Virtual Meeting Alternatives
As you know, many alternatives to popular and expensive software abound. Star Office can basically replace Microsoft Office. SugarCRM can substitute for SalesForce.com. And so on. If you’re really interested in Free and Open Source Software (FOSS), try sourceforge if you’re brave and osalt if you know what commercial software you are trying to replace.
While WebEx is a strong webinar platform, it is expensive and often overkill for small businesses. There are alternatives that are good and pretty lightweight such as GoToMeeting which has been my “paid” solution of choice. However, in the realm of the “free”, there are also options which work, particularly if you only need a small meeting (<20).
One of my more recent favorites is Yugma. Yugma is free for up to 20 attendees. There is limited functionality, but the basics are there. There is also a real nice integration with Skype in the Yugma SE (Skype Edition). It also works across platforms. However, there are some drawbacks, not the least of which is an enormous client to download. Those without the highest speed connections or the latest hardware may find it onerous.
With that said, I began looking for alternatives to Yugma.
I looked at Microsoft Shared View for about a minute. Everyone needs a Windows LiveID… next! Also, it doesn’t play well across platforms… next again.
I ran across a nice solution called DimDim. They also have a 20 person limit on the free edition, but some paid editions start as low as $99. There is nothing to download, even for audio/video, and you only need a plug-in if you are screen sharing.
The DimDim platform also reminds me of something we use at GSU for online classes called Elluminate. Elluminate has gotten better over the years, but is still clunky and is too feature laden, hiding many of the critical functions many menus deep. DimDim even has a virtual classroom platform.
Of course, I would be remiss to not mention Zoho Meeting which is looking nice as well.
Let me know if I missed any!
