friend or take a walk around to get some fresh air. Ideally, try to work out once a day, or at least go for a daily walk. One can rock out at home with a rich playlist to get into the zone. Essentially, anything you can do to give your brain and body a break will be beneficial to your overall experience and productivity. Mentally, too, it’s good to occasionally stop working and move around.

    Separate Work from Life

    Now that you work from home, the boundaries between work and life will seem thinner. But it’s important to keep those boundaries as interference of either of these would land you in troubles. So, avoid working where you sleep or where you eat. Find a space where you work and only work.

    Conclusion :

    A remote team can be just as effective, if not more effective, than a local, in-house team. Although it requires some coordination, it allows everyone more flexibility, which can help your team maintain a healthy work-life balance. When done the right way, a remote job can provide both workers and their companies with a healthy balance of freedom, flexibility, and production. Using the tips above can serve as a guide for how to make remote work as effective as possible.

  • These Brands Are Generating Massive Revenue During The Coronavirus Outbreak

    Coronavirus has now spread to more than 157 countries all over the world and has been declared a pandemic. The number of coronavirus cases have crossed more than 3 million globally. In India, more than 30,000 cases have been registered with 1000+ fatalities. The coronavirus outbreak or COVID-19 has affected various sectors and industries, and many companies have taken the initiative to contain the spread of the pandemic.

    Apple shut down its stores in China and other nearby countries for implementing safety measures. The world’s second-biggest fashion retailer H&M has also closed stores Germany and the United States, the biggest markets. It also shuttered stores in Canada, Portugal, and Belgium. In India, the aviation and railway sectors are severely strained under the pandemic with revenues plummeting to record lows. Many airlines in India are unable to generate revenue in spite of lowering ticket prices.

    At the same time, the Indian railways has cancelled more than 70 trains for precaution and due to low occupancy. The consequent losses are mind-numbing and severe enough to cause heart attacks. The tourism industry worldwide has taken a severe hit. Many food chains and restaurants are struggling to sustain themselves as people are avoiding going out until and unless it’s an emergency. Not only this, several start-ups are bearing the brunt of the lockdown which is in place. In all, the economy has come to a halt and everything else to a standstill.

    On the other hand, the coronavirus outbreak is aiding several countries. The Chinese government gradually shut down public services, schools and several manufacturing plants since the mid of January, giving other countries an opportunity to step up their game in segments like manufacturing . China is the largest consumer and supplier of many products in the world which include spare parts, chemical, toys, lighting, base metals, oil, etc. Many countries, including the US and European Union, import these goods from China.

    Economic superpowers and behemoths are now reaching out to other countries to fulfill increasing demand. India is one such country which has seen a surge in exports in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Due to China’s temporary lockdown, the chemical sector will be amongst the biggest beneficiaries alongside other sectors like textiles, ceramics, sanitary ware, homeware, and engineering goods.

    These companies will benefit tremendously during the pandemic

    Although the novel coronavirus outbreak is crashing global markets and affecting everything from air travel and the film industry to local businesses, some companies will benefit from this situation. These include firms that sell deep-cleaning products, remote services like Peloton, Zoho, video conferencing tools like Zoom, and Purell, a popular hand sanitizer brand.

    According to a report, sellers of some lesser-known products also view the coronavirus as a unique business opportunity. These companies sell gadgets like air purifiers, robots, and even products like spit-shielding hats that help in combating the virus.

    Now, some of these vendors are actively promoting the link between their products and Covid-19. The result is strong brand value, publicity, and booming business. Not only this, the demand for face masks has increased significantly since governments, medical experts, and doctors are advocating the use of face masks to protect oneself from getting exposed to the virus.

    Hand Sanitizers
    Sale of Hand Sanitizers has seen a Boom like Never Before

    With people more worried about infection and germs, they are running towards disinfectant products such as hand sanitizers, hand wash, cleaning wipes, etc. People are turning to brands like Purell, Lysol, Clorox, Lifebuoy, and Dettol like never before. Consumer demand for hand sanitizers has grown by 1,400 percent from December to January.

    The demand is so high that Walmart stores, retailers, and pharmacies are short on stock, e-commerce platforms such as Amazon and Flipkart are also low on supply, and products are being sold at more than double their market rates. In fact, the black market for sanitizers, disinfectant wipes, gloves, masks, and PPEs is crazy! Manufacturers aren’t shying away from making the most out of the shortage of supplies. Meanwhile, even small firms selling such products are making considerable profits. It’s hard to believe but the shares of Clorox and other drug makers were on the rise in late February despite the economic slowdown.

    Also Read: 6 Must Follow Tips to Work from Home During the Covid19 Outbreak

    Phone and video conference software

    Even technology companies are reaping massive benefits in these trying times. Many phone and video conference software and tools are in high demand because organizations have chosen to implement work from home across offices and geographies. Famous work from home software & tools include:
    Webex – Web conferencing and video conferencing tool.
    Zoom – Team video conference tool.
    Skype – Online video calling tool.
    Slack – Team Communication and collaboration app.
    Zoho – Web-based business tools.
    GSuite  – Emailing and team communication applications.

    There are several other chatting & conference platforms in the fray as well. Due to massive demand, these companies are providing additional features at lower prices. Since a large number of companies are relying on these tools at the moment, this is a golden window for the providers of these tools and software to capitalize on the demand and stand out in the market.

    Online Streaming Platforms
    During Lockdown, traffic on Online Streaming platform will see Growth

    To no one’s surprise, the demand and traffic on many online streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney Plus, HBO Max, Hulu, etc. have blown through the roof. With strict lockdown measures in place and nothing to pass time, these streaming platforms have become a necessity. Without them, spending the day becomes arduous!

    Conclusion

    Every coin has two sides and the coronavirus outbreak is no exception. While a number of organizations and companies are reeling from decline in revenues and market value, others are profiting big time and witnessing a windfall hitherto unseen.