Top 10 Meeting Software Solutions in 2020

As a result of the government lockdowns due to coronavirus pandemic, the demand for meeting software has skyrocketed, with companies relying on them to ensure business continuity and communicate with distributed workforces. Given its importance in the mid-to-long term period, it is critical to ensure that you select the best software that serves your business needs.In this article, we cover the basics of meeting software and key must-have features for enterprise communications. We will also list the top 10 meeting software for companies in 2020.

What Is a Meeting Software?

Meeting software is defined as a solution that facilitates scheduling and conducting video and audio meetings between two or more individuals and typically prominent in businesses.

A meeting software allows for two or more individuals to carry out a discussion, demo or any other form of professional interaction in real-time, providing a substitute to face-to-face meetings.

The technology is enabled and guided by a series of real-time communication (RTC) protocols over the internet.

While the coronavirus pandemic may be the catalyst for the current work-from-home trend, the trend of remote or distributed workforces being connected through collaboration software, was already gaining ground. In 2019, 30% of surveyed employees said that their company exclusively has a remote working culture and this environment had already grown by over 400% since 2010. Whether it’s for work-from-home today or for managing communications across distributed and remote workforces in the immediate and foreseeable future, companies are constantly looking for ways to better engage through meeting softwares.

At the same time, security is also a key concern for companies discussing sensitive information over these applications. After the popular video meeting app Zoom was slammed for significant security vulnerabilities, the need for a dependable solution became more obvious.

10 Must-Have Features for Online Meeting Software

The must-have features represent not only the usability of any given online meeting software, but also its effectiveness among other meeting softwares. These are the features that make or break the software, especially for enterprise use.

1. Analytics Features

Analytics services in online meeting software not only sheds light on the frequency of communication across users on the platform, but also ensures supervision of the service for non-professional uses.

Analytics features can also enable a deeper look into the kind of communications that take place on the platform, and even provide data around usage patterns, down time, nature of meetings etc. that can be used to derive deeper insights into corporate communication in terms of ROI, operating efficiency and effectiveness.

2. Cross-Device and Cross-Platform

In the age of Android and iOS, along with discrete operating systems for desktop users, cross-device and cross-platform functionality is a must. Any good online meeting software must have mobile applications alongside its main desktop offering, which is also available for all major operating systems.

3. Ease of use

Aside from picking an online or virtual meeting software software that is easy-to-use and intuitive even by non-technically savvy staff, organizations must train employees on the usage of the software periodically. Small details such as the software auto-adjusting time zones in meeting invites, sending meeting reminders, offering multiple options to dial in, and allowing for a clear meeting agenda option can go a long way in improving attendance rates and meeting productivity outcomes as well.

Adding meeting attendees easily, updating, canceling, or moving meetings easily, and easy access to meetings are key.

4. Integrated Audio and Video Calling

when discussing online meeting software, but the fact remains that a large number of offerings have added on these features instead of integrating them from scratch. This might cause undue friction and difficulty of use, along with other issues regarding reliability and quality of use. From the user experience point-of-view, offering multiple and customizable viewing options such as grid view, active speaker view etc. enhance the meeting experience.

In the larger picture, virtual meeting softwares that easily integrates with other business apps and softwares- be it team collaboration software or project management software may find more takers. Often, companies prefer to go with an enterprise productivity suite (of which virtual meeting software is a part) for this exact reason.

5. Presence

In communication applications, presence refers to a feature that shows whether the users of the applications are online or not. This feature is a must-have in a corporate setting, not only to monitor the usage of the application by coworkers and employees, but to also ensure ease of communication on the platform.

With presence, all communication can take place on the meeting software platform, and supervisors can determine whether a given employee is available for communication at any given time.

6. Reliability

In a corporate setting, many mission-critical communications may take place through virtual meeting applications, so it must have as close to 100% uptime as possible. It must also be able to stand up to extended periods of heavy use by the company, as a large number of individuals will be using the software at any given time.

Bandwidth usage is also a significant consideration. Some fancy meeting softwares requires so much internet bandwidth to load and run that most home or mobile users simply drop off the call, since not all participants’ internet connection may be stable. The meeting software must be reliable across connections and platforms, whether it is used on Wi-Fi or mobile internet.

7. Softphones

Softphones stand for software phones, and are a feature in communications stacks that connect software with existing methods of communication, such as landlines and mobile phones.

Softphones essentially deploy virtual phone numbers for use by employees, so as to allow them to reach numbers on standard telephone lines. They are a feature that are not usually present in web meeting softwares, but are definitely a value add for enterprise customers as they will not expect employees to make calls from personal numbers.

8. Security and user access

It goes without saying that in the corporate context, secure access, ability to ensure access control and prevent vulnerability to unauthorised usage are key functionalities to be evaluated.

9. Ease of deployment and support

can the software be up and running across hundreds of users in less than a day? Can it be deployed anywhere in the world with equal ease? Can users easily get help in real-time, while in meeting, from a chatbot or agent, to resolve issues? Meetings soak up a lot of company time, and so any online meeting software that is committed to helping improve meeting productivity is going to find interest from users.

10. Other enhancements

features such as the ability to record a meeting, accessibility best practices that allow differently abled staff to participate equally, user interface localization (for country and language specific users), backdrop customization, transcripts and chat features are all becoming standard features for most world-class virtual or online meeting software.

Learn More: Is VoIP Right for Your Business? 5 Factors to Help Decide

Top 10 Meeting Softwares in 2020

Disclaimer: The listings are based on publicly available information and vendor websites. Readers are advised to conduct their own extended research on each meeting software. The companies are listed alphabetically.

Check out the top meeting software that delivers productivity and flexibility for the modern workplace.

1. Azeus Convene

Azeus Convene is an online meeting software that aims to offer a comprehensive set of tools for use by large enterprises. It has features like pre- and post-meeting preparation, voting, access level control for docs, sharing meeting summary and minutes post-meeting, and a board portal for additional transparency and meeting management.

It also has additional features like shared annotations, resolutions, and a laser pointer tool for ease of use. It has received multiple awards and certifications for its design, and offers support on iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows.

This meeting software claims to be available to use within 30 minutes, with 24/7/365 support available for customers in case they run into additional issues. Convene also has a special emphasis on security with full system ownership, SSAE and ISO compliant hosting, AES256 network and document encryption, multi-factor authentication (MFA), fine-grained access control, automated backup, an automatic data purge feature for lost devices, and secure password policy.

Azeus Convene is provided on a 30-day free trial basis, with a case-by-case pricing quotation after the trial ends.

2. Amazon Chime

Amazon has built up a considerable cloud services infrastructure with AWS, and Chime is a part of their cloud communications portfolio. This online meeting software comes with chat features, video, and facilities for business calls with an emphasis on integration into other applications using the Amazon Chime SDK. It also features a voice connector facility, screen sharing, optimized global meeting experience with 14 AWS regions, Smart Presence, web hooks and chat bots, analytics.

Chime claims to be one app for meeting, chatting, and client side recording, with personalized meeting links and easy scheduling. It is built on AWS Cloud, featuring AES256 bit encryption, CloudTrail integration for log and monitoring, and SSO. Chime offers a pay-as-you-use model, with the Basic Tier being free to use and the Pro Tier priced based on the additional features used.

3. Bitrix24

Bitrix24 is a solutions company with multiple software offerings to solve common enterprise problems. Their meeting platform is just one of them, and is offered alongside its other softwares in a productivity suite. The meeting platform offers actionable work chat with public and private chat features, group chat, chat to task conversation, and shared calendars for better meeting organization. Softphones are also available, along with external collaboration features via email and other companies that hold Bitrix24 accounts.

Bitrix also has a social intranet portal with a news feed to allow companies to communicate effectively at scale with larger workforces. This meeting software also offers an option to establish the solution with an on-premise cloud, increasing reliability, security, and data ownership.

The online meeting software also comes with a host of security features such as a SSL connection, 24/7 availability with two data centers and redundancy, 2FA with Google Authenticator or in-house OTP, hosting on AWS, and daily automatic backup. The online meeting software boasts omniplatform support.

In the light of the Coronavirus pandemic, Bitrix24 is offering a promotional free tier which includes most of the software suite, including the meeting software. Other paid tiers range from $51 to $103, and are offered at a 50% discount.

4. Cisco Webex

Cisco Webex has established itself as a market leader in the online meeting software space, with technical specifications being built up to an industry-leading standard. Along with features like video conferencing, screen sharing and recording, organizations can set-up meetings with up to 100,000 people. On the usability side, Webex offers easy join to meetings with or without a dial-in number, with participants being able to host or join without the Webex app installed.

The meeting software features multi-layer best-in-class security, with secure features built in from the group up. Security is prioritized at each level of the solution, with cryptography and admin control at the application level, and physical and infrastructure security at the data center.

Webex features integrations with popular productivity applications such as Office, Google Drive and GMail, Salesforce and more. The service is an omniplatform offering, adding on features like a brief about other meeting participants, webinar and webcasting features, facilities for online learning, and add-on Webex devices for a seamless experience.

Cisco offers a free plan for personal use, updated for use during the Coronavirus pandemic lockdowns, allowing up to 100 participants and free call-in for audio. Paid plans range up to $27 per month per host with add-on features like 10GB of cloud storage.

5. Facebook Workplace

Facebook’s foray into the professional meeting software landscape comes in the form of Facebook Workplace, an organization-wide communications platform. Along with mainstay features like instant messaging with text, pictures, voice, and video meetings with upto 50 participants, Workplace also offers broadcasting for training purposes.

The software suite also comes with a Facebook-esque News Feed for company-wide interaction, spaces for team and project collaboration, and instant translation into 5 languages. It also boasts over 50 integrations with common productivity applications like G Suite, Office 365, Trello, ADP, Netskope and more.

This online meeting software will prove easier to use than many offerings on the market, mainly due to its similarity to Facebook’s UI and UX, which users are familiar with. Workplace also has a host of security features like ISO27001, SOC2, SOC3, Privacy Shield, GDPR Compliance. It uses Facebook content delivery network to ensure uptime and additional security.

Workplace offers a free tier for small teams, which offers a limited set of features. There is also a free 30-day trial for paid tier, with prices ranging from $4 to $8 per month per person depending on the selected feature sets.

6. Hangouts Meet

Google Hangouts Meet and Chat are offered as the online meeting component of the G Suite package. The chat features a capacity of 8000 members per room, and features AI-powered chatbots for integrations with other G Suite offerings like Docs, Sheets, and Gmail. Hangouts Meet provides easy join links, synchronization with Calendar and Gmail, omniplatform support on iOS and Android devices, and a dial-in phone number.

Hangouts Meet and Chat feature leading-edge security features like encrypted in transit video, simple sign on (SSO), and 2FA. In addition to this, the offerings also have powerful admin settings, and compliance with global data and privacy norms.

Google offers a 14-day free trial, with pricing starting from $6/user/month. The top-end offering costs $25/user/month for all G Suite applications.

Learn More: Working from Home: How to Keep Remote Workers SafeOpens a new window

7. Livestorm

Livestorm is an online meeting software with an emphasis on ease-of-use and accessibility. The software’s features include screen sharing, text chat, private rooms, video, webinar widget, and scheduled meetings.

Livestorm also offers additional usability features like calendar integration for schedule synchronization, host and super host roles, simultaneous sessions and floating licenses. The software also has integration with CRM software like Salesforce.

This online meeting software is GDPR compliant, with a data privacy agreement in place for customers. The service is hosted on EU servers with 99.95% uptime and end-to-end message encryption. Other security features include daily auto backup, an A+ SSL rating, HIPAA and Privacy Shield compliance.

The service is offered with a free tier which supports 4 participants per room, 1 meeting room, and 10 registrants per webinar. However, Livestorm Meet Premium is priced at $31 per host per month, with a 100% discount until COVID 19 resolves. Additional discounts are also offered with custom pricing.

8. Microsoft Teams

Teams is Microsoft’s foray into the meeting space, and builds up Skype’s video and text meeting features for enterprises after the latter’s acquisition by Microsoft. Teams supports upto 10,000 individuals in one meeting, and features in-built collaboration features with Office offerings such as Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. The meeting software also has support for live events, web conferences, scheduling assistance, meeting note taking, automatic transcription, screen sharing, meeting recording, and instant messaging.

This professional meeting software offers a dial-in number for ease-of-use and one-touch join on MS Teams Rooms certified devices, greatly reducing the entry barrier for usability. The software also allows participants to share a meeting agenda before the meeting takes place. Teams is omniplatform, offering apps for all platforms. It is also AI-enabled for instant support and assistance.

Teams also has support for over 90 regulations and standards, multi-factor authentication, conditional access, secure Real Time Transport Protocol, advanced threat protection, cloud app security, and data residency.

Teams comes as a part of the Office365 package, with prices ranging from $8 to $35/user/month.

9. OnBoard

OnBoard is a security-focused online meeting software with a host of other useful features. These include omniplatform chat and video, synced notes and annotations, analytics features, offline access, e-signatures and forms, and document autosave. They even offer a highly secure integration with Zoom for seamless video calling.

The online meeting software is simple and intuitive on all platforms, and claims to offer usability even to those with limited tech experience. OnBoard also asserts that the meeting solution is built from the ground up for all platforms, which includes iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Windows Mobile, and Kindle Fire, with TouchID and FaceID support on Apple devices for additional security.

OnBoard is certified for Azure security and SOC. The software also offers asymmetric key RSA4096 encryption, DDoS protection, granular access, remote lock, 2FA, in-built digital rights management, and maximum uptime with global data centers.

This meeting software offers a free trial, with case-by-case pricing for companies.

10. Zoho Meeting

Zoho Meeting is a part of the Zoho software suite, which comes with a suite of productivity and office applications. The meeting software offers text and video chat, with webinar features also available. Other features include VoIP integration into chat, screen share, remote control, and meeting recording and replay facilities.

Ease-of-use features include accessible email notifications for meetings with dial-in numbers, RSVP and web embedding for meeting links, and accessibility from a web browser, as well as Android and iOS applications. Zoho meeting functions on the TLS 1.2 protocol and SHA256, with a Privacy Shield certification and GDPR compliance. Additional security features such as locked meetings and powerful presenter controls are also available for use.

This online meeting software is not a standalone offering, as it is a part of the Zoho software suite. There are multiple integrations into Zoho Suite applications for document access and cloud backups. There is a free tier for companies with a small number of users, with paid plans starting from $10 a month.

Closing Thoughts

If an organization has not developed a strategy for its remote working and online or virtual meeting capabilities, communication is greatly diminished and can affect day-to-day operations in this age of remote or distributed workforces. The need to deploy a dependable and secure solution for remote working, virtual communication, and real-time interaction is very high.

Even though some of these services feature a high up-front cost, meeting software service providers all over the world are slashing prices. Moreover, most of them offer free 14- or 30-day trials, making it easy to test which solution works best for an organization’s needs. This is one of the best times to invest in online meeting software for small and large companies alike, mainly due to the additional feature sets and discounts offered by meeting software service providers, but also due to the strategic benefits offered by embracing remote or distributed workforce models.

Professional meeting software is a requirement for any company aiming to conduct business in times of the coronavirus epidemic. As the world continues towards an extension of the work-from-home mentality, it is best for companies to act sooner than later and put in place a solution for day-to-day communications and briefings so as to avoid further financial damage.

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