8 Best Meeting Software for Small Businesses

Online meeting software support both large and small businesses in their quest to enhance efficient communication with employees and clients in different locations. What qualifies online meeting software to be regarded as great? Best meeting software feature a number of aspects. The power of an online meeting software is vested in its ability to facilitate chat functions, file sharing, and screen sharing, document collaboration, meeting recording and remote desktop control. This article looks at 8 best video meeting software that are suitable for small businesses.

1. ezTalks Meetings

This is a very versatile online meeting tool. It allows small businesses to schedule meetings or conduct instant meetings efficiently. Other than facilitating online meetings and conferencing, it allows online learning sessions. ezTalks Meetings entails:

a,Both group and private chat.
b,Screen sharing, HD video and audio features.
c,Live broadcasting which is possible via a browser.
d,Unlimited number of meetings with as many as 100 participants for free.

2. Fuze

This is the best internet meeting software for small businesses that need online meeting services at a cost effective rate. Fuze has a free plan which allows for unlimited meetings involving a maximum number of 25 participants. Fuze also allows audio and video conferencing and recording of virtual meetings. It also has tools that enhance editing of documents and PDF files. More so, Fuze incorporates a mobile app that enables users to join meetings using their mobile devices.

3. Cisco WebEx

This is probably one of the best virtual meeting software that is very popular in the market. It has been in existence for a longer duration of time compared to other online meeting software. To use this virtual meeting software, it is necessary for individuals to install the WebEx Plugin to their PCs. This enables speedy hosting of meetings as well as joining meetings. A few clicks open the doors to screen sharing, team collaboration and so on. Merits of Cisco WebEx are:

a,Endowed with varied subscription plans to adequately address the needs of small businesses, individuals and large businesses.
b,The “presenter” role can easily be passed on from one participant to another.
c,It allows face to face chatting.
d,It utilizes apps on one’s PC thus allowing quick joining and hosting of meetings.

4. GoToMeeting

This online meeting software is considered as one of the best collaborative meeting software as it enables sharing of desktops among individuals and document collaboration. It is exclusively used to address the virtual meetings needs of small companies. It allows virtual meetings comprising of up to 15 participants. The participants can engage in chatting, share screens and record the meeting. It is also possible for meetings to include up to 25 people when using the corporate version of GoToMeeting. To use online meeting tool, users need to install the GoToMeeting app on their PCs. Merits of GoToMeeting are as follows:

a,It is very user friendly: Participants hardly take time to comprehend the features and capabilities of this online meeting software.
b,Offers attractive features such as desktop and screen sharing and HD video conferencing.
c,Features mobile apps that enable individuals to take part in meetings using their Android devices.
d,Very easy for attendees to join meetings once they install a tiny plug in on their PCs or Android devices.
e,Meeting sessions can be recorded and sent to participants.

5. Microsoft Office Live Meeting

This online meeting software has a wide array of features that support effective online meetings. It is viewed as one of the best internet meeting software because it can support online meetings ranging from basic meetings, web seminars to online training sessions. It is equipped with the following attributes:

a,An outlook add-on. It enables scheduling of online meetings in a manner similar to face to face meetings.
b,It entails search feature. This feature allows participants to search for content (both present and past meeting documents). Even so, it is not possible to search for audio or video content.

6. Join.me

It is one of the best remote meeting software that exists. It competently serves as a remote control and support tool as well as an online meeting tool. This software facilitates file sharing, chatting, screen sharing and remote viewing via iOS and Android apps. 

7. Google+ Hangouts

The inclusion of document collaboration and screen sharing has earned Google+ Hangouts reputation as the best video meeting software. A Google account, a microphone and a webcam is all that users require to host or participate in an online meeting. This virtual meeting software guarantees the following:

a,Clear and large video display.
b,Free voice calls.
c,Addition of several participants in an online meeting.
d,Sharing and collaboration of documents via Google Docs.

8. iMeet

Although it is devoid of a free plan, this online meeting software offers online meeting services at affordable rates. For instance, iMeet offers a basic plan which entails unlimited meetings comprising of 10 participants. The plan also supports file and screen sharing and audio and video conferencing. Besides, it features an interface that is simple to use. 

As explained above, small businesses require online meeting software/tools that can facilitate effective online communication and collaboration with both employees and clients. The online meetings software explored here are some of the best virtual meeting software that small businesses should incorporate in their online communication endeavors.

https://www.eztalks.com/video-meeting/best-meeting-software-for-small-business.html

8 Successful Meeting Participation Tips

A company meeting will enable you to get noticed by your colleagues as well as superiors quite easily. Anything brought by you to a meeting can provide others with an optimistic or incorrect impression about you. It is imperative to prepare yourself beforehand for business meetings and also you must stick to some fundamental rules which will help you to steal the limelight during the conference. Here we will talk about some essential tips for effective meeting participation.

1. Explain the objective of the meeting clearly

The first meetings participation tip will be to clearly explain the purpose of the conference. You will come across several meetings which do not have any real purpose at all. Oddly enough, a purposeless conference could result from an excessive amount of schedule or a lot of impulsiveness leading to a hastily put together concept having an ill-defined target. Make it a point to comprehend the purpose for the calling of the conference and for this you need to question yourself exactly what you would like to inform your participants regarding the hosting of the meeting. Furthermore, it will also be prudent to assess whether the most effective way to achieve your goal will be a group meeting.

2. Make contributions

Your participation to the meeting will be incomplete in case you leave the gathering without making any contribution. While some conferences happen to be more interactive, others are mainly for providing information. In both cases, try to ask any query, make any remark or simply lend your helping hand. Try to wait for the perfect opportunity to make appropriate comments and also take measures not to appear insincere. In case you would like to compliment somebody, it would be wise to inform that person regarding what exactly you feel positive about him or her.

3. Select your timing

During your participation in the meeting do not be the first person to comment on a particular proposal or presentation in case you do not happen to be an expert or the senior manager. Instead, someone else might answer your queries and you might find out that you actually misunderstood what was being said. Be prepared to make any comment when you're confident that your opinion is really required.

4. Never try to dominate

Another effective participate meeting guideline will be not to dominate the discussion even if you got some valuable queries which are essential to the meeting. Also, let others express their own opinions after making your point - it is possible for them to add some more points which you would like to add yourself, providing you with the opportunity to sit back and make contributions afterward.

5. Invite less number of participants

Restricting the number of individuals to participate in meeting will result in saving a considerable amount of time for your employees. There is no need for them to invest their time for a non-essential conference and this will help them to concentrate on other vital jobs. Moreover, you will be able to run more focused as well as productive meetings with only the main stakeholders.

6. Start and end on time

In case you have the obligation for organizing meetings on a regular basis and you are well-known for being somebody who starts and also ends on time, it will not be surprising if many of your colleagues try to show up at your meetings willingly. Individuals will appreciate you for your meeting participation skills in case you understand the value of their time. Also, never organize a meeting that is meant to last for more than 60 minutes. One hour is usually the maximum duration of time when workers will be able to concentrate without any interruption.

7. Stay in control

You have got the responsibility to keep everybody on task in case you happen to be in charge of the conference. It is obviously a vital role for you to play and it might be quite challenging in case the meeting's topic is of great significance to you. Things might begin to drift off and in that case, you must recognize it and also guide it back to the point at hand without any delay. It is essential to identify the tangent and assure to deal with it afterward. Situations might arise when some individuals may insist on a particular personal agenda and in that case, you must try to restrict that person's contribution while conversing with them outside the conference regarding what should be expected from them for the meetings.

8. Keep track of electronic gadgets

At present most of us are in the habit of checking our smart phones constantly this can distract us from the meeting's objectives. It is up to you to figure out whether your participants will be able to handle their mobile phones at the time of the conference. One of the effective meeting participation tips will be to allow the participants to put their smart phones on vibrate mode during the meeting and only attend to any call if it is really urgent.

ezTalks Meetings is the most effective application intended for an online business conference. It can be easily used during any physical meeting such that the other person who is located remotely from you can participate in the conference easily.

Conclusion

After going through these above-mentioned participation tips for a meeting, you will be in a position to offer worthwhile guidance for every single meeting in future. Also, the participants in the meetings organized by you can make use of your tactics to organize great conferences on their own.

https://www.eztalks.com/video-meeting/successful-meeting-participation-tips.html

How Does SaaS Work?

SaaS (Software as a Service) is a sort of service in which applications are facilitated in a centralized cloud and client can utilize this facilitated application utilizing web program over the Internet. It can, likewise, be considered as a service where end clients can get to software application by utilizing their web empowered devices. 

You don't need to make a bother over installing and keeping up software rather you can without much of a stretch use it through the Internet. So it disposes of you from keeping up hardware administration and complex software. This sort of services is facilitated on cloud and Google, Twitter, Facebook, and so on are the average cases which utilize SaaS. 

How SaaS Works

SaaS applications are otherwise called hosted software, on-request software or electronic software. In how to learn SaaS, software merchant has and keeps up the server and takes think about security, accessibility, and execution. This is an important change from the on start software conveyance demonstrate. SaaS customers can free themselves from purchasing software and hardware. You can plan your meetings, record meetings, utilize comments, talk live and do numerous more things utilizing the service. ezTalks Meetings holds a multi-platform service, and you can benefit its highlights from a Windows or Mac or an iOS or an Android gadget. It is an occurrence of a Software as a Service (SaaS). 

What Characteristics Does SaaS Possess?

(1) Multi Tenant Architecture

In this sort of design, all application and client can share single and regular system which is halfway kept up by the seller. 

(2) Ease of Customization

Every client can tweak the application according to their business need, and it won't influence basic engineering. These customizations are one of a kind for each organization, and it is constantly safeguarded through updates. It suggests that SaaS providers or merchants can overhauls all the more regularly, with slightest customer hazard and lower adaption cost. 

(3) Ease with Access

SaaS improves the experience of getting to information which makes it conceivable to get to information from any system empowered gadget and less demanding to oversee information use, oversee benefits. Besides, it additionally guarantees that everybody sees a similar data at same time. 

Why SaaS Is Helpful to Organization and Single Users?

(1) No Initial Set up Costs

Client are simply expected to subscribe for service they want, they don't require any extra starting expense for the same. 

(2) No Hardware Cost

The SaaS provider will provide the ability to run the application and client can utilize the service with no additional hardware. 

(3) Pay according to Usage

If little piece of service is required for short period at that point pay just for that time span and for that little service as it were. Membership can be adjusted whenever. 

(4) Scalable

If there is a requirement for more services then it can be effectively gotten to on request without expecting to introduce additional software or hardware. 

(5) Easy to Update

At whatever point there is a refresh, it is constantly accessible online for enrolled client. No requirement for having any additional assets to deal with this refresh. It is for the most part good with past services. 

(6) Cross Device Compatibility

SaaS services are perfect for the individuals who utilizes different sorts of devices, i.e. tablets, web empowered phones and the individuals who don't utilize a similar PC without fail. 

(7) Ubiquity

This sort of service can be utilized anyplace as far devices are associated with the web. 

How Does SaaS Pricing Work?

The further developed technology, the higher the value, which is individuals' traditional considering, however, cloud computing technology has subverted along these lines of considering. ezTalks propelled the cloud meeting system on the utilization of the rental model, this rental model is conceived in the SaaS idea, the client does not have to pay for the buy of the item itself, nor for the individuals who don't utilize the assets to pay, just as per their particular. The utilization of the request to pay the rental costs can be, the other is all the ezTalks cloud platformto finish. 

Would you be able to envision the utilization of video conferencing with the month to month telephone calls equivalent? It sounds somewhat abnormal, yet the ezTalks Meetings makes these a reality. Subsequently, little and medium enterprises don't need to stress over because the cost is insufficient and cannot utilize video conferencing, don't need to stress over because the cost of spending excessively prompt income is not working.

Little and medium-sized enterprises to purchase, for example, ezTalks Meetings is in truth the buy of video conferencing services, instead of video conferencing items. The item itself is totally free, and little and medium enterprises will pay for such minimal effort, simple to utilize services, eventually turning into a low profit for high return win-win. 

Conclusion

To finish up, SaaS is adaptable with upgrade on demand and its services or applications are available from any area as long as it internet connection over all internal empowered devices.

https://www.eztalks.com/video-conference/how-does-saas-work.html

IaaS vs SaaS vs Paas: The Differences

As you are probably already aware, the cloud computing is becoming more and more popular. It offers multiple benefits over other types of computing, which makes it perfect for software development, but also for communication with the clients. When it comes to the cloud services that this kind of computing has to offer, there are three of them. Those are SaaS PaaS IaaS. These services seem complex and difficult to understand for many people, which is why we are going to make a SaaS IaaS PaaS comparison, and see what the differences between these three types are.

SaaS

The first thing that you need to know about SaaS is that it stands for Software-as-a-Service. This is the type of cloud computing that regular users come in contact with on daily basis, and that is relatively known to everyone. This is the type that doesn't require the user to buy the program or an app and then download it in order to use it. 

Instead, it is expected that the user will interact with the software on the internet, via their browser. Due to its practical use and simplicity, this is the most popular of three types of cloud computing. It offers many different kinds of software, which includes social networks like Twitter or Facebook, email services like Gmail, and even services like ezTalks Video Conferencing.

Basically, this type functions by delivering the already developed software directly to the user online. The user has minimal responsibilities, and everything concerning the service itself (like updating, securing, and alike) is the responsibility of the vendor. The user also has minimal freedom when using SaaS, and they can't affect the quality of service in any way.

PaaS

PaaS is the second of the three types of cloud computing, and it stands for Platform-as-a-Service. This is a more complex type of cloud computing, and it provides users with much more freedom, but it also requires more knowledge from the user. Its popularity is growing rapidly, but it is still not as widely used as SaaS.

You can think of it as a clear platform that offers some basic functions that user can use, like an operating system, hardware, and the network. This makes it excellent when it comes to designing and creating your own apps. It is also often used for the purpose of hosting, and it works equally as good for both companies (large or small) and individuals.

As mentioned, the PaaS and SaaS difference is that PaaS allows users much more freedom to do different things on the platform. Where SaaS creates everything and provides users with finished products, PaaS allows users to choose or develop that product themselves. 

IaaS

Finally, we have the third and most complex type of cloud computing - IaaS. It stands for Infrastructure-as-a-Service, and it works by giving its user a virtualized platform. Users are provided with the network, data center, software, and servers. 

This is the most basic type of service, and all that the user has is the space that they can access via the network. That means that they have complete freedom to organize this space as they see fit. This includes the software, apps, and even the entire operating system of their choice. 

Components like data centers, servers, and storage system do come as a part of the deal, but the rest is up to the user. Naturally, this allows multiple advantages, even when compared to PaaS, but it also brings more responsibility, and it requires more knowledge concerning how everything works.

IaaS vs SaaS vs PaaS

These three types can also be seen as three stages of cloud computing. IaaS is the most basic one, where everything is up to the user and their own desire. They get the space and some of the most basic software.

PaaS provides its user with complete tools, that the user can combine into creating something even more complex. Also, they have a certain amount of freedom to organize the space they got in a manner of their choosing.

Finally, there is SaaS, where the user gets to use the final 'product'. This is the type of service where the user can't develop or impact pretty much anything on the platform. However, that also means that the user is relieved of responsibility when it comes to keeping an eye on the software development. They can simply enjoy the already finished software, without the need to maintain it, create backups, or keep it stable, which is the biggest difference between SaaS and the other two.

https://www.eztalks.com/cloud/iaas-vs-saas-vs-paas-the-differences.html

Tips for a Successful Team Meeting

Team meetings are considered to be essential elements of any work setting. Effective team meetings are high energy and interesting events whereby team members work in unison to solve problems or make decisions. Unfortunately, most team meetings that people attend tend to be the right opposite of effective because they leave people feeling emotionally and mentally exhausted as well as a bit frustrated. What most team leaders fail to realize is that successful team meetings have deliberate effort and good planning as its active ingredients. What are the meeting tips for team members?

The following are some useful meeting tips for team members/sales team meeting tips for companies:

Purpose

Purpose is the very first thing that a team should have when heading into a meeting. Purpose in this case simply refers to the main reason why the meeting was necessary. Each team meeting should have the team goals at its heart. This means that the goal of the team is what should characterize the discussions and proceedings of the meeting.

Agenda

A meeting purpose goes hand in hand with an agenda. An agenda can be described as the list of items that ought to be covered in the available time. The agenda helps in time allocation for each item and this is productive because time is a very essential element in any team meeting. Agendas should be sent to team members before the meeting so that they know exactly what to expect in the discussion. This means that team meetings should commence on time and only run for the time that had been allotted to them. Items that require more time ought to be moved to the next team meeting. Alternatively, a separate meeting can be held but only with the individuals who are directly involved.

Use technology

Currently, there is a growing trend especially towards an increasingly mobile workforce. This has made having regular face-to-face meetings less desirable for most teams. This created the need for the utilization of technology to conduct virtual meetings through video links and phone. Individuals can participate in team meetings from different geographical locations using their tablets, smartphones, laptops or desktops by logging to a central meeting site. There are various effective and convenient videoconferencing software in the market today such as ezTalks Meetings that can be used for this purpose. Virtual meetings as they are called allow even attendees present in the same office to separately log to the technology hence nobody can get preferential treatment.

Take minutes

This is among the most important team meeting tips that is usually overlooked. An individual should be assigned to carefully take the minutes of every team meeting and the person should vary from one meeting to another. The minutes are important because they serve as records of the discussions held and decisions arrived at the team meeting. They are used when setting the agenda of the next team meeting and that is why they need to be accurately recorded. A copy of the recorded minutes should always be shared with all attendees of the team meeting. This is mainly because it acts as a good reminder of items and issues that were discussed at length, it therefore prompts those who were assigned some tasks in the course of a team meeting to accomplish them prior to the next meeting.

Encourage participation

Since the purpose of team meetings is usually relevant to everybody in attendance, it is always best to encourage everyone to participate in ongoing discussions. This can be achieved by mixing up roles so that everybody has something to say and is therefore involved in one way or another in decision-making. In addition, individuals are bound to be genuinely enthused about team meetings when their participation is highly encouraged. They also become enthused when they can witness that something is going to be achieved. The ultimate effect is that attendees of team meetings commence taking ownership of the meetings through making contributions to the discussions and turning up on time.

Assign administrative roles

When the role every team member is clear in their mind, it greatly promotes cohesion and effectiveness. In addition, it provides the needed structure that will allow team meetings to start and end on time. Seek volunteers or pre-assign volunteers on a rotating basis for important roles. Such roles include facilitator, recorder and timekeeper.

Conclusion

The skills of effectively managing team meetings are important to achieving productive teamwork. Furthermore, they are simple to adopt and easy to learn. Team meetings that are well-facilitated tend to promote creativity, open communication as well as consensus-building among its members. The tips for a successful team meeting mentioned above should not be construed to be only sales team meeting tips as they are general. They can act as a practical and effective guide to help teams be more productive.

https://www.eztalks.com/video-meeting/tips-for-a-successful-team-meeting.html