Online Meeting FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about Online Meeting

• What is an online meeting?
• Is it software or is it a service?
• What is the difference between teleconference and VoIP?
• Who uses online meetings?
• What are the most important functions I should look for?
• What if I don't have meetings often enough to justify a monthly fee?
• Can anyone join my meetings?
• Are there free trials or money back guarantees?
• What is a "whiteboard"?
• What is "remote contol"?
• What do you mean by "annotations"?
• How did NextAdvisor review these online meeting services?

What is an online meeting?

Online meetings, known interchangeably as web conferences, allow you to not only speak to multiple meeting participants but also share important visuals. Online meeting solutions allow you to share everything on your computer screen, including your web browser and presentations made on Microsoft PowerPoint. Many also enable you to use a virtual whiteboard, share files, collaborate on documents, and even watch video.

Is it software or is it a service?

It's really both. Some sort of software, whether it's a web application, a browser plug-in, or a separate application, is required to run or attend the meeting. But there's a service aspect to it as well. All that data (the audio, the visuals, the security authentication) has to run through a central host. That's what you pay the monthly or yearly fee for (as well as for periodic improvements in the software).

What is the difference between teleconference and VoIP?

Online meetings are one part visual and one part audio. The audio part is accomplished with either VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) or a bridge teleconference number. Some services even offer both. VoIP transmits voice data over the Internet and uses the computer's speaker and microphone, or a headset. A bridge number allows your participants to call in to a central number using a regular phone. Each has its advantages. VoIP is cheaper for most participants, since most bridge numbers are toll numbers. A bridge number, on the other hand, can be called from nearly any phone (including mobiles), and doesn't depend on the speed of your network for performance. For the most flexibility, look for an online meeting solution that offers both.

Who uses online meetings?

It's not just for big businesses anymore. Creative professionals, telecommuters, contractors, sales people, and small organizations all use online meetings when face-to-face collaboration is not a viable option. Anyone who has to communicate to a geographically diverse group of individuals can benefit from the technology.

What are the most important functions I should look for?

That depends a lot on your needs. Screen sharing is offered by all web conferencing services that we reviewed. Think about what you're most likely going to do. Do you need webcam support, and if so, for how many participants? Will you be sharing graphics? Do you plan on sharing video? Do you want your participants to have to download any software before attending? How many people do you want to present to?

What if I don't have meetings often enough to justify a monthly fee?

There are several options. DimDim and Yugma both offer free versions of their services for up to 20 participants (though the offerings are a bit stripped-down). Fuze offers a 19-cent per-minute pay-as-you-go plan. Adobe offers a free version for three participants as well.

Can anyone join my meetings?

That's up to you. All online meeting solutions offer a level of control so you can keep out unwelcome guests. Some allow you to set up passwords or passcodes, and others offer a gatekeeper or lobby mode that requires you to approve (or pre-approve) your attendees. We point out in our reviews which ones use which methods.

Are there free trials or money back guarantees?

Every offering we reviewed offers some kind of trial or guarantee period. While we think we did a thorough job testing these services, it's impossible to account for every use case and every network setup.

What is a "whiteboard"?

Whiteboards have replaced chalkboards in boardrooms and classrooms. Now virtual whiteboards are beginning to replace real whiteboards as more companies go virtual with online meetings. You use the virtual whiteboard in an online meeting room just as you would use a drawing program on your computer. It's a great way to illustrate and share your ideas.

What is "remote contol"?

While all online meeting solutions allow you to share your screen with other participants, some allow you to let other attendees take control of your screen. By enabling this functionality, you can give temporary control over your computer to a select participant. This can be very useful when working collaboratively on a project.

What do you mean by "annotations"?

Sometimes called "live markup," this functionality enables the presenter and/or the participants to make notes on presentations or shared documents using various tools such as text, symbols, shapes, arrows, and other elements common to drawing programs.

How did NextAdvisor review these online meeting services?

We purchased each service and ran multi-participant meetings on them, utilizing the different functions and evaluating their performance. Our tests always included at least five participants. We also ran extended 1-on-1 sessions to fully test particular functions.

We only included online meeting providers that we believe offer a good value proposition. If there is a provider you know of that is not here, you can be fairly certain we did not rate that provider highly enough to include in our comparison. If you think we are missing a quality online meeting provider or have any other suggestions or comments, please visit our contact us page.