Tag: zoom

  • Top 8 Best Online Collaboration Tools & Team Collaboration Platforms for 2025 — Free & Paid Shared Workspaces

    Collaboration is an act of co-working to obtain a certain result or outcome. It can be anything from baking your favorite pie to a new product launch. As easy as it may sound, collaboration has not been that easy for individuals, teams, and businesses, and it is nobody’s fault either.

    The ever-changing digital landscape, umpteen social apps, devices & platforms have spoiled us for choice. The wild digital freedom can inhibit collaboration if not used wisely.

    Effective team collaboration is crucial for the success of any organization, whether it’s a small startup or a large corporation. Teams want to be able to contact one another to highlight and discuss the shared work that’s taking place within your product. Enabling the ability to add people to projects will help with this collaboration, as well as showing which users are working in which spaces and allowing users to comment and suggest. With the rise of remote work and distributed teams, it has become more important than ever to have the right tools in place to facilitate collaboration and communication between team members. In this blog post, we will explore some of the best online team collaboration tools available today.

    Importance of Team Collaboration Tools:

    The need for a simplified and single collaboration platform is essential as it is a place where you can:

    • Get all your team members together (no matter how dispersed they are)
    • Easily exchange and brainstorm ideas
    • Real-time review of progress
    • Ensure everyone understands the same thing. Understanding True Project Requirements!
    • Everyone does exactly what is required

    Best Online Team Collaboration Tools:

    Team collaboration tools can help teams to communicate more efficiently, collaborate on projects, and stay organized, no matter where they are located. Whether you are looking for a messaging platform, a project management tool, or a video conferencing solution, there is a tool out there that can meet your needs.

    So, let’s see some of the best tools that are available to boost team collaboration:

    Sr. No. Tool Pricing Best Used For
    1 Asana Free plan, Paid from $10.99/mo Project & task management
    2 Calendly Free plan, Paid from $8/mo Scheduling meetings & appointments
    3 Confluence Free plan, Paid from $5.75/mo Team documentation & knowledge base
    4 InVision Free plan, Paid from $7.95/mo Design collaboration & prototyping
    5 Google Docs Free Collaborative document editing
    6 Zoom Free plan, Paid from $14.99/mo Video conferencing & webinars
    7 Trello Free plan, Paid from $5/mo Visual task & project tracking (Kanban)
    8 Slack Free plan, Paid from $8.75/mo Team messaging & real-time collaboration

    1. Asana

    Website Asana.com
    Founded In 2008
    Headquarters San Francisco
    Rating 4.5 out of 5
    Free Trial Available
    Asana - Best Team Collaboration Tool
    Asana – Team Collaboration Tool

    Asana was founded in 2008 by Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz and former Google and Facebook engineer Justin Rosenstein. Asana is a highly intuitive project management SaaS that helps teams track and assign tasks, visualize timelines, and report on productivity.

    Evidence of Asana’s effectiveness can be found in its explosive growth. Calculated of January 2021, Asana had more than 1.5 million paid users, with a total user count of 30 million users. Asana has joined the list of unicorns with its most recent revenue calculated to be approximately $227 million as of 2021.

    Best of all, the tool makes it easy to visualize the progress being made on a diverse array of projects and individual tasks across the organization.

    Features of Asana

    • Boards feature that always prioritizes the most important task by providing an overview of all tasks that need to be completed.
    • You can use the calendar view to plan for the whole week by simply assigning a task on each day.
    • It helps to put your workflow on autopilot to save time in creating tasks.
    • The task cannot be marked as complete until its dependent tasks are completed. To use this feature, you need to create task dependencies.
    • Provides a powerful dashboard that gives insights into the progress of the task.

    Pros:

    • 200+ integration options
    • The free plan is available
    • Workflow builder to create a workflow
    • Templates are available
    • Live chat support
    • Simple user interface

    Cons:

    • Limited templates
    • Copy and paste functionality doesn’t work properly

    Pricing:

    Plan Yearly Price Monthly Price
    Basic $0/month $0/month
    Premium $10.99/month $13.49/month
    Business $24.99/month $30.49/month


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    2. Calendly

    Website Calendly.com
    Founded In 2013
    Headquarters Atlanta
    Rating 4.7 out of 5
    Free Trial Available
    Calendly - Business Collaboration Tools
    Calendly – Business Collaboration Tools

    One of the challenges of having offices and remote teams across the globe is scheduling convenient times for virtual meetings and chats. Calendly eliminates the back-and-forth often associated with scheduling.

    With Calendly, each member of your team gets a dedicated URL for a calendar showing his or her availability and allowing other team members to request an appointment at a suitable time.

    Team members can also share their availability with clients through Calendly, either through their URL or by embedding their calendar on a website. For Asana users, Zapier offers extensive integrations with Calendly, and Calendly also syncs with all of the popular calendar apps, eliminating both unnecessary data entry and the possibility of double-booking.

    Features of Calendly

    • You can set your availability; it only allows users to book meetings on the date and time set by you.
    • It automatically converts time zones and makes it easy to schedule meetings with people in different time zones.
    • You can customize the look of the Calendly landing page with your own brand logo.
    • It sends email reminders to attendees so that they don’t miss the meeting.
    • The embed feature of Calendly allows you to embed your appointment booking link on your website.
    • It allows both one-on-one and group meetings based on your requirements.

    Pros:

    • Seamless integration with other calendars
    • Helps to ask questions of the invitees
    • Stripe and PayPal integration to receive payment
    • A browser extension is available
    • Easy-to-use
    • The free plan is available
    • Video tutorials are available to help you learn the tool

    Cons:

    • Some users experienced that the app crashes occasionally

    Pricing:

    Plan Yearly Price (Save 20%) Monthly Price
    Basic $0/month $0/month
    Essentials $8/month $10/month
    Professional $12/month $15/month
    Teams $16/month $20/month
    Enterprise Custom Price Custom Price

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    3. Confluence

    Website www.atlassian.com/software/confluence
    Founded In 2013
    Headquarters Pittsburgh
    Rating 4.5 out of 5
    Free Trial Available
    Confluence - Online Collaboration Tool
    Confluence – Online Collaboration Tool

    Atlassian’s Confluence offers much of the functionality of Asana (for project management) and Google Docs (collaboration on text documents), but it is most useful as a knowledge base. For example, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), employee reference forms, and client forms all live in Atlassian’s Confluence.

    Confluence also acts as an effective human resources portal. Employees can request time off, perform monthly self-evaluations, and complete many other repeatable processes that an admin defines as being within the Confluence platform.

    Features of Confluence

    • Administrators can set permissions and restrictions on who can view, edit, or create content.
    • Seamlessly integrates with a wide range of other tools and services, such as Jira, Trello, Slack, and Microsoft Teams.
    • It provides a flexible and customizable structure for organizing content, pages, spaces, and labels.
    • Text editor to format the content and add links, tables, and macros.

    Pros:

    • The free plan is available
    • Knowledge base articles to learn
    • Ready-to-use templates
    • Wide range of integration
    • Provides seamless collaboration

    Cons:

    • Steep learning curve
    • Limited integration with Office 365

    Pricing:

    Plan Yearly Price (Save 20%) Monthly Price
    Free $0/month $0/month
    Standard $580/year $57.50/month
    Premium $1,100/year $110/month
    Enterprise Custom Price Custom Price

    4. InVision

    Website www.invisionapp.com
    Founded In 2011
    Headquarters New York City
    Rating 4.6 out of 5
    Free Trial Available
     InVision - Team Collaboration Tool
    InVision – Online Collaborative Workspace

    For digital entrepreneurs, user experience (UX) design is almost always of vital concern. But design is notoriously difficult to talk about, particularly if you have multiple stakeholders involved in giving feedback, and they’re not in the same room.

    InVision is a SaaS app used by companies such as Amazon, Airbnb, and Netflix to build interactive and responsive prototypes without writing a single line of code. InVision’s tools are designed to be intuitive even for users without a design background.

    Users can mark up design drafts within the InVision app or utilize its integrations with Slack and other messaging tools to easily share feedback directly onto the design draft itself, making it much easier to associate comments with specific UX elements. As Aaron Walter, director of UX at MailChimp, says in InVision’s intro clip, when it comes to UX design, “InVision is a faster way to certainty.”

    Features of InVision

    • Designers can export their designs to developers in a format that can be easily implemented in code.
    • It helps to create and manage design systems that ensure consistency across the whole design.
    • Real-time collaboration with teammates and establishing a healthy workflow using comments and feedback.

    Pros:

    • The free forever plan is available
    • Integration with Figma, Adobe XD, and Asana
    • Single-sign on
    • Multi-factor authentication
    • Knowledge base article
    • Free templates to use in projects

    Cons:

    • Limited features compared to Figjam
    • Prototyping can be better

    Pricing:

    Plan Yearly Price (Save 20%) Monthly Price
    Free $0/month $0/month
    Pro $4/month $4.95/month
    Enterprise Custom Price Custom Price

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    5. Google Docs

    Website Docs.google.com
    Founded In 2005
    Headquarters California
    Rating 4.7 out of 5
    Free Trial Available
    Google Docs - Best Collaboration Tools for Teams
    Google Docs – Best Collaboration Tools for Teams

    From its humble beginnings, Google Docs has evolved into a full-fledged word processor worthy of favorable comparison with Microsoft Word, long the industry standard for content creators.

    One of the primary strengths of Docs is just how much it facilitates collaboration. The father of Google Docs, Sam Schillace, identified collaboration as “the crown jewel of hard problems.” This is particularly true when multiple people need to work together on a document.

    Traditionally, the collaboration required sending a Word document back and forth via email to multiple recipients. Keeping track of which document was the most current and combining comments and revisions from various contributors could quickly turn into a torturous process.

    Docs’ version history function eliminates the fear of saving changes. You can quickly and easily revert to any previous version of the document. Additionally, the “comment” function in Google Docs makes it easy to communicate with colleagues directly within the document. Docs also integrate with Slack, so you can receive a notification in your Slack workspace any time a comment is made or resolved within the doc.

    Features of Google Docs

    • It can be accessed on mobile devices via the Google Docs app for easy editing and collaboration on the go.
    • Google Drive storage stores all the data of documents in the cloud which is accessible from anywhere.
    • Multiple users can work on the same document in real-time and comment if some changes are required by other team members.

    Pros:

    • Free to use
    • The mobile app is available
    • Seamless sign-in using a Google account
    • Google Drive storage space
    • A variety of templates are available
    • Add-ons are available to enhance the functionality

    Cons:

    • Difficult to get customer support

    Pricing:

    Plan Monthly Price
    Basic $6.00 per user per month
    Business $12.00 per user per month
    Enterprise $25.00 per user per month

    6. Zoom

    Website Zoom.us
    Founded In 2011
    Headquarters California
    Rating 4.6 out of 5
    Free Trial Free Subscription
    Zoom - Best Team Collaboration Tool
    Zoom – Best Team Collaboration Tool

    Sometimes there’s just no substitute for meeting face to face, even if your team is distributed around the globe. Zoom is a first-in-class video conferencing SaaS app that makes it effortless to host meetings with your team, no matter where they’re located. It also makes in-person presentations location-independent, with its extensive webinar functionality.

    Video conferencing can be invaluable for reinforcing company culture. Putting faces to names and being able to do this every week helps build relationships and encourages teamwork.

    The Zoom platform integrates various features such as cloud video conferencing, online meetings, wireless content sharing, and team chatting into one unified system. Zoom allows users to seamlessly connect multiple conference rooms, include remote participants, and facilitate in-person meetings with just one touch.

    Features of Zoom

    • The host of the meeting can mute participants, remove participants, and control screen sharing.
    • It has a chat feature that empowers users to send messages to other participants during a meeting without interrupting the speaker.
    • You can create polls for getting feedback or making decisions during a meeting.
    • Participants have the option to create a virtual background that helps to hide the messy background in video calls.

    Pros:

    • Up to 1000 participants can join a single meeting
    • The free plan is available
    • Easy to use
    • Marketing tools to nurture contacts

    Cons:

    • The free plan allows a meeting for only 40 minutes

    Pricing:

    Plan Yearly Price
    Basic Free
    Pro $149.90/year/user
    Business $199.90/year/user
    Enterprise Custom Price

    7. Trello

    Website Trello.com
    Founded In 2011
    Headquarters New York
    Rating 4.4 out of 5
    Free Trial Available
    Trello - Best Team Collaboration Tool
    Trello – Best Collaboration Tools

    Trello is a simple, flexible tool for organizing tasks and collaborating with your team. Its clean design makes it easy to use, even for beginners. You can customize boards, track progress, and connect with apps like Slack, Evernote, and Google Drive.

    Features of Trello

    • Automates tasks, schedules work, and sends deadline reminders.
    • Switch between Board, Timeline, Calendar, Map, and Dashboard views.
    • Connect with popular apps for smoother workflows.

    Pros:

    • Easy to use
    • Highly customizable
    • Strong app integrations

    Cons:

    • Limited features in free plan
    • Can get cluttered with many cards
    • Basic reporting tools

    Pricing:

    Plan Yearly Price
    Free $0
    Standard $60/year/user
    Premium $120/year/user
    Enterprise Custom Pricing

    8. Slack

    Website Slack.com
    Founded In 2013
    Headquarters San Francisco
    Rating 4.6 out of 5
    Free Trial Available
    Slack - Best Team Collaboration Tool
    Slack – Best Team Collaboration Tool

    Slack is a popular platform that gives teams one place to chat, share ideas, and stay connected in real time. It boosts productivity through instant messaging, voice calls, and organized channels for different topics or teams.

    Features of Slack:

    • Built-in voice, video, and screen sharing for quick updates and collaboration.
    • Works smoothly with tools like Google Drive, Trello, Jira, and HubSpot.
    • Public or private spaces to organize discussions and keep work focused.

    Pros:

    • Easy real-time communication
    • Many app integrations
    • Organized channels for topics
    • Supports file sharing and calls

    Cons:

    • Can be distracting with too many messages
    • Limited features in free plan
    • Search history cap in free plan

    Pricing:

    Plan Yearly Price (per user)
    Free $0
    Pro $7.25/month ($87/year)
    Business+ $12.50/month ($150/year)
    Enterprise Grid Custom Pricing

    Conclusion

    Successful collaboration is an absolute necessity for any business as it grows. The right online team collaboration tools can make a huge difference in how teams communicate and work together. We have explored some of the best online team collaboration tools available today, including Asana, Calendly, Confluence, InVision, and more. Hope now you will have a better understanding of the different online team collaboration tools available, and be able to choose the right one to help your team work more effectively and efficiently.

    FAQs

    What are online team collaboration tools?

    Online team collaboration tools are software applications that help teams to communicate, collaborate, and work together on projects or tasks. These tools can include messaging platforms, project management tools, video conferencing solutions, and more.

    Why use team collaboration tools?

    There are several advantages attached to the use of team collaboration tools, some of them can be counted are transparency, effective communication, increased effectiveness of an employee, etc. These tools can be especially helpful for distributed teams or remote workers who may not be able to collaborate in person.

    Which are some of the best free online collaboration tools?

    Some of the best collaborative tools are Google Docs, Confluence, Zoom, etc.

    How can collaboration tools affect teamwork?

    Collaboration tools can improve teamwork by facilitating communication, coordination, and productivity. They provide a central platform for messaging, video conferencing, and file sharing, allowing teams to work together more efficiently.

    What should I look for in an online team collaboration tool?

    When choosing an online team collaboration tool, you should consider factors such as ease of use, the ability to integrate with other tools, security and privacy features, and the specific needs of your team.

    How can I ensure my team is using the collaboration tool effectively?

    To ensure your team is using the collaboration tool effectively, you should provide training and support to help team members understand how to use the tool. You should also set clear expectations and guidelines for how the tool should be used, and encourage open communication and feedback from team members.

  • 10 Best Platforms and Tools to Boost Your Freelance Career in 2025

    Freelance businesses will move into more fierce competition in 2025, and more businesses will need remote workers. Freelancing has caught up with the times, requiring the right solutions for time management, productivity improvement, and smart firefighting work. Every section, from writers to designers, developers, and marketers, will benefit from the best digital tools. Freelancers must juggle numerous challenges thrown at them, such as client communications, project management, invoices, and marketing. Without the right support, it could quickly become overwhelming.

    To stay productive, organized, and efficient, freelancers need the right mix of platforms for finding work, managing tasks, and handling collaboration, communication, and automation. Whether you are already a seasoned freelancer or just stepping into the industry, using the right resources will enhance your productivity and earnings and, above all, help you stay organized.

    From freelance marketplaces like Upwork to project management platforms like Asana and creative assistants like Canva and Grammarly, these tools will help freelancers streamline workflows, manage clients, and increase efficiency. Here’s a list of the best platforms and software every freelancer should consider in 2025.

    Upwork – Find Freelance Work Effortlessly

    WEBSITE [www.upwork.com
    Rating 4.7
    Free Trial Yes
    Best For Connecting businesses with freelancers for various services like software development, marketing, design, and writing
    Upwork - Platforms and Tools for Freelancers
    Upwork – Platforms and Tools for Freelancers

    Upwork remains one of the most sought-after platforms for freelancers worldwide, providing a marketplace to connect with clients, set rates, and manage projects. The platform features a Talent Marketplace where freelancers can explore both hourly and fixed-price jobs, submit proposals, and engage with clients. Through the Project Catalog, freelancers can package services with a predetermined scope and price.

    Upwork offers very strong payment protection for freelancers – fixed-price projects are pre-funded in escrow, with payments released only after verifiable work completion. For hourly jobs, clients are billed only after the project undergoes rigorous tracking. Freelancers can also offer consultations as subject-matter experts, adding more ways to earn.

    Pros

    • Vast pool of candidates worldwide
    • Flexibility for freelancers to set the rates 
    • The escrow system ensures timely payment for freelancers 

    Cons

    • Premium membership is a bit costly
    • Some users claim to receive low-paying gigs

    Pricing 

    Plan Pricing
    Marketplace 5% service fee
    Business Plus 10% service fee
    Enterprise Contact Sales
    Freelancer Plus $20/month

    DocuSign – Secure Digital Signatures & Contracts

    WEBSITE www.docusign.com
    Rating 4.8
    Free Trial Yes
    Best For Electronic signatures, document management, and workflow automation for businesses and individuals
    DocuSign - Platforms and Tools for Freelancers
    DocuSign – Platforms and Tools for Freelancers

    DocuSign, which stands for the most major digital signature and automated transaction management platform, simplifies the processes of signing, preparing, and managing documents. Freelancers can securely handle contracts, proposals, and agreements from anywhere. Documents can be signed quickly with drag-and-drop signature fields, reusable templates, and integrated payment collection on higher-tier plans.

    The mobile app provides complete signing, mailing, and handling of documents on any systems fully. Apart from these features, there exists an audit trail all through which makes the documents legally compliant, a workflow automation routing that enables document routing, and fluid integration into the cloud through Google Drive, Dropbox, and CRMs.

    Pros

    • Automates document and signing process
    • Suitable for freelancers of any size
    • Accessible from anywhere

    Cons

    • Lower plans restrict the number of documents sent
    • Pricing is a bit higher than competitors

    Pricing 

    Plan Pricing
    Personal $15/month
    Standard $45/month
    Business Pro $65/month
    Enhanced Plan Customizable

    Notion – All-in-One Productivity & Project Management

    WEBSITE www.notion.so
    Rating 4.7
    Free Trial Yes
    Best For All-in-one workspace for note-taking, project management, and collaboration for individuals and teams
    Notion - Platforms and Tools for Freelancers
    Notion – Platforms and Tools for Freelancers

    The all-in-one productivity tool Notion is a must-have for freelancers who want to note down ideas and manage projects as well as organize databases and collaborate. It arranges tasks using Kanban boards, calendars, and lists while providing a usable database for clients’ information, invoices, and projects. The freelancer writes real-time content, creates the portfolio, and acts on the finance-generated invoices or collected payment reminders.

    There are free templates for invoicing, project tracking, and portfolios. Notion can also be integrated into Slack, Google Workspace, Trello, and Dropbox. Offline access provisions for seamless editing and automatic syncing when back online make it a very efficient and organized workflow.

    Pros

    • Integrates multiple tools in one platform
    • Easy customisation
    • Seamless collaboration

    Cons

    • Steep learning curve for new users
    • Performance issues with large databases

    Pricing 

    Plan Pricing
    Plus $12/seat/month
    Business $18/seat/month

    Google Drive – Cloud Storage & Collaboration

    WEBSITE www.drive.google.com
    Rating 4.8
    Free Trial Yes
    Best For Cloud storage, file sharing, and collaboration for individuals and businesses
    Google Drive - Platforms and Tools for Freelancers
    Google Drive – Platforms and Tools for Freelancers

    Google Drive lets freelancers store, share, and collaborate on files with built-in Docs, Sheets, and Slides. It integrates itself with Google’s suite of productivity apps- Docs, Sheets, and Slides- so that you can efficiently manage projects or work remotely. Freelancers can store different types of files under this free 15 GB storage and share them with others via email or link with customized permission while allowing collaboration in real-time. Users can collect and edit files anywhere, thanks to cross-device synchronization. One can easily retrieve documents through advanced search using OCR and also access them offline.

    Pros

    • 15GB free storage
    • Works on files offline
    • Seamless collaboration

    Cons

    • The free plan has limitations on large databases
    • Privacy concerns

    Pricing 

    Plan Pricing
    Lite $0.69/month
    Basic $1.52/month
    AI Premium $22.73/month

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    Zoom – Virtual Meetings & Webinars

    WEBSITE www.zoom.us
    Rating 4.8
    Free Trial Yes
    Best For Video conferencing, webinars, and team collaboration for businesses and individuals
    Zoom - Platforms and Tools for Freelancers
    Zoom – Platforms and Tools for Freelancers

    Zoom serves to facilitate their remote collaboration, client meetings, and webinars. This entire process starts with full, high-definition audio and video streaming along with dynamic voice detection. This alone assures clear communication, which every freelancer will need. It would also give freelancers all the tools they need for sharing screens, chatting, annotating, whiteboarding theme concepts, and adding breakout rooms for interactive discussion. Record in local and cloud form for future reference. Logic says that mobile applications for iOS and Android are fully featured, and that means users can connect on the go. Zoom uses standard meetings for an extensive gathering of 300 people. In terms of spaces and figures, they cater to larger audiences with the webinar model.

    Pros

    • User-friendly interface  
    • End-to-end encryption
    • Easy collaboration

    Cons

    • Unpredictable video and audio quality
    • Not compatible with browsers

    Pricing 

    Plan Pricing
    Pro $13.33/user/month
    Business $18.32/user/month
    WEBSITE www.canva.com
    Rating 4.7
    Free Trial Yes
    Best For AI-powered graphic design, video editing, and content creation for individuals and teams

    Canva – Easy Design for Freelancers

    Canva is an application needed for every freelancer and the other professional graphic design tools, which allow anyone to create professional designs even without the know-how of designing. Through a drag-and-drop editor, the user can create designs in no time and access a vast library of ready-made templates to use for social media, presentations, and branding materials. Freelancers can work together in real-time by commenting and editing, making seamless teamwork. Productivity is increased through Magic Write and Magic Resize, AI-powered productivity tools. Brand Kits improve consistency across projects. Cloud storage to 1TB in Pro plans is secure and enables work-ready storage and management for freelancers.

    Pros

    • Intuitive for non-designers  
    • Free plan and affordable options available
    • Hassle-free collaboration

    Cons

    • Advanced features require a subscription
    • Ocassional site crashes

    Pricing 

    Plan Pricing
    Canva Pro $15/month (1 person)
    Canva Teams $10/month/person
    Canva Enterprise Custom pricing

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    Asana – Streamlined Task & Project Management

    WEBSITE www.asana.com
    Rating 4.7
    Free Trial Yes
    Best For AI-powered project and task management, team collaboration, and workflow automation for businesses of all sizes
    Asana -  Platforms and Tools for Freelancers
    Asana – Platforms and Tools for Freelancers

    Asana offers a powerful project management application that supports freelancers in organizing their workflow, juggling their tasks, and increasing their productivity. Users really enjoy its user-friendly features, which include multiple views like lists, kanban boards, calendars, timelines, and Gantt charts as perfect tools for managing and organizing tasks. Creating tasks with dependencies, priorities, and deadlines is now as easy as converting an email into a task, and all of these can be called up seamlessly. Automating workflow will eliminate all repeated processes, while the AI insights can be utilized for efficient prioritization of tasks. The visibility layer is enhanced by dashboards with real-time updates, including charts that can be assembled freely.

    Pros

    • Beginner friendly 
    • Automation reduces manual effort
    • Essential features available on free plan

    Cons

    • Steep learning curve for advanced features
    • Limited assignee for collaborative tasks

    Pricing 

    Plan Pricing
    Starter $10.99/month/user
    Advanced $24.99/month/user

    Grammarly – AI Writing Assistant

    WEBSITE www.grammarly.com
    Rating 4.7
    Free Trial Yes
    Best For AI-powered writing assistance, including grammar checking, tone detection, and generative text suggestions across various platforms
    Grammarly - Platforms and Tools for Freelancers
    Grammarly – Platforms and Tools for Freelancers

    Grammarly is an AI-powered writing assistant that helps freelancers achieve greater clarity, correctness, and engagement in their content. The tool does real-time checks of errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling to ensure flawless writing. Style and clarity suggestions improve sentence structure and word choice. Tone detection analyzes and refines the intent of the writing whether formal or casual. Vocabulary enhancement presents synonyms for richer expression. It also identifies and detects plagiarism by referencing text towards billions of web pages. Generative AI features help in rewriting from the original for better clarity and impact. Integrated perfectly with Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and email clients, Grammarly is an ideal freelancing tool for producing fine-tuned, professional-quality content in record time.

    Pros

    • User friendly
    • Seamless integration
    • Easy customisations

    Cons

    • Chances of false positives
    • Limited offline functionality 

    Pricing 

    Plan Pricing
    Pro $12/member/month
    Enterprise Contact Sales

    Slack – Effective Team & Client Communication

    WEBSITE www.slack.com
    Rating 4.7
    Free Trial Yes
    Best For Team communication, collaboration, and productivity through channels, direct messaging, and integrations with various tools
    Slack - Platforms and Tools for Freelancers
    Slack – Platforms and Tools for Freelancers

    For communication and project management, Slack has been one of the foremost collaboration tools for freelancers in 2025. Dedicated channels can be created for discussions organized by either projects or topics, while direct messaging enables private messaging with clients or team members. Huddles provide audio or video for quick informal meetings with no fuss about scheduling. The Workflow Builder can automate repetitive tasks, while Slack Lists give users an option to assign and track tasks within Slack. With more than 2600 integrations, including Google Drive, Trello, and Asana, workflows are kept in one place. An enhanced search helps to find messages and files in a jiffy. 

    Pros

    • User friendly
    • Seamless integration
    • Easy customisations

    Cons

    • Volume of messages can be overwhelming
    • Steep learning curve for advanced features 

    Pricing 

    Plan Pricing
    Pro $4.38/month/user
    Business+ $15/month/user
    Enterprise Grid Contact Sales

    timeTracko – Time Tracking & Productivity Monitoring

    WEBSITE www.timetracko.com
    Rating 4.6
    Free Trial Yes
    Best For AI-powered workforce analytics, real-time employee monitoring, and productivity tracking for remote and hybrid teams

    timeTracko is an efficient tool for tracking time and monitoring productivity that has become trendy among freelancers as of 2025. It tracks time automatically, requiring no manual input to keep track of active working hours. Freelancers can manage several projects and get detailed insights into productivity to work around finishing work faster. Optional monitoring via screenshots provides a means of accountability, while invoicing can be integrated to automatically generate invoices based on tracked hours and rates. AI insights are given to suggest better ways of working, and a client portal allows clients to see the real-time status of projects. Key productivity and project management tool for freelancers via its time-tracking mobile app for iOS and Android, with seamless time tracking.

    Pros

    • Accurate time tracking
    • User-friendly interface
    • Comprehensive reports

    Cons

    • Privacy issues
    • Steep learning curve for advanced features

    Pricing 

    timeTracko offers custom pricing; contact them for a quote.

    Conclusion

    Freelancers in 2025 are fully aware that the main competitors in this industry are efficiency, productivity, and professionalism. There are several tools involved in freelancing—project management, collaboration, and creative content development—while others help with time management. Project management tools assist in better workflow handling, while design and content authoring applications enhance visual and written deliverables. Communication and video conferencing tools ensure smooth client relationships, while cloud storage simplifies document management. Time-tracking tools are handy for freelancers aiming for higher productivity. For any freelancer wishing to survive, the guiding tools must surely fit their own workflow.


    Best Tools for Freelancers to Boost Productivity
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    FAQs

    How can freelance platforms help manage work?

    Many platforms offer tools for project management, communication with clients, invoicing, and secure payment processing.

    Are there any tools to help improve writing quality for freelancers?

    Yes, Grammarly is a widely used tool for checking grammar, spelling, and style to ensure professional written communication.

  • Transitioning the Transcription Process Through AI: Top 8 AI Transcription Tools

    Many people invest a significant amount of time and effort in transcription, as it is a common practice for journalists and web content curators to convert spoken words into written text. Gone are the days when journalists used to take notes with pen and paper during events, conferences, and interviews for later use in reports.

    Nowadays, most media professionals prefer to record conversations and transcribe them afterwards, thanks to the widespread use of mobile devices. However, transcription can be a laborious task, as the transcriber needs to listen to the audio repeatedly to ensure the accuracy of every word and sentence.

    The emergence of artificial intelligence capable of performing this previously tedious task adds an exciting new dimension to an already dynamic profession. Here are the top 8 AI programs that can accurately transcribe your work.

    Otter AI
    Trint
    Rev AI
    Sonix
    Fireflies
    Beey
    MeetGeek
    Scribie

    Otter AI

    Tool Name Otter.AI
    Founded 2016
    Website www.otter.ai
    Otter AI - Top AI Transcription Tools
    Otter AI – Top AI Transcription Tools

    In addition to providing real-time transcribing services, Otter also provides automatic meeting notes. Instead of automatically connecting to Microsoft Teams, highly priced, and Google Meet, the software can also generate meeting recaps.

    Apart from being a lifeline for journalists and online content creators, it might be useful for students to take notes during both online and in-person classes. It was founded by Sam Liang and Yun Fu.

    Pros

    • Provides free tests for a basic experience.
    • Easily transcribes audio from both recorded files and real-time meetings.
    • Playable on desktop computers, tablets, and smartphones.

    Cons

    • Comparatively, it is highly priced to its similar sites.
    • Efficiency decreases with background voice.

    Pricing

    Plan Pricing
    Basic Free
    Pro $8/month
    Business $20/month
    Enterprise Custom

    Trint

    Tool Name Trint
    Founded 2014
    Website www.trint.com
    Trint - Top AI Transcription Tools
    Trint – Top AI Transcription Tools

    Users can convert audio files to text using Trint, an online transcription service. Provides a one-stop shop for the discovery, creation, and sharing of media. Clients can export the highlighted sections and realign the timecodes to match the source recording.

    Users can import video and audio clips, and the app will transcribe them using AI. It was founded by Jeff Kofman.

    Pros

    • The transcribing rate is satisfactory.
    • Easily supports multiple types of files.

    Cons

    • Once used, files can not be deleted or removed.
    • The precision of automatic transcription poses a challenge.

    Pricing

    Plan Pricing
    Starter $52/ Per Seat Per Month
    Advanced $60/ Per Seat Per Month
    Enterprise Custom

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    Rev AI

    Tool Name Rev AI
    Founded 2010
    Website www.rev.com
    Rev.AI - Top AI Transcription Tools
    Rev.AI – Top AI Transcription Tools

    The Rev AI product line includes a speech-to-text technology that can transcribe spoken words into text. Building on the foundation of Temi, another Rev product, this service enhances transcription by allowing for the transcription of both live and recorded audio and video.

    Rev AI can analyze audio and video recordings to determine the language that is most commonly spoken and extract important subjects from text but it can only do so in English. It was founded by Dan Kokotov.

    Pros

    • Available in a total of 36 languages.
    • Provides support for a maximum of eight independent speaker channels.
    • Profanity filtering capability.

    Cons

    • The system tends to make errors when the speaker has a heavy accent.
    • No free trial option is available.

    Pricing

    Rev AI’s machine translation services cost $0.002 per minute and are priced on an as-you-go basis.

    Sonix

    Tool Name Sonix
    Founded 2017
    Website www.sonix.ai
    Sonix - Top AI Transcription Tools
    Sonix – Top AI Transcription Tools

    Users of Sonix, an audio transcription program, can create information and have it translated into over 38 different languages. Users can search, edit, and share transcripts with others using the in-browser editor.

    To ensure that visual content is accessible to all audiences, the platform also generates automatic subtitles. It was founded by Jamie Sutherland.

    Pros

    • It can easily identify speakers and divide conversations into paragraphs.
    • Transcripts can be exported in a variety of formats, such as PDF, Microsoft Word, and Text.

    Cons

    • Premium collaboration plans are pricey.
    • No free trial plan is available.

    Pricing

    Plan Pricing
    Standard $10/hour
    Premium $22/hour
    Enterprise Custom

    Fireflies

    Tool Name Fireflies.AI
    Founded 2016
    Website www.fireflies.ai
    Fireflies.AI - Top AI Transcription Tools
    Fireflies.AI – Top AI Transcription Tools

    Fireflies’ main focus is transcribing meetings that take place in various online video conferencing platforms, such as Zoom and Google Meet.

    However, users also have the option to upload pre-recorded content and have it translated into the language of their choice. It was founded by Krish Ramineni and Sam Udotong.

    Pros

    • The software can transcribe text in 60-plus languages.
    • A free forever plan is available.

    Cons

    • Fireflies’ per-seat pricing model can be prohibitive for teams with a lot of members.
    • The Enterprise edition offers training bespoke models to improve accuracy, but it comes at a higher price.

    Pricing

    Plan Pricing
    Free $0
    Pro $10 Per Seat Per Month
    Business $19 Per Seat Per Month
    Enterprise $39 Per Seat Per Month

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    Beey

    Tool Name Beey
    Founded 2018
    Website www.beey.io
    Beey - Top AI Transcription Tools
    Beey – Top AI Transcription Tools

    Beey is an intuitive platform that specializes in language translation, subtitling, online meeting transcription, interview transcription, and podcast transcription.

    If the user’s content has subtitles, the platform can read them and translate them into other languages automatically. It was founded by Newton Technologies.

    Pros

    • They provide an API that can be used to incorporate it into your projects.
    • It can translate text into 20 different languages.

    Cons

    • The prices are slightly high for individuals and small teams.

    Pricing

    Plan Pricing
    Start $0
    Plus $28/month
    Business $50/month
    Enterprise Custom

    MeetGeek

    Tool Name MeetGeek
    Founded 2021
    Website www.meetgeek.ai
    MeetGeek - Top AI Transcription Tools
    MeetGeek – Top AI Transcription Tools

    To let users concentrate on having meaningful conversations during meetings, MeetGeek automates a lot of tasks. For example, it can automatically take notes during live meetings, transcribe them, and then summarise them.

    It may also organize the transcribed content according to topics so that the user can simply follow along. It was founded by Dan Huru.

    Pros

    • Able to record meeting highlights and distribute them to attendees effectively.
    • In both live and recorded meetings, it can pick out particular keywords.

    Cons

    • You can only get five hours of transcribing in the free version each month.
    • The accuracy of output is a bit of a challenge.

    Pricing

    Plan Pricing
    Basic $0
    Pro $15 Per User Per Month
    Business $29 Per User Per Month
    Enterprise $59 Per User Per Month

    Scribie

    Tool Name Scribie
    Founded 2008
    Website www.scribie.com
    Scribie - Top AI Transcription Tools
    Scribie – Top AI Transcription Tools

    For more precise transcripts, Scribie provides a four-step transcribing service. At the outset, it conducts content analysis using AI and automatically generates text from speech.

    The accuracy of the outputs is subsequently checked by human reviewers. Before being put through a quality check, the transcripts are proofread one more time. Scribie uses both automated and human reviewers, to put it another way. It was founded by Rajiv Poddar.

    Pros

    • The transcripts are backed by human verification.
    • It is possible to decipher audio and video files that contain background noise or distorted audio.

    Cons

    • Fees per minute could add up quickly when dealing with lengthy films.
    • Compared to competing products, it’s a little sluggish.

    Pricing

    Plan Pricing
    Basic $0.80/minute

    Conclusion

    Even though all of these tools make it easier for people to finish laborious transcription tasks, the output of these tools still requires human participation to construct the final script for the project. The area of quality has a significant amount of room for development and improvement.

    In addition, the subscription models that are provided by several players are somewhat pricey, particularly for students, because of the limited access to funds that students have. Therefore, these factors must be solved as quickly as possible if artificial intelligence-driven transcribing is to become a tool that humans can rely on.

    FAQs

    How accurate is AI transcription?

    AI transcription accuracy depends on multiple factors including the audio quality, transcription engine used, presence of any background or overvoice etc. However, the accuracy can range between 80% to 98% depending on the good factors.

    Is Otter AI safe?

    Yes, Otter AI is considered to be safe based on its security encryption and data protection methods.

    Is Sonix free?

    No, Sonix is not a free platform but it does offer free services to its all-new accounts for the start 30 minutes as a trial version.

  • 10 Best Video Conferencing Software for Businesses in 2024

    In today’s fast-paced business world, keeping in touch with colleagues and clients is more important than ever. With more and more companies turning to remote work, video conferencing has become a vital tool for staying connected. According to a recent study by Grand View Research, the global video conferencing market is expected to reach $19.73 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 12.5% during the forecast period (2022–2030).

    Video conferencing is the future of business communication. With the ability to connect with team members, clients, and partners from anywhere in the world, it has become an essential tool for companies of all sizes. Studies have shown that video conferencing leads to increased productivity, improved collaboration, and reduced travel costs.

    This means that now is the perfect time for businesses to invest in good video conferencing software. With the right software, you can take your business to new heights of success.

    What Is Video Conferencing Software?
    List of Best Video Conferencing Software
    Google Meet
    Zoom
    Microsoft Teams
    Zoho Meeting
    Skype
    Slack
    BlueJeans
    GlobalMeet
    Webex Meetings
    GoTo Meeting

    What Is Video Conferencing Software?

    Video conferencing software is an advanced technology that allows users to conduct real-time, online meetings, presentations, and video calls with one or more people via the Internet. This innovative tool has revolutionized the way businesses and organizations conduct meetings and presentations. It enables users to connect with others from anywhere in the world, regardless of their physical location, and share ideas and information in real time.

    Video conferencing software provides a wide range of features and capabilities, such as screen sharing, document collaboration, and recording. These features allow users to share presentations, documents, and other multimedia content with their colleagues and clients. This makes it easier to collaborate and get things done.

    One of the major benefits of video conferencing software is that they save time and money by eliminating the need for travel. Businesses and organizations can conduct virtual meetings and presentations, which can save thousands of dollars in travel expenses. This also allows employees to be more productive and efficient, as they can participate in meetings and training sessions from the comfort of their own homes or offices.

    List of Best Video Conferencing Software

    The following are the best video conferencing software for individuals and businesses in 2024:

    Google Meet

    Video Conferencing Software Google Meet
    Rating 4.5
    Best For User-friendly video conferencing
    Website meet.google.com
    Google Meet - Best Video Conferencing Platform
    Google Meet – Best Video Conferencing Platform

    Google Meet is a video conferencing tool developed by Google LLC. It allows users to conduct virtual meetings, webinars, and video chats with remote teams, clients, and partners. One can use this tool free of cost for up to 100 participants and a 60-minute meeting duration. It is highly secure and compliant with industry-standard security protocols. It is suitable for use by companies of all sizes and across all industries, whether they are small businesses or large enterprises.

    One of the key features that set Google Meet apart from other video conferencing tools is its integration with the rest of Google’s suite of productivity tools, such as Gmail and Google Calendar. This makes it easy for users to schedule, join, and manage meetings directly from their inbox or calendar.

    Features Offered by Google Meet:

    • Participants can share their screens with others during the meeting, making it easy to collaborate on documents and presentations.
    • It can be easily scheduled, joined, and managed directly from Gmail and Google Calendar.
    • Meetings can be recorded and saved to Google Drive for later viewing.
    • Up to 500 participants can join the meeting at a time when you opt for a paid plan.
    • Noise cancellation feature that reduces unwanted disturbing background noise.
    • Automatic captions are generated during the meeting, making it easy for people with hearing impairments.
    • Hosts get full control over who can enter the meeting.

    Pros:

    • It can be used via mobile app or web browser on any device
    • Highly secured
    • Live caption
    • Easy to use
    • Screen sharing and recording
    • Comprehensive help articles
    • Also available for free

    Cons:

    • Difficult to get live customer support

    Pricing Plans of Google Meet:

    Pricing details of each pricing plan of Google Meet are given below:

    Plan Pricing
    Free Free
    Business starter $6/user/month
    Business Standard $12/user/month
    Business Plus $18/user/month
    Enterprise Contact Sales

    Note: It’s a Google workspace Pricing which also includes other products of Google at the same price.

    Zoom

    Video Conferencing Software Zoom
    Rating 4.5
    Best For Feature-Rich and High-Quality Virtual Meetings
    Website zoom.us
    Zoom - Best Video Conferencing Platform
    Zoom – Best Video Conferencing Platform

    Zoom is a video conferencing platform by Zoom Video Communications, Inc. founded by Eric Yuan in 2011. Zoom has quickly grown in popularity since its launch and is now used by millions of people around the world, including businesses, schools, and government organizations. With its user-friendly interface and robust feature set, Zoom is quickly becoming the go-to choice for virtual meetings and collaborations.

    It can host large meetings with up to 1000 participants. This makes it ideal for hosting webinars, conferences, and other events where a large number of people need to be connected at once. Another aspect that makes Zoom stand out is its ability to work seamlessly across devices, including desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. This makes it easy for people to join meetings from anywhere and on any device.

    Features Offered by Zoom:

    • It provides the ability to create and customize virtual avatars to use at the meeting.
    • Several meeting templates are available that are fully customizable based on the type of meeting you’re conducting.
    • Threaded messages and reactions allow participants to chat in a threaded form and reply to comments, and also react to replies with emojis.
    • Leverage the Q&A feature to engage the participants throughout the meeting session.
    • It allows for meetings with up to 1000 participants, making it ideal for hosting webinars, conferences, and other large-scale events.
    • Users can share their screens with others during meetings which makes it easy to present documents, slides, and other materials.
    • Meetings can be recorded and saved for later playback, which is useful for training and review purposes.
    • It allows users to change their backgrounds during meetings, which is useful for hiding messy rooms or for adding fun backgrounds for meetings.

    Pros:

    • Huge learning resources
    • Interactive dashboard
    • Accessible on any device
    • A free plan is available
    • App Marketplace with more than 2300 app integration
    • Virtual background
    • Excellent support with useful articles

    Cons:

    • Limited features when you join via browser

    Pricing Plans of Zoom:

    Pricing details of each pricing plan of Zoom are given below:

    Plan Pricing
    Basic Free
    Pro $14.99/user/month
    Business $19.99/user/month
    Enterprise Contact Sales
    Pay Per Meeting $5.99/meeting

    How to Use Zoom


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    Microsoft Teams

    Video Conferencing Software Microsoft Teams
    Rating 4.3
    Best For Integrated video conferencing for collaborative teams
    Website microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/
    Microsoft Teams - Best Video Conferencing Platform
    Microsoft Teams – Best Video Conferencing Platform

    Microsoft Teams is a collaboration and communication platform developed by Microsoft Corporation. It is designed to bring teams together in one place, allowing for seamless communication and collaboration on projects and tasks. It is available on various devices, including desktop and mobile, making it easy for teams to stay connected and productive while working remotely.

    One of the key features that set Microsoft Teams apart from other similar tools is its integration with other Microsoft products such as Office 365. This allows users to easily access and share documents, schedule meetings, and collaborate on projects without leaving the Teams platform.

    Features Offered by Microsoft Teams:

    • It offers a free plan in which up to 100 participants can join the group meeting for 60 minutes.
    • Features like guest access allow teams to collaborate easily with external partners, vendors, and clients.
    • You can create custom tabs, channels, and bots to streamline your workflow and improve collaboration.
    • It supports screen sharing and recording, making it easy to collaborate on projects and documents.
    • Built-in HD video and audio conferencing capabilities, allowing teams to hold virtual meetings and discussions.
    • Users can also share files, images, and videos within the chat.
    • A feature called Together mode uses AI to place participants in a shared virtual space, such as a conference room, making it feel more like an in-person meeting.
    • Provides breakout rooms that help the organizer of the meeting to divide attendees into smaller groups for more focused discussion.

    Pros:

    • Single sign-on
    • 30-day free trial on a paid plan
    • The free plan is available
    • User-friendly interface
    • Accessible on any device
    • integration with Microsoft products such as Office 365 and SharePoint
    • Learning resources are available

    Cons:

    • Limited integration with non-Microsoft products
    • Difficult to get direct support

    Pricing Plans of Microsoft Teams:

    Pricing details of each pricing plan of Microsoft Teams are given below:

    Plan for Home Pricing
    Microsoft Teams (free) Free
    Microsoft 365 Personal $6.99/ month
    Microsoft 365 Family $9.99/ month
    Plan for Business Pricing
    Microsoft Teams (free) Free
    Microsoft Teams Essentials $4.00/user/month
    Microsoft 365 Business Basic $6.00/user/month
    Microsoft 365 Business Standard $12.50/user/month

    Zoho Meeting

    Video Conferencing Software Zoho Meeting
    Rating 4.5
    Best For Growing Teams and Webinars
    Website zoho.com/meeting
    Zoho Meeting - Best Video Conferencing Platform
    Zoho Meeting – Best Video Conferencing Platform

    Zoho Meeting is a powerful and versatile web conferencing tool that allows businesses to easily conduct online meetings and collaborate with team members. It is developed by Zoho Corporation, a global software company that offers a wide range of products and services to help businesses of all sizes to streamline their operations and increase productivity.

    It has the ability to integrate seamlessly with other Zoho products, such as Zoho CRM, Zoho Projects, and Zoho Mail. This allows users to easily schedule meetings and collaborate on projects with team members, directly from the platform. The platform is user-friendly and intuitive, making it easy for anyone to start a meeting or join one with minimal setup. It also offers a wide range of customization options that allow users to personalize their meetings and make them more engaging.

    Features Offered by Zoho Meeting:

    • Provides insightful reports of webinar data such as engagement, polls, Q&A, attendees, and registration.
    • Lock meeting feature that doesn’t allow other participants to join the meeting even if they have a joining link, the host can allow and disallow the joining request.
    • Provides seamless integration with Zoho products and other useful tools like Slack and Gmail.
    • It helps you to conduct webinars with features such as live streaming, live chat, and Q&A sessions.
    • Empower users to personalize their meeting links with their own branding and logo.
    • Breakout rooms are available that empower users to split a large meeting into smaller groups.
    • Users can annotate and mark up shared screens in real-time which makes it easy to give feedback and make suggestions.

    Pros:

    • 2-factor authentication
    • Integration with other Zoho products
    • Intuitive interface
    • The mobile app is available
    • Excellent support
    • Learning resources
    • A free plan is available

    Cons:

    • Limited integration with non-Zoho tools

    Pricing Plans of Zoho Meeting:

    Pricing details of each pricing plan of Zoho Meeting are given below:

    Plan Pricing
    Free Free
    Standard Starting at $1.00/ month
    Professional Starting at $3.00/month

    Skype

    Video Conferencing Software Skype
    Rating 4.3
    Best For Seamless Video Calling and Conferencing
    Website skype.com
    Skype - Best Video Conferencing Platform
    Skype – Best Video Conferencing Platform

    Skype is a communication tool that allows users to make voice and video calls, as well as send instant messages and share files. Developed by Microsoft, Skype uses advanced compression technology to ensure that calls are clear and lag-free, even when the internet connection is not the strongest.

    Skype for video conferencing doesn’t charge any money and allows group calls with up to 100 people. This is a great option for businesses, as it allows team members to collaborate easily and stay connected with each other. The created link comes with no expiry which means you can use the link to pre-plan any meeting. You can even use this link anytime in the future to connect with the people with the joining link.

    Features Offered by Skype:

    • It ensures that the calls and messages are encrypted, keeping your conversations private and secure.
    • Background blur feature to blur the background so that the next person doesn’t see the messy background.
    • It allows Easy pairing with visual studio live share extension which helps you to collaborate with your team and debug the code.
    • Skype offers a real-time translation feature in call and chat. This makes it easy for users to communicate with people who speak different languages.
    • Screen sharing feature during a call for presentations and remote collaboration.
    • Users can record their calls for later reference. This is a great feature for businesses, as it allows team members to easily review important conversations.
    • You can send instant messages to other Skype users. This feature is great for quick conversations and sending files or links.

    Pros:

    • No sign-up required
    • Free to use
    • No download required
    • Screen recording
    • Accessible on any device

    Cons:

    • Doesn’t support browsers other than Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome.
    • Average support

    Pricing Plans of Skype:

    Skype-to-Skype calls are free anywhere in the world. You can use Skype on a computer, mobile phone, or tablet. If you are both using Skype, the call is completely free.

    Users only need to pay when using premium features like voice mail, SMS texts, or making calls to a landline, cell, or outside of Skype.

    Plan Pricing
    Unlimited North America $7.99/month
    Unlimited World $13.99/month
    Unlimited US & Canada $2.99/month

    Slack

    Video Conferencing Software Slack
    Rating 4.5
    Best For Team Collaboration with Video Conferencing
    Website slack.com
    Slack - Best Video Conferencing Platform
    Slack – Best Video Conferencing Platform

    Slack is a powerful and versatile communication tool that is designed to help teams work more efficiently and effectively. Slack Technologies Inc. is the company behind the tool. Founded in 2009, Slack Technologies is headquartered in San Francisco, California, and has grown rapidly in recent years. It has attracted a large and loyal user base with more than 200,000 paying customers.

    The most unique feature of this tool is its integration. Slack has a huge network of more than 2,500 apps that allow seamless integration. The robust API of this tool enables you to connect it with your favorite tool and fetch important data. The platform is designed to be easy to use, with a clean and simple layout. This makes it easy to find the information and tools that you need. Additionally, Slack offers a wide range of features, such as direct messaging, group chats, and video and voice calls.

    Features Offered by Slack:

    • Hurdles and clips feature that helps in collaboration with short audio and video sharing, multi-screen sharing, link, notes, and much more.
    • Different visual controls are available such as dark and light modes, message display settings, and zoom level.
    • Customize the images and emojis to send a reaction on the chat.
    • Slack offers advanced security features to keep user data and communication safe and secure.
    • It is available on all major platforms, including web, desktop, and mobile.
    • You can customize your notification settings, so they are only notified of important messages and events. This helps you to stay focused on the task at hand and reduces distractions.
    • Powerful search functionality that helps users to find messages, files, and other information quickly and easily.
    • Users can invite other team members to join a group chat and can also share files and other information within the chat.

    Pros:

    • A mobile app is available
    • A lot of integration options
    • User-friendly interface
    • Accessible on any device
    • A resource library to learn
    • Workflow builder

    Cons:

    • Lack of live customer support

    Pricing Plans of Slack:

    Pricing details of each pricing plan of Slack are given below:

    Plan Pricing
    Free Free
    Pro ₹218/user/month, when billed annually
    Business+ ₹375.20/user/month, when billed annually
    Enterprise Grid Contact Sales

    BlueJeans

    Video Conferencing Software BlueJeans
    Rating 4.3
    Best For Cloud-Based and Seamless Video Conferencing
    Website bluejeans.com
    BlueJeans - Best Video Conferencing Platform
    BlueJeans – Best Video Conferencing Platform

    BlueJeans is a revolutionary video conferencing platform that allows users to connect easily with colleagues, clients, and partners from anywhere in the world. BlueJeans is developed and maintained by Verizon Communications, one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world. With a reputation for quality and reliability, Verizon has been at the forefront of the video conferencing industry for many years.

    Airtel has a partnership with Verizon to offer BlueJeans as a video conferencing solution to its enterprise customers. Airtel’s partnership with BlueJeans allows its enterprise customers to access the BlueJeans video conferencing platform and its features through Airtel’s network infrastructure. This partnership allows Airtel to expand its enterprise communication services portfolio. It also attracts more business customers who are looking for a reliable and advanced video conferencing solution.

    Features Offered by BlueJeans:

    • It is compatible with a variety of devices and platforms, including Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and web browsers.
    • It Uses advanced technology to provide high-definition video and audio quality for clear and seamless communication.
    • You can share your screens during a video call to facilitate collaboration and presentations.
    • Allows users to record their video calls and provides a transcription service that generates a text transcript of the conversation.
    • Integration feature that allows users to schedule and join video calls directly from their calendars.
    • Virtual backgrounds to video calls, help to reduce distractions and improve the overall video call experience.
    • Host control over the meeting, such as mute/unmute, lock/unlock, end meeting, etc.
    • Facility to create smaller groups of participants for a proper discussion on the topic.

    Pros:

    • AES 256-bit encryption
    • A lot of integration options
    • A free trial is available
    • Virtual background
    • Meeting Highlights and Recordings
    • User-friendly interface
    • Accessible on any device

    Cons:

    • A free plan is not available
    • Lack of file-sharing facility

    Pricing Plans of BlueJeans:

    Pricing details of each pricing plan of BlueJeans are given below:

    Plan Pricing
    Pro ₹699/month, when billed annually
    Enterprise Contact Sales

    GlobalMeet

    Video Conferencing Software GlobalMeet
    Rating 4.2
    Best For Businesses and Professionals Needing Web Conferencing
    Website globalmeet.com
    GlobalMeet - Best Video Conferencing Platform
    GlobalMeet – Best Video Conferencing Platform

    GlobalMeet is a Video Conferencing platform for businesses and organizations looking to connect with their teams, clients, and partners from anywhere in the world. It supports large-scale high-definition video conferences with up to 1,000 participants. With the ability to share screens, documents, and other multimedia content, users can easily collaborate and share ideas. This makes it an ideal tool for creative brainstorming sessions or project meetings.

    GlobalMeet Video Conferencing is highly secure, with end-to-end encryption and a range of security features to protect user data and communications. It offers a range of options for personalizing the platform to suit the specific needs of different teams. One can create custom meeting rooms, set up recurring meetings, and even schedule meetings in advance.

    Features Offered by GlobalMeet:

    • It is a cloud-based platform, which means that users can access it from anywhere, at any time.
    • Participants can communicate with one another through instant messaging or chat, this makes it easy to ask questions or share information during the meeting.
    • Screen recording feature to record the screen and use it in the feature.
    • The host can split the screen into smaller groups for more focused discussions or tasks.
    • Users can record live sessions for future reference.
    • You can schedule meetings in advance, which makes it easy to coordinate with others and plan ahead.
    • It is highly customizable, with a range of customization options.
    • End-to-end encryption and a range of security features to protect data.

    Pros:

    • Multi-lingual support
    • G-suite integration
    • Accessible on any device
    • Advanced reporting and analytics
    • Custom branding
    • Digital whiteboarding

    Cons:

    • Price is not disclosed

    Pricing Plans of GlobalMeet:

    GlobalMeet offers three plans: Essential, Professional, and Enterprise. You need to contact their sales team to get details on the pricing of each plan.

    Webex Meetings

    Video Conferencing Software Webex Meetings
    Rating 4.2
    Best For Collaborative Video Conferencing Solutions
    Website webex.com
    Webex Meetings - Best Video Conferencing Platform
    Webex Meetings – Best Video Conferencing Platform

    Webex is a video-conferencing platform by Cisco that offers high-quality video and audio capabilities. The platform uses advanced technology to ensure clear and crisp video and audio, even in low-bandwidth environments. It uses encryption to protect your data and offers features such as password-protected meetings, waiting rooms, and the ability to lock or end meetings at any time.

    One of the most highlighted features of this tool is its customization. You can customize meeting room layouts, choose from a range of background images and themes, and even create your own branded meeting rooms. It offers top-notch security to secure your valuable data. Features such as password-protected meetings, waiting rooms, and the ability to lock or end meetings at any time are available.

    Features Offered by Webex Meetings:

    • Provides detailed insights into meeting attendance, engagement, and more. It allows users to make data-driven decisions about their meetings.
    • It has the ability to integrate with popular apps such as Outlook, Google Calendar, and Slack.
    • Hosts can create smaller, more intimate meetings within a larger meeting that allows more focused and productive conversations.
    • Users can join and participate in meetings from any device, including smartphones and tablets.
    • Meeting management tools such as screen sharing, recording, and polling help users effectively manage and lead meetings.
    • You can customize meeting room layouts, and choose from a range of background images and themes.
    • The advanced technology of Webex ensures clear and crisp video and audio, even in low-bandwidth environments.
    • Participants can easily schedule and join meetings from their calendars, share files and documents, and collaborate on projects.

    Pros:

    • A free plan is available
    • Two-way Whiteboarding
    • Advanced search and filter
    • Third-party integration
    • Accessible on any device
    • User-friendly interface

    Cons:

    • Complex to use
    • Lack of interaction feature between host and participants

    Pricing Plans of Webex Meetings:

    Pricing details of each pricing plan of Webex Meetings are given below:

    Plan Pricing
    Basic $0
    Meet $14.50/license/month
    Business Meet + Call $25/license/month
    Enterprise Contact Sales

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    GoTo Meeting

    Video Conferencing Software GoTo Meeting
    Rating 4.2
    Best For Seamless Web Conferencing for Businesses
    Website goto.com/meeting
    GoTo Meeting - Best Video Conferencing Platform
    GoTo Meeting – Best Video Conferencing Platform

    GoTo Meeting is a web conferencing software by GoTo that is designed for businesses of all sizes. With its reliable performance and user-friendly interface, GoTo Meeting has become a go-to choice for virtual meetings, webinars, and online collaborations.

    GoTo Meeting video conferencing platform is trusted by millions of people for real-time virtual communication and collaboration. It is an easy, fast, and reliable professional virtual meeting solution that allows individuals and businesses to meet face-to-face, and connect with colleagues through in-meeting chat, screen sharing, and more with just a click of a button.

    Features Offered by GoToMeeting:

    • Customizable meeting templates to suit different types of meetings.
    • Easy scheduling and calendar integration for efficient meeting management.
    • Real-time screen sharing and presentation capabilities for seamless collaboration.
    • Integrated chat and Q&A features for interactive discussions.
    • Recording and playback options for future reference and training purposes.
    • Virtual backgrounds to customize the meeting environment.
    • Mobile apps for on-the-go participation in meetings from any device.
    • End-to-end encryption for secure and confidential meetings.

    Pros:

    • User-friendly interface
    • Flexible pricing plans
    • Integrations with popular productivity tools
    • 24/7 customer support

    Cons:

    • Advanced features require additional subscriptions or add-ons

    Pricing Plans of GoTo Meeting:

    Pricing details of each pricing plan for GoTo Meeting are given below:

    Plan Pricing
    Professional $12/organizer/month, billed annually
    Business $16/organizer/month, billed annually
    Enterprise Contact Sales

    Conclusion‌‌

    Video conferencing is the future of communication. With these software platforms, you can easily connect with your team, clients, and partners from anywhere in the world.

    The platforms are easy to use and provide a seamless experience for all users. This makes them the perfect solution for any business looking to improve its communication and collaboration. So choose the suitable software from the above-mentioned list and experience the power of video conferencing for yourself!

    FAQs

    What is video conferencing software?

    Video conferencing software is an advanced technology that allows users to conduct real-time, online meetings, presentations, and video calls with one or more people via the Internet.

    Which is the best video conferencing software?

    The best video conferencing software includes the following:

    • Zoom
    • Zoho Meeting
    • Microsoft Teams
    • Google Teams
    • Skype
    • Slack
    • GlobalMeet

    Who are Zoom’s top competitors?

    The top competitors of Zoom are Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Webex Meetings, Skype, and Zoho Meetings.‌‌‌‌‌‌

  • 10 Best Virtual Office Software For Remote Teams in 2023

    In the contemporary world, individuals increasingly desire the freedom to work from diverse locations, a possibility that is seamlessly facilitated by the concept of the virtual office. With the surge in remote work, the demand for purpose-built tools to enable efficient virtual office operations has seen a corresponding rise. These virtual office tools cater to a broad spectrum of enterprises, ranging from nascent startups to established corporations. According to recent research, a staggering 70% of large corporations and 62% of small businesses have embraced virtual office solutions. These tools offer a repertoire of features, effectively eliminating the necessity for physical office spaces, empowering individuals to operate proficiently from remote locales. The deployment of virtual office tools serves to enhance the professionalism and credibility of businesses.

    The trajectory of the virtual office trend is marked by rapid growth. As you embark on establishing your own business, you will realize that the diverse skill set required for its successful expansion is dispersed across the globe. By harnessing the capabilities of a virtual office, you can engage talents and avail services transcending geographical boundaries.

    This blog delves into the realm of essential virtual office tools, unveiling a curated selection of the best options available. The virtual office tools explored here promise to streamline your operations, enhance communication, and elevate productivity to unprecedented heights.

    Best Virtual Office Tools

    Below, you will find an array of tools tailored to suit the virtual office environment, each designed to optimize your remote work experience.

    Teamflow
    Dropbox
    Time Doctor
    Slack
    Trello
    Sococo
    Zoom
    Tandem
    GoTo Meeting
    WorkInSync

    Teamflow

    Website www.teamflowhq.com
    Rating 4.8 out of 5
    Free Trial Available
    Platforms Supported Web, Android, iPhone/iPad
    Best For Seamless remote work and collaboration

    Teamflow - Virtual Office Tool
    Teamflow 

    Teamflow is an online workspace for extraordinary remote teams. It recreates the spontaneity of casual, unplanned chats and the seamless team collaborations employees miss from working at physical offices. The virtual office software was built on three ideas- spatiality, persistence, and apps.

    When a business team first sets up in Teamflow, the applications first customize the layout and then set up desks, work areas, and meeting rooms. Teams can also integrate apps like notepads or whiteboards and embed applications like Slides or Google Docs. When using the software, teams can see their video in a bubble on a virtual office floor plan- in the same way they might see each other across physical offices.

    Moreover, with the platform, employees can shadow their teammate’s calls, dial together in real-time, and share valuable insights in real-time. These features allow teams to celebrate their wins and help grow via collaborative knowledge sharing.

    Features of Teamflow

    • Meeting Space: Users can select from a wide range of meeting spaces to match their needs, design a cozy corner office for routine 1:1s and build their favorite virtual venues with Teamflow.
    • Spatial Audio: The platform’s spatial audio feature allows teams to create a natural workspace while encouraging spontaneous interactions.
    • Multiple Screen Shares: There will no longer be restrictive, clunky video meetings with no need to choose or switch between windows by accessing the multiple screen shares feature.
    • App Integrations: Teamflow’s convenient app integrations seamlessly bring Trello, Google Docs, and Notion into employees’ shared workspace.

    Pros

    • Teamflow’s interaction model makes business teams feel like they are in a physical office.
    • Effective collaborations with reduced meeting scheduling times.
    • Easy-to-use platform with a customer representative to guide you through the onboarding process.

    Cons

    • The camera setting doesn’t offer the option for virtual background or blurry effects.
    • The software doesn’t offer a mic and webcam, making it challenging to communicate when sharing screens.
    • Users don’t have privacy when sharing the screen.

    Pricing Plans

    Plan Yearly Price Monthly Price
    Your current office $799/employee/month $799/employee/month
    Seed $15/employee/month $20/employee/month
    Business $25/employee/month $30/employee/month

    Dropbox

    Website www.dropbox.com
    Rating 4.5 out of 5
    Free Trial Available
    Platforms Supported Web, Android, iPhone/iPad
    Best For File syncing, storage & sharing

    Dropbox - Virtual Office Software
    Dropbox 

    Dropbox is like a modern workspace designed to help users reduce their busy work to let them focus on things that matter to them. It is a cloud file storage and synchronization platform where all team content comes together. The software allows users back up their files online and synchronizes all their local Dropbox folders across different devices. Users can access this file-sharing service by any web browser or Dropbox application installed on a laptop, mobile, computer, or tablet. Moreover, it allows employees to share the data and files such as Excel and PowerPoint with their team members and make changes in the documents in real time.

    When a user subscribes to the platform, he is allotted a certain amount of storage space in an online server called ‘the cloud.’ And after installing Dropbox app on his mobile or computer, files stored in the Dropbox can also be copied to the Dropbox server. The tools enable users to bring all their files in a single place, making it easier to find and synchronize on all their devices, allowing them to access the files anytime and anywhere.

    Features of Dropbox

    • Cloud Storage: With online cloud storage, Dropbox allows users to keep their files safe. Moreover, they get free storage of up to 2GB and 100 GB on for-fee plans.
    • Encryption Security: The platform uses 256-bit AES encryption security, letting users share the most confidential files safely and securely.
    • Share Screenshots: When using the tool, users need not take screenshots, drag them into Dropbox, and copy the share link. They can share screenshots quickly by enabling Dropbox’s screenshot-sharing feature.
    • Add Comments to Files: With the platform’s commenting feature, users can discuss changes to a particular file.
    How to Use Dropbox

    Pros

    • Dropbox app is available practically for every operating system.
    • Backups and synchronizes files automatically.
    • The software offers a flexible range of collaborative tools.
    • It offers superb app integration and offline functionality.

    Cons

    • Free users are offered poor storage limits.
    • Compared to other similar tools, Dropbox has expensive paid subscriptions.
    • It offers a limited search function.

    Pricing Plans

    Plan Yearly Price Monthly Price
    Plus $9.99 / month $11.99 / month
    Family $16.99 / month $19.99 / month
    Professional $16.58 / month $19.99 / month


    Drew Houston—CEO & Co-Founder of Dropbox | Internet Entrepreneur
    Drew Houston is a Software Engineer and an Internet Entrepreneur who established the cloud storage service, Dropbox in 2007. He has an estimated net worth of $2.46 billion, as of 2020.


    Time Doctor

    Website www.timedoctor.com
    Rating 4.6 out of 5
    Free Trial Available
    Platforms Supported Web, Android, iPhone/iPad
    Best For Employee Time Tracking with Screenshots

    Time Doctor - Virtual Office Tool
    Time Doctor

    Time Doctor is a cloud-based time tracking and management platform that businesses use to monitor their workforce productivity. This platform allows users to access multiple tools for time tracking, payroll management, web activity monitoring, and reporting. For instance, it sends distraction alerts if employees go off task too long. It can also take screenshots and screen recordings as proof for employers.

    With Time Doctor, an employer can enter time spent on each business project and calculate his employees’ billable and non-billable working hours. With this solution, they can also keep track of the time employees spend on chats, calls, meetings, internet usage, and other activities. The payroll functionality allows companies to record employees’ working hours and create weekly or monthly payslips. Moreover, Time Doctor also enables integration with multiple project management and accounting software, such as Slack, JIRA, Salesforce, and Basecamp.

    Features of Time_Doctor

    • Time Tracking: Time Doctor allows employers to track their and their employees’ time to see what’s done throughout the day. In addition, the software creates a summary of time spent on each business project, task, and client.
    • Online Timesheets and Payroll: The platform creates seamless time sheets and payrolls that managers can review and approve as needed and pay employees based on hours worked.
    • Project Management and Budgeting: With the Time Doctor, users can efficiently align projects and budgets. They can create tasks, assign projects, and review progress, simplifying project management.
    • Productivity Measuring and Summary Reports: The app allows managers to view screenshots of real-time progress. It creates daily and weekly summary reports of website and app usage, client breakdown, and more.

    Pros

    • Help track time without selecting a task.
    • It supports manual time editing.
    • Provides a mobile app and is available as a powerful Chrome extension.
    • Time Doctor provides an API to integrate any software application.

    Cons

    • It offers limited customization options to generate reports.
    • The platform’s extensive tracking features might be perceived as an invasion by employees.
    • Its pricing structure might not be suitable for small businesses and startups.
    • Some users find it challenging to learn the software’s interface and features.

    Pricing Plans

    Plan Price
    Basic $5.9/user/month
    Standard $8.4/user/month
    Premium $16.7/user/month


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    Slack

    Website Slack.com
    Rating 4.7 out of 5
    Free Trial Available
    Platforms Supported Web, Android, iPhone/iPad
    Best For Team communication and workflows

    Slack - Virtual Office Software
    Slack 

    Slack is a workplace messaging application that can be used to send messages and files. Simply put, it’s an instant messaging tool. The application is designed to enable users to easily communicate while eliminating the ‘app fatigue’ that occurs when using multiple communication applications. It offers two types of chats – direct message or DM (person-to-person chat) and channels (group chats). Slack channels can be public or private chat groups, wherein the former allows anyone to see and join the chat group, and the latter allows only channel members to see and join the chat group.

    All real communication occurs in the chat window where users can read messages, reply, use emoji reactions, create reminders, upload stickers and GIFs, see RSS feeds, receive add-on notifications, and use many other features such as whistles and bells. This messaging app allows business teams to communicate more effectively by replacing text messaging, instant chatting, and email with a single software. Additionally, its desktop and mobile versions enable business teams to interact and coordinate their work from any place and at any time.

    Features of Slack

    • Apps and Integrations: Slack can be connected with Google Drive, Office 365, Asana, Blossom, Trello, JIRA, Pivotal Tracker, and over 2,200 other project management tools.
    • Workflow Builder: With the ‘workflow builder’ feature, users can automate their routine actions and communication to get back to the kind of work that only humans can do.
    • Slack Connect: The platform offers a ‘Slack Connect’ feature to help users collaborate with teams at other organizations as they do with teams at their companies.
    • File Sharing: Users can share files, photos, videos, and documents from their device or cloud storage service without switching tabs or windows.

    Pros

    • Slack makes it easier to share even something funny or off-topic with co-workers.
    • Users can collaborate easily with someone in real time.
    • Thanks to Slack’s excellent security, users’ data is always protected within the platform.
    • Users can download the app to their desktop and use it as a mobile app.

    Cons

    • The conversations are automatically deleted after 14 days.
    • The platform offers minimum file storage.
    • Users can’t make a public group private after creating it.
    • Messages can become unorganized relatively quickly.

    Pricing Plans

    Plan Price
    Free ₹0/month
    Pro ₹218/month*
    Business ₹375.20/month*
    Enterprise Grid Custom Pricing

    Trello

    Website Trello.com
    Rating 4.5 out of 5
    Free Trial Available
    Platforms Supported Web, Android, iPhone/iPad
    Best For Task and Project Management

    Trello - Virtual Office Tool
    Trello 

    Trello is a visual tool empowering business teams to manage any type of project, workflow, or task tracking. This project management and collaboration tool organizes projects into boards representing different business projects. Within each board, employers can add lists representing different stages of the project and cards representing individual tasks. It needs just one glance to figure out what project or task the employees are working on, which employee is working on what, and where something is in process.

    By accessing this project management platform, users can add attachments, comments, and due dates to cards and move them from one list to another to reflect a specific project’s progress. It acts as a digital bulletin board to track and manage everything about business projects. With Trello, users can say goodbye to sticky notes, cluttered email inboxes, and forgotten deadlines. Furthermore, it supports integration with hundreds of third-party applications and services, including Slack, Google Drive, OneDrive, JIRA, GitHub, and more.

    Features of Trello

    • Search and Filtering: The platform’s powerful search function allows users to search for boards, cards, labels, and team members. They can filter cards by labels, due dates, and other categories.
    • Power-Ups: Trello’s version of plugins, ‘Power-Ups,’ allow users to add extra features and functionalities to their boards, such as adding custom fields or integrating with other tools.
    • Calendar View: The ‘Calendar View’ features help users view all their due dates and project deadlines in a single place.
    • Notifications: Users are updated about their mentions, comments, or card updates via notifications on their mobile or email.
    Boost your productivity with Trello

    Pros

    • The platform emphasizes ease of use, as most users can grasp its basics within minutes.
    • With Trello, users can easily organize their projects and tasks into boards, lists, and cards.
    • The project management app makes it easier for team members to collaborate and work together.
    • Users can use Trello for any type of project or task.

    Cons

    • The free version of Trello limits attachment size and integrations.
    • The app can accidentally drag, move, and delete a card.
    • It offers limited scalability making it an unsuitable choice for large companies.

    Pricing Plans

    Plan Price
    Free $0
    Standard $5/user/month, if billed annually
    Premium $10/user/month, if billed annually
    Enterprise $17.50/user/month, if billed annually

    Sococo

    Website www.sococo.com
    Rating 4.1 out of 5
    Free Trial Available
    Platforms Supported Web, Android, iPhone/iPad
    Best For Virtual Office and Remote Team Collaboration

    Sococo - Virtual Office Tool
    Sococo 

    Sococo is a cloud-based SaaS platform letting business teams work side-by-side in the same online office, no matter where team members reside. It’s a virtual office solution for distributed teams that allows them to collaborate, connect, and overcome the barriers of physical distance. With Sococo, team members can stay and work together on different projects using office maps and virtual avatars. The platform provides users access to virtual office maps, meeting rooms, team messaging, voice and video chat, virtual avatars with status updates, screen-sharing, and many other features.

    The virtual office tool allows users to update their availability status through avatars to provide more transparency to the business teams. It means users can display whether they are present in the meeting or not with avatar status updates. With Sococo, teams can book meeting rooms to quickly collaborate on any business project without using any third-party software. Moreover, the users can use Sococo’s video and voice calling, 1-to-1 chat messaging, and advanced screen-sharing features to connect and work seamlessly online.

    Features of Sococo

    • Map: Sococo maps allow remote teams to overcome barriers of physical distance by working side-by-side in the same virtual office.
    • Meeting Rooms: Teams can book meeting rooms to work together. Even the platform allows booking different rooms and floors for different teams.
    • Voice, Video, and Screen Share: With these features, teams can see and talk to their colleagues, know what they are up to, and receive responses immediately.
    • App Integration: Sococo can integrate various third-party applications, including Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Webex, Google Meet, and more.

    Pros

    • Remote teams can share documents and communicate with co-workers using in-app chat capabilities.
    • The platform offers various classroom and office setups.
    • Sococo integrates with multiple third-party meeting management, collaboration, and video conferencing apps.
    • Businesses can have specific rooms and floors for different teams.

    Cons

    • There is a limit to the number of voice call minutes.
    • No personal space customization.
    • Screen sharing has a lot of lag.
    • Often, voice chat and media sharing encounter issues.

    Pricing Plans

    Plan Price
    Sococo $13.49 Per Seat per Month, Annually Prepaid
    Sococo Unlimited $24.99 Per Seat per Month, Annual Term

    Zoom

    Website Zoom.us
    Rating 4.6 out of 5
    Free Trial Available
    Platforms Supported Web, Android, iPhone/iPad
    Best For Video conferencing & web conferencing for teams of all sizes

    Zoom - Virtual Office Software
    Zoom

    Zoom is a cloud-based video conferencing platform users can use to connect online with others via video or audio, or both while conducting live chats. It can be used through a mobile app or computer desktop for video conferences, live chat, and webinars. The video conferring application allows users to create and join virtual meeting rooms to communicate with each other using video and audio. Moreover, the platform provides features allowing users to share their screens and files and use text chat to talk privately or publicly in meetings.

    To join a Zoom meeting, the users must have the Zoom app, meeting ID or link, and a password. While it’s unnecessary for the participant to have a Zoom account to join the meeting, a user hosting the meeting must set up a Zoom account. Some time ago, Zoom enabled passwords by default. It means users manually entering the meeting details need a password to join the meeting. However, the participants joining the session via the link don’t need a password.

    Features of Zoom

    • Collaboration: With Zoom, users can collaborate with up to 300 UR and external non-UR persons, including chat, whiteboarding, annotation, and breakout rooms.
    • Screen and Application Sharing: Participants can share their desktop or individual applications during the meeting.
    • Scheduling: Users can access browser, client, and plugin scheduling options, including delegation for schedulers and co-hosts.
    • Large Room and Webinar: Zoom sessions can be expanded with up to 500 interactive participants in large rooms and 1,000 viewers in webinars.

    Pros

    • Zoom is a leading video conferring platform offering the highest maximum participant capacity.
    • The tool offers reliable connectivity with superior conferencing quality.
    • Zoom boasts a user-friendly and uncomplicated interface.
    • It offers a wealth of features focusing on productivity and interactivity.

    Cons

    • It is considerably heavy on system resources and encounters minor performance issues.
    • With the free plan, users can access only limited features.
    • Zoom comes with too many subscriptions and add-ons.
    • The application lacks comment control.

    Pricing Plans

    Plan Yearly Price Monthly Price
    Basic Free Free
    Pro ₹13,200./year/user ₹1,300./month/user
    Business ₹18,000./year/user ₹1,800./month/user
    Business Plus Custom plans Custom plans


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    Tandem

    Website Tandem.chat
    Rating 4.4 out of 5
    Free Trial Available
    Platforms Supported Web, Android, iPhone/iPad
    Best For Video conferencing for small teams

    Tandem - Virtual Office Tool
    Tandem 

    Tandem is a cloud-based video conferencing software specifically designed for small teams. The platform has a great virtual office feel that promotes real-time productivity and team collaboration. It consolidates cloud technology and collaboration spaces into a seamless virtual workspace that allows teams to communicate anywhere. With this desktop application, employees can see what other co-workers are working on and quickly jump onto a video chat with a single button click. The software lets business teams feel they are working together in person, just like a real-life office.

    Business teams can work synchronously with virtual meetings, high fives, calendar alerts, music rooms, instant screen sharing, and many other features. Co-workers can spontaneously converse with each other and feel more connected with their remote team. In addition, Tandem lets users integrate over 200 different platforms, including Slack, Spotify, Calendar, Google Chrome, GitHub, JIRA, Google Docs, and more.

    Features of Tandem

    • Upcoming Meetings: With this feature, employees can auto-join so they never miss a meeting.
    • Instant Screen Sharing: Users can instantly share their screen, tab, or individual application in a single click.
    • Application Integrations: With Tandem, users can integrate the platform with over 200 applications, including Google Docs, Calendar, Figma, Asana, Google Chrome, etc.
    • Remote Control: The platform enables remote screen control with a single click.

    Pros

    • Tandem is a web-based platform that can be accessed from anywhere.
    • It has an intuitive and beautifully designed user interface.
    • The platform can work efficiently on Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, and Windows.
    • With Tandem, users can access high-quality video and audio chat options.

    Cons

    • Tandem doesn’t offer any support for the emerging platform yet.

    Pricing Plans

    Plan Price
    Free $0/month
    Small Teams $49/month
    Medium Teams $99/month
    Large Teams $399/month

    GoTo Meeting

    Website www.goto.com/meeting
    Rating 4.4 out of 5
    Free Trial Available
    Platforms Supported Web, Android, iPhone/iPad
    Best For Online meeting, HD video conferencing

    GoToMeeting - Virtual Office Software
    GoToMeeting

    GoTo Meeting is a professional online meeting software accessed via the desktop app, mobile app, and browser. This platform allows users to schedule, host, and record online face-to-face meetings, real-time presentations, and webinars. A user looking forward to joining the meeting doesn’t need a GoToMeeting account. But the organizer must set up an account to schedule, invite, and manage the meeting in the cloud. The platform is specifically designed for business use instead of personal use.

    Furthermore, the maximum number of participants that GoToMeeting can accommodate is 3,000. It means the platform is ideal for webinars and conferences. The vendor also offers low-tiered plans for hosting smaller meetings suitable for online classes and remote work. Setting up and navigating the web conferencing app is pretty straightforward. Users can access critical features like chat, screen share, call, and record with a single click or a few steps.

    In addition to standard video tools like dial-in conference lines, screen sharing, and personal meeting rooms, the platform facilitates key account management features, like meeting diagnostic reports, an admin center, and downloadable admin reports.

    Features of GoToMeeting

    • High-Definition Video Conferencing: The tool offers more than audio conferencing. If a user has a webcam, he can be seen and heard.
    • Screen Share: Users can share the screen’s contents and desktop during the online meeting.
    • Multiple Meeting Facilitators: With GoToMeeting, more than one person can be in charge of a particular meeting. Users can share or turn over the meeting administration’s control to another person.
    • Record the Meeting: The platform allows participants to record the meeting and play it back later as an MP4 or WMV file.
    GoTo Meeting In-Session Experience

    Pros

    • GoToMeeting is famous for its clear audio and video interface and reliability.
    • The cloud-based platform is very secure due to its comprehensive security and privacy features.
    • It’s an easy-to-use application.
    • Allow sharing of documents during online meetings in real time.

    Cons

    • It requires a stable internet connection and the latest IT equipment or mobile devices.
    • Users find it difficult to get the call-in process right.
    • The platform offers a limited chat option.

    Pricing Plans

    Plan Price
    Professional $12/organizer /month, billed annually
    Business $16/organizer /month, billed annually
    Enterprise Custom Pricing

    WorkInSync

    Website www.workinsync.io
    Rating 4.8 out of 5
    Free Trial Available
    Platforms Supported Web, Android, iPhone/iPad
    Best For All your hybrid workplace needs

    WorkInSync - Virtual Office Software
    WorkInSync 

    WorkInSync is a SaaS solution that enables companies to adopt the hybrid workplace model while enriching the employee experience. It is a simple platform for users to optimize and simplify office operations for different stakeholders. Whether an organization wants to collaborate with team members or ensure a sanitization flow, the cloud-based workplace management tool encompasses several features that can help create a digitized, hybrid workplace.

    With WorkInSync, managers can plan and align their entire team across multiple remote locations, ease commuting woes, and improve workplace safety. It facilitates a wide array of features, including space management, desk booking, meeting room booking, locating colleagues, meeting management, parking spaces, workplace integrations, shift scheduling, commute management, and much more.

    Moreover, the application also offers a contactless access management feature allowing employees to enter and exit the office without touching anything. With WorkInSync’s centralized dashboard, users can view attendance and floor occupancy in real-time. It’s a must for the users to register on the app using their office records’ phone number or email.

    Features of WorkInSync

    • Desk Booking: With this feature, users can book desks of their choice.
    • Way-finding: WorkInSync app allows employees to locate their co-workers across floors using an interactive floor map.
    • Meeting and Parking Space Management: Registered employees can book meeting rooms and parking spaces before coming to the office.
    • Office Commute: With this platform, employees can access cabs and buses when wanting to work from the office.

    Pros

    • Users can schedule meetings, and notification is automatically sent to all their colleagues who will be attending.
    • The dashboard provides access to historical and real-time data analytics, which can be downloaded as Excel reports.
    • WorkInSync allows employees to schedule their visit to the office.
    • The tool can be integrated with Microsoft Teams.

    Cons

    • Users can’t book the rooms via mobile app. They need to go to the official site.
    • The platform doesn’t facilitate the desktop version.
    • Beginners can find it tricky to use WorkInSync.
    • The application takes some time to load.

    Pricing Plans

    Plan Price
    Standard $2.50/month, billed annually
    Professional $4.00/month, billed annually
    Enterprise $6.00/month, billed annually


    List of top Companies adopting Hybrid workplace model and why your company should adopt it too?
    Many top companies have adopted hybrid workplace model but is it Effective and Should your company adopt it too?. Lets find out


    Conclusion

    Our dive into premier virtual office tools underscores their transformative power. Beyond functionality, they fuel efficiency, collaboration, and innovation. From global team connectivity to streamlined project management, these tools redefine work dynamics. In today’s borderless work environment, they’re essential for progress. Embrace these tools—unleash your potential for growth and impact, whether you’re an entrepreneur, freelancer, or team player. Your virtual office journey starts now; grasp the reins of the future of work.

    FAQs

    What is meant by a virtual office?

    The virtual office is a part of the flexible workspace industry enabling business owners and employees to work remotely by rendering several business functions accessible via the Internet. It allows companies to create and maintain a business presence in a desirable location without paying rent for a physical workspace.

    What are the benefits of a virtual office?

    With a virtual office, you can reap many benefits, including zero overheads, saving money on technology and hardware, no commute time, higher productivity, increased flexibility of work, professional address and services, furnished office spaces, and better work-life balance.

    What tech tools will I need to set up a virtual office?

    Consider using a VoIP phone system, video conferencing tool, online fax services, project management software, scanning tool, and collaborative word processing tool to set up a virtual office.

    What features should I look for in a virtual office tool?

    Some key features you should look for in a virtual office tool include real-time communication capabilities via audio and video chat, virtual rooms, whiteboards, comments, sticky notes, and in-room chat, file sharing capabilities, third-party app integrations, data security, and encrypted infrastructure.

    How can I choose the right virtual office software for my company?

    To choose the right virtual office software, consider your company’s needs, such as service requirements, budget constraints, and scalability. Research thoroughly, read reviews, compare multiple tools, and consider trial periods to deploy the software best aligning with your company’s objectives.

  • 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.

    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…

    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…

    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…

    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…


    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…

    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…


    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.

  • Webkonf- First Homegrown Video Conferencing And Screen Sharing Platform

    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 Webkonf.

    The outbreak of the global pandemic has upended the traditional ways of doing things. Many things got different solutions to them due to pandemics. One such thing was about conducting office meets and business calls. Pandemic made each and everyone physically far from each other. However, the working pattern was in need of everyone’s coordination. At such times, technology gave way for the world to move on. With the introduction of virtual meetings, the concept soon found a way to acknowledgment due to the need for hours.

    Virtual meetings were able to fill up the space formed in communication and physical presence during a pandemic. Hence, they found an easy path to success. Till now, the tradition of virtual meetings has been accepted by a mass of companies. The platform, Webkonf provides a real-time and constantly evolving method of connecting with different business associates for the work to go on. Webkonf meeting platform itself was developed as the product researched during Lockdown by the startup firm located in Hyderabad.

    Webkonf- Company Highlights

    Company Name Webkonf
    Headquarter Hyderabad
    Founder Rama Narayana Reddy Malay
    Founded 26 May 2020
    Sector Video Conference Platform
    Website webkonf.io


    Webkonf- About and How it Works
    Webkonf- Founder and Team
    Webkonf- Startup Story
    Webkonf- Name, Tagline and Logo
    Webkonf- Vision and Mission
    Webkonf- Products and Services
    Webkonf- Business and Revenue Model
    Webkonf- Competitors
    Webkonf- Future Plans


    Webkonf- About and How it Works

    Webkonf.io video conferencing App

    Webkonf is a video-conferencing platform that connects people through video, voice, chat, and content sharing. It is a web-based Audio, Video & Screen Sharing solution for meetings and conferences. They use open source systems and oracle cloud for security and scalability. Webkonf introduces background blur and noise cancellation features.

    Webkonf Meetings Private Limited is a non-government, Private project incorporated on 26 May 2020. Webkonf is classified under the section of the non-government company with its registration done at the registrar of companies in Hyderabad.  The company is authorized with the share capital of Rs. 10,00,000 and paid-up capital of Rs. 1,00,000. Webkonf is not just limited to creating a communication space, it also provides other basic computer-related activities such as maintenance of websites created for some other firms along with the creation of multimedia presentations for different firms, etc.

    The product Webkonf meeting was the result of research done in by the Hyderabad Startup in Lockdown.

    It was developed as an outcome of lockdown research done by the startup located in Hyderabad.

    Last year’s global web conference market size was US $2.5 billion and is expected to be US $5 billion by 2025. Indian market share is expected to be between 500 million and 750 million by 2025, as stated by Ram Malay.


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    Webkonf- Founder and Team

    Ram Malay

    Ram Malay | Webkonf Founder
    Ram Malay | Webkonf Founder

    Ram Malay has done his BTech from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University in Electronics and Communications. Presently, he is also the CEO of Soniks Consulting, which is a firm with latest & innovative domains /technology entries which can help companies bridge gaps in current operations. Mr. Malay is also a Founder at SuperBigStore.com, which aims to be India’s #1 online store for Diapers, Wipes and Sanitary Napkins.

    Their growth trajectory has been quite impressive. It has grown from employing just three individuals to over 100 individuals currently. Today, the company’s talented employees handle multiple industry verticals across the world. The company is bootstrapped for the time being.


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    Webkonf- Startup Story

    Webkonf Meeting Startup Story
    Webkonf Meeting Startup Story

    The idea to launch Webkonf clocked my mind just before the COVID-19 lockdown when I and my team realized the need for an effective communication and collaboration tool. We felt that such a platform could lead to better connectivity and make our work more productive. With this realization, we commenced to work on building such a platform, and hence, Webkonf was born.


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    Webkonf Logo
    Webkonf Logo

    Webkonf is a video-conferencing tool, used for virtual meetings with its special features.

    The name Webkonf somehow resembles its purpose of web conferencing.

    The Webkonf logo is made up of two different colors, i.e Blue and green. The logo consists of the “c” shaped half circle made up of blue and green colors with the term “Webkonf” written from within it. The letter “W” of webkonf is also written in two colors, the first half is blue, and the part below blue is written in green color.

    Webkonf- Vision and Mission

    With a vision to create innovative products with the customer at their heart and a mission to deliver outstanding technology-based experiences to users, Hyderabad based Soniks Consulting’s Webkonf Meetings is India’s first simple, secured, and protected web video conferencing and screen sharing platform. This application, without any data breaches for data privacy, enables Local hosting end to end encryption. It signifies that Webkonf never collects any data which is irrelevant for Webkonf operations like the majority of other applications which collect users’ browse history.


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    Webkonf- Products and Services

    Webkonf Home Page
    Webkonf Home Page

    Webkonf Meetings is their most significant innovation ever. They’re confident that the platform will grow bigger and is definitely more impactful. It is India’s first extremely simple, secured, and protected video conferencing platform. It enables Local hosting end-to-end encryption without breaching any data.

    Unlike other applications, Webkonf does not collect the data or browser history of users. Webkonf is potential enough to be adopted by almost 10 million people in a brief period. We are planning for a paid version of Webkonf Meetings once new features and enhancements are released. We are planning for a virtual launch of a commercial version of the Webkon, as explained by Mr. Ram Malay.


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    Webkonf- Business and Revenue Model

    Businesses are facing a tough time in contemporary India. While the verticals of traditional business have slowed down, digital space such as apps and webs or e-commerce grew by 300%. Webkonf usage has grown rapidly. Projects of digital, apps, and web are growing alongside fresh acquisitions. Hence, they are expanding mobile and web teams for satisfying user needs. They plan to add AI capabilities and machine learning to their platform which will be a long-term roadmap in progress. Oracle for Cloud needs and expansion has been our partner to produce superior performance and overall experience for the end-users.


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    Webkonf- Competitors

    Video conferencing has gained much acknowledgment during and after the pandemic. Earlier these platforms were not much used and known by everyone. However, after the pandemic, few already existing platforms started giving special attention to their online services and on other hand, many new startups were known to develop such platforms. Hence we can estimate that Webkonf might be getting its share of competition from many similar platforms, Some of the most common are:


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    Webkonf- Future Plans

    Webkonf is the most significant innovation at a time like this where it’s all virtual meetings. It is India’s first video conferencing platform which is simple, secured, and protected. It will have a deeper impact and will grow humongously over the years making it one of a kind than its contenders.

    They are looking forward to getting a paid version of Webkonf Meetings in the near future. But it’s possible only after new features and enhancements are released. They are planning for a virtual launch of a commercial version of their product at the earliest. Adding, AI capabilities and machine learning to their platform is their future plan. It can be considered as a long-term roadmap that is already started with its progress. Over the next five years, they envision their startup to grow into one of the most powerful, influential and innovative startup brands and scale across regions globally.


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    Conclusion

    Webkonf provides a secure environment for the purpose of online communication and video conferencing through its medium. Webkonf was developed by Ram Malay, the CEO of Soniks Consulting. Webkonnf gives a tough competition to other already developed platforms like Zoom and Google meet. The best feature provided by Webkonf is its background noise cancellation with the policy of collecting no-user data through its medium.

    FAQs

    When was Webkonf introduced to the crowd?

    Webkonf was introduced on 26 May 2020 by the CEO of Soniks Consulting “Ram Malay”.

    The biggest competitors of WEebkonf are?

    Webkonf gets its competition from popular platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, Jio Meet, etc.

    What is the mission of Webkonf?

    The mission of Webkonf is to deliver outstanding technology-based user experiences.

  • 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
  • What is the Noise Cancellation Feature of Google Meet?

    The ongoing pandemic has completely changed our life. While being confined in our homes, we realised that life goes on and we had to survive this new normal somehow. This way we got used to so many things that were not a part of our daily lives before, amongst all those one is the Video Conferencing platform.

    During the last few months, we all have realized the value of video meetings. Whether it be a professional meeting, a meeting with your doctor, or your family members, video calling is very important to us all. During these past 2-3 months, Zoom has become the most popular video conferencing software with over 200 million daily users. With the rise of video calling during these depressing times, Google has made the Google Meet available to everyone and with the rise of daily users of Google Meet to over 200 million it is now the biggest competitor of Zoom.

    The Google Meet vs. Zoom competition has just started and it is not going to end soon. To compete against each other both the apps are adding new features. Google Meet recently came up and added a new feature of the AI-based Noise Cancellation System. Its aim is to make sure that its users get the best video calling experience. In this article, we will talk about the noise cancellation feature of Google Meet. So, let’s get started.

    What Is Google Meet?
    What Is the AI Noise Cancellation Feature?
    Features of Google Meet

    What Is Google Meet?

    Google Meet is a video conferencing software enterprise by Google. The video conferencing app was formally launched in March 2017. It initially allowed up to 30 persons per meeting. The video conferencing software initially required a G Suite account to host or initiate a meeting. However, due to the Corona Virus (COVID-19) Crisis, when more and more people have to work from home, Google started offering the services of ‘Meet’ free of cost to its users. You just need a Google account to join or host a meeting on Google Meet.

    What Is the AI Noise Cancellation Feature?

    In April 2020, Google announced that the AI-based Noise Cancellation Feature will be available in Meet for the G Suite Enterprise and G Suite Enterprise for Education customers. The new AI-based noise cancellation system filters out unnecessary background noises such as your dog barking or car horns or the scratching noise made while writing down notes and lets only your voice to be heard by others.

    Google generally starts by providing its advanced features to a small percentage of its users and then rolls out the feature for everyone based on the results and feedback. The initial idea of this project came when Google acquired ‘Limes Audio’ in January 2017. Since then, Google has continually worked on this project. The idea was to remove the distraction caused by the unnecessary background noise. These sounds may include the sound of the pressing of keys on the keyboard, the scratching noise produced when taking notes, the barking of your dog, or the sound of horns by passing vehicles. For this, the Artificial Intelligence team at Google has come up with a new noise cancellation system. The system will filter out such noises from the background

    The new AI Noise Cancellation feature, also called the ‘denoiser’, is trained to recognize various sounds that constitute as noise. The feature’s algorithm can distinctly recognize your voice between all the other noises around you. It can detect sounds such as slamming of a door, musical instruments being played, and other types of noise that are already mentioned. This feature is now available for web users as well as for the iOS and Android users. This new feature, along with the existing features, makes Google Meet one of the best video conferencing systems.

    Features of Google Meet

    Apart from this new noise cancellation feature, there are some of the other features of Meet that are listed below.

    • Host unlimited high definition video meetings.
    • Meet enables you to ‘Meet’ safely. All the video meetings are encrypted and have anti-abuse measures. This ensures the privacy of the meetings. Google claims that the private meetings are not recorded and are not used for targeting advertisements.
    • Enable up to 500 participants in a meeting and up to 10000 viewers for a live stream.
    • Live captioning is available during meetings by Google’s speech recognition technology.
    • Google Meet is compatible across all devices. You can join or host a meeting from your Desktop/Laptop or Android phone or IOS phone or IPad.
    • The screen and layout can be adjusted according to you. While Meet automatically adjusts the layout by adjusting the most active participants on the screen, you can also adjust the layout on your screen.
    • Before joining a meeting, you can adjust your microphone and camera and get a preview of how you look and also a preview of who else has already joined the meeting.
    • Direct Screen Sharing is available. The entire screen or an application can easily be shared by you so that you can share presentations and documents easily.
    • New Low Light mode is now available. Google AI has now enabled users to be clearly visible to others if they are in low light or dim-lit areas.
    • Chrome Tabs can now be shared easily. The ‘Present a Chrome Tab’ feature is now available on Meet.
    • Admins now can control the chat, Q&A and polls options. They can turn these options off if they think they are not needed.

    Conclusion

    Noise is a big factor that becomes a barrier during communication. In the situation where working from home is the new normal, Google Meet’s new feature not only tries to eradicate the barrier but also eradicate the unnecessary noises. This feature definitely gives Google Meet an upper hand along with its other features.

  • Top Sequoia Capital Investments

    Sequoia Capital has invested in some of the greatest ideas that this planet has ever seen. Don Valentine founded Sequoia Capital in 1972 and it has been creating history since then. It seems they have some ‘magic formula’ to predict the immense success of start-ups that get pitched to them. Of course, they don’t pick all of them but they sure do have a good hand.

    Sequoia Capital Portfolio is bejewelled with many start-ups that changed the face of the world. Sequoia Capital investments are not necessarily done in fancy places. They are willing to meet start-up owners anywhere they want. They understand that young start-ups need to save money.

    But just like everything in this world, Sequoia Capital investments are not perfect. It let go of some great opportunities like:

    • Investing in Apple, which it dropped out of after a short period
    • letting go of twitter because they wanted 20-30% share and the company offered 10%
    • Investing in Facebook

    All in all, this hasn’t stopped the venture capital from making some great investment deals.

    Paypal
    Reddit
    Tumblr
    Zoom
    Whatsapp
    Yahoo
    Google
    Glossier
    Youtube
    Instagram
    Linkedin
    Zomato
    Picsart
    FAQ

    Here’s a list of the top 13 Sequoia Capital Investments ventures that got big

    Paypal

    PayPal revolutionized the way we pay for things. It made cashless transactions easy and Hassel-free. Sequoia Capital investments are majorly made in companies that provide solutions to a problem.

    Companies like PayPal simplify peoples’ lives therefore they are bound to make profit.

    Founder: Elon Musk, Max Levchin, Peter Theil

    Founded in: 1999

    Partner: Michael Moritz

    Partnered in: 1999

    Reddit

    Reddit has become the core of funny online content. Although it’s a site where people discuss and comment on all kinds of topics, its GIFs are the most popular. Recently, Reddit users shook up the stock market which made clear the power that it possesses.

    Founder: Steve Huffman

    Founded in: 2005

    Partner: Alfred Lin

    Partnered in: 2014

    Tumblr

    Tumblr provides creative people all around the world to create, share and follow the content of their choice. The venture capital calls this idea authentic and said that when the idea was pitched in, it was, “equivalent of love at first sight”.

    It’s beautiful to see when an investor shares the vision of the founder. It’s bound to be a success.

    Founder: David Karp

    Founded in: 2007

    Partner: Roelof Botha

    Partnered in: 2010


    List of top Business Ideas with zero or minimal capital investment
    There are hundreds and millions of ways and ideas to start any business for anentrepreneur. But the most important factor intervenes is capital investment forthe business. It is never easy collect the required amount for the investment.Many people hesitate because of the risk and that risk is of …


    Zoom

    Zoom is a video conferencing app. It provides group messaging and online meeting services that became our survivor in the Covid situation. Its top-of-the-class video and audio qualities make meetings effortless.

    Founder: Eric Yuan

    Founded in: 2011

    Partner: Carl Eschenbach, Pat Grady

    Partnered in: 2016


    Top 10 Active Venture Capital Firms In India – StartupTalky
    Startup companies need a certain amount of investment for growth. Wealthyinvestors like to invest their capital in such businesses with a long-termgrowth perspective. This capital is known as venture capital and the investorsare called venture capitalists. The venture capital investment is made w…


    Whatsapp

    Who doesn’t know what WhatsApp is? If you don’t, you might be living under a rock. It an online messaging, calling, and video calling app. Recently, WhatsApp has launched its new payment feature.

    It has more than 100 million active users. It’s the most used messaging app in India. Sequoia Capital funded WhatsApp and helped it reach phenomenal heights.

    In 2014, WhatsApp was bought by Facebook.

    Founder: Brian Acton, Jan Koum

    Founded in: 2009

    Partner: Jim Goetz

    Partnered in: 2011

    Yahoo

    Yahoo is an information site that brings together all the information on one platform for users to benefit from. Yahoo is creating personalized user experiences to make the task easier.

    Founder: David Fello, Jerry Yang

    Founded in: 1994

    Partner: Michael Moritz

    Partnered in: 1995

    Google

    Google, the world’s biggest search engine is also among Sequoia Capital Investments. You can find out information about everything on Google. By organizing different websites and indexing their content, Google provides the best possible results for user search. It is dedicated to improving the overall user experience and caters to all their needs.

    Founder: Sergey Brin, Larry Page

    Founded in: 1998

    Partner: Michael Moritz

    Partnered in: 1999

    Glossier

    Glossier is another company under Sequoia Capital Investments. It is a beauty brand that customizes beauty according to the person. It focuses on individual needs rather than providing one product that is to be used by everyone.

    Founder: Emily Weiss

    Founded in: 2014

    Partner: Sonya Huang

    Partnered in: 2019


    Indian Startups – Funding & Investors Data [April 2021 Updated]
    Ideas, creativity, and execution are essential for a startup to flourish. Butare they enough? A startup succeeds in the long run only if it can scale as andwhen required. Investors provide startups and other entrepreneurial ventureswith the capital—popularly known as “funding”—to think big, grow …


    Youtube

    YouTube is the world’s greatest video-sharing site. It allows users to effortlessly upload videos for users to see. Sequoia Capital Investments helped the site become a platform for learning, entertainment and message spreading that also created tons of jobs.

    Founder: Chad Hurley, Javed Karim, Steve Chen

    Founded in: 2005

    Partner: Roelof Botha

    Partnered in: 2005

    Instagram

    Instagram has become extremely popular in very little time. It is the go-to app to upload art and photos for the huge audience that is at your disposal. Brands and small businesses can also promote their products through influencers.

    Founder: Kevin Systrom, Mike Krieger

    Founded in: 2010

    Partner: Roelof Botha

    Partnered in: 2012

    Linkedin

    Sequoia Capitals investments are about bringing unique ideas to life. It’s something that we all need but just cannot put a finger on. An online platform for businesses and employees that promotes jobs and servicepersons was much needed.

    LinkedIn made it possible to link talented individuals to the employers that need them.

    Founder: Reid Hoffman, Jeff Weiner

    Founded in: 2002

    Partner: Michael Moritz

    Partnered in: 2003

    Zomato

    Zomato made the option of food delivery, wide open in India. It was present before but wasn’t used much. The brilliant idea of linking the restaurant to a hungry person worked wonders. What’s the use of good food without a foodie, right?

    Zomato is a unicorn company now.

    Founder: Deepinder Goyal, Pankaj Chaddha

    Founded in: 2010

    Partner: Mohit Bhatnagar, Abheek Anand, Ashish Agarwal

    Partnered in: 2013


    Recent Investment Trends in Indian Market
    India is fast becoming a home for startups. [https://startuptalky.com/tag/indian-startups/] With several initiatives were undertaken by the Government to strengthen theeconomic state of the country, startups have witnessed a growth in mobility, foodtech, [https://startuptalky.com/tag/foodtech/…


    Picsart

    PicsArt Website
    PicsArt Website

    PicsArt is a popular online image editing app. It provides a wide range of features to present a simple photograph in the most creative way possible.

    Founder: Hovhannes Avoyan, Artavazd Mehrabyan

    Founded in: 2011

    Partner: Mike Vernal, Stephanie Zhan

    Partnered in: 2014

    FAQ

    How many employees does Sequoia have?

    Sequoia Capital has around 760 employees.

    What is sequoia capital

    Sequoia Capital is an American venture capital firm.

    Who founded Sequoia?

    Sequoia was founded by Don Valentine in 1972. In the mid-1990s, Valentine gave control of the company to Doug Leone and Michael Moritz.

    Conclusion

    These were some amazing companies that made a mark in the world. Sequoia Capital Investments ventures have shaped these companies’ future for the better. It takes a great ‘eye’ to identify the true potential behind an idea. This venture capital continues to support bright minds with their finances.

    Some recent sequoia capital investments include CoinSwitch Cuber, Pristyn Care, Druva, and Razor pay.