How to Choose Remote Meeting Technology
Not all virtual meeting rooms were created equal. Finding the right one for your organization is crucial as the business world moves to remote work. Continue reading to learn how to choose remote meeting technology solutions that will work for you.
Choosing Remote Meeting Technology
Do your research.
Web meeting solutions all have different strengths and weaknesses; that is why it’s important to understand what you want to get out of your virtual meetings. All web meeting solutions will provide the same basic features: video conferencing, audio, screen-sharing and in-meeting chat rooms. But the devil lies in the details.
Ask yourself these key questions:
- Do you often have to jump into meetings, without time to schedule them in advance?
- Do you ever meet with groups of ten or more virtually?
- Do you need everyone to be able to participate in the meeting, not just watch and listen?
- Do you need to reference the meeting again?
Once you find the answers to the questions above, you’ll have a better understanding of what your organization needs from a web meeting solution.
What to do when collaboration is your goal.
If you have a remote or partially-remote team that needs to be able to constantly collaborate through video calls and web meetings, you need to focus on finding a solution that will come alongside them, rather than disrupt their day-to-day. Meeting rooms that tap out after 30 minutes, free solutions that don’t have dial-in capabilities and solutions that require scheduling won’t mesh well with your team.
Use the checklist below to ensure collaboration stays top-of-mind when you’re searching for a web meeting solution.
- Capacity for the whole team to join a single call
- Dial-in option
- Computer remote access abilities
- Calls last as long as you need them to
- Ability to meet instantly, without scheduling in advance
What to do when presenting is your goal.
Your team might still be in the office, or maybe you’re a strong team of one. Either way, collaboration isn’t the problem. You’re more worried about how you’re going to host a webinar with 150 attendees. Plus, you have a company-wide training session planned for next week, and everyone needs to be able to watch it.
If that sounds like you, then presenting is your main challenge. You need to find a solution that allows you to share content and talk to a lot of people—without reminding everyone to please mute themselves every five minutes of the call.
Keep in mind the following features when you’re considering a web meeting solution:
- Able to support large audiences
- Has presenter and attendee roles to prevent feedback and disruptions
- Centralized control of the meeting
- Allows for multiple people to share responsibilities and work behind the scenes
Remote Meeting Technology for Your Company
As you continue to research different web meeting solutions, consider Cisco Webex, one of the most flexible solutions on the market. At Hungerford Technology, we can help optimize Webex for your specific business needs. Schedule a consultation with us and we’ll walk you through a live demo.
