Conference calling has long been a must have in the corporate environment, and now as the education and training sector wakes up to the massive benefits there is increasing need  for improved call quality, efficiency and cost control. However, choosing a program that fulfils specific requirements allowing for several people to participate at the same time without lags or slow downs, video integration and interaction, ease of use and voice clarity can be challenging.

 As a trainer, teacher or corporate manager you need to communicate with participants and preferably through an inexpensive, easy to use conferencing call software program. Although, this may seem like a simple request, it is not that straight forward as some conference call applications only allow for a small number of participants and even then there can be a dropped call quality when the maximum number of participants join a video call. Certainly factors like, computer equipment and Internet speed also influence the call quality, but choosing the right conference video call application for your needs is a key factor in using the latest video conference call technology efficiently.

 Skype

If it is true that with age comes wisdom then Skype is a bit of a pioneer in this arena. This service began in 2003 and has continually added features and applications since then. Through Skype a person can video conference with anyone any place within the world. Features include those that allow users to make computer to phone calls very inexpensively, but a few of the newer features include video conferencing capabilities for up to 5 people and a feature that allows users to share documents, white board information and videos, all by sharing the callers computer screen. All of these features range in price from either free to a few pounds a month. Of course, teams that need more features and capabilities like the ability to add up to 5 video callers a day and high capacity screen sharing capabilities should opt for the paid group calling option. 

 Go to Meeting

This conferencing program has a few more integrated features. For instance it allows you to hold meetings with others even if they haven’t signed up for the application, simply by allowing you to send them a direct link to the meeting. There is no need to give any training as to the use of the application. The program allows for keyboard and mouse control sharing, meaning it allows both you and the participants to share and make notes and share computer screen applications. Go to Meeting also allows users to record and playback any online meeting for later reference or distribution to other members of the meeting. But unlike Skype the features are not free. There is either a monthly or annual membership fee, but the program allows you to host meetings of up to 15 participants.

 Adobe Connect

This Adobe application allows you to customise your online meetings with up to 25 participants. It has a high degree of customisation, but is more complex in use, and requires users to be familiar with online training and meeting needs. The pre-configured templates help users conduct different types of training and collaborative activities. As the features are more intensive, the application does come at  a monthly cost. If planning on having meetings of 25 attendees then this may be the option for you, but otherwise a smaller and easier to use application like Go to Meeting may be the solution.

 At Futuretrend we have found skype works pretty well  for our CeMAP Home Study training sessions with tutor support. We have also trialled it with Software Testing classes but restrict this mainly to non-practical concepts and methodology  classes. 

In reality there is no One-Best Internet conferencing software program, as each offers different features. You should make your decision based on your training needs, the number of participants and the screen sharing or white board features you need.