The Atlanta Lawyer August/September 2020 Vol. 19, No. 2 | Page 33

a $ 26.95 / month version for as many as 200 participants , plus customer support and other management features . Pricing for the top-tier plan is not available online . Cisco offers additional video conferencing products for businesses , including Cisco Webex Desk Pro and Cisco Webex Room Kit .
GoToMeeting One of the first video conferencing platforms on the market , GoToMeeting is a collaborative digital platform . It is available on Linux , Mac , PC , and web browsers . There is also a mobile app for both iOS and Android . GoToMeeting features screen sharing , meeting recording , and the ability to have multiple meeting hosts or facilitators . Pricing ranges from $ 14 / month for the entry-level plan ( up to 150 users ) to $ 19 / month for the business plan ( up to 250 users ). The pricing for the enterprise plan ( up to 3,000 users ) is not available online . GoToMeeting does offer a free trial .
Microsoft Teams Microsoft Teams , a video conferencing platform built into Office 365 , features public or private conference rooms , HD audio / video , screen sharing , the ability to record meetings , and content storage . There are also options to search prior conversations and to customize participant notifications . To access the free version of Microsoft
Teams , all you have to do is register your personal email address ; you do not have to have an Office 365 subscription . Pricing for the basic Teams plan is $ 5 / month , which includes screen sharing , file storage , up to 300 participants , and guest access . The business plan ( contact Microsoft directly for current pricing ) features larger file storage , compliance tools , additional security management , and integration of other Office 360 programs . In late 2020 , Microsoft is expected to launch new elements such as raised hand images , noise suppression , and pop-out chats .
Skype Skype is another well-known video conferencing platform , available for free since 2003 . It is available on web browsers as well as mobile apps for Android and iOS . The basic Skype service includes audio / video calls , a text-only chat , and chat recording . Skye recently launched its Meet Now tool , which can be accessed by hitting the Meet Now button on the Skype app . On the Meet Now platform , as many as 50 users can video conference for an unlimited amount of time . The participants do not need to have a Skye account ; all they need is the link to the conference room . Skype Meet Now also offers screen sharing and the option to blur backgrounds .
Google Hangouts Google may not be promoting its Hangouts platform anymore , but this video conferencing tool is still active and available for g-mail account holders . Google Hangouts is a free service for as many as ten participants . It features a text-only chat , video chat , and a screen sharing tool . Google is currently encouraging those with a g-mail account to instead use the newer G-Suite and Google Meet platform .
Google Meet Google Meet , an updated version of Google Hangouts , is designed for business conferencing . The service allows up to 250 people at a time to participate in a video conference ; this platform also features screen sharing , meeting recording , and the
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ability to save all of the participant content to Google Drive . Google Meet is integrated with Google mail ( g-mail ). It is available to all G-Suite customers . The meeting host can begin a video conference call via their g-mail dashboard and then send the link around to all participants . Google Meet Basic ( 100 users ) is $ 6 / month , Google Meet Business ( 150 users ) is $ 12 / month , and Google Meet Enterprise ( 250 users ) is $ 25 / month . The free tier of Google Meet ends September 30 , 2020 .
BlueJeans BlueJeans is a video conferencing platform that is cloud-based . Available for desktop or mobile users , BlueJeans features collaborative team tools and high-quality streaming . Pricing currently ranges from $ 9.99 / month for up to 50 participants to $ 13.99 / month for as many as 75 users , with the option of recording . The pricing for BlueJeans ’ highest-tier plan , which can accommodate 150 participants , is not available online .
Facebook Messenger Rooms Facebook Messenger Rooms allows users to create public or private video chatrooms for as many as 50 participants at a time . Once a Facebook user creates a room , they then send out a link to all participants . Currently , there are no time restrictions on video chats ; however , room creators have the ability to remove attendees at any time . The conference attendees do not have to have an active Facebook account ; to access the chatroom , all they need is the link . Other features include room brightening and darkening , facial filters , and augmented reality filters . Attorneys who are considering this platform for formal meetings should note , though , that the chatrooms are not end-to-end encrypted .
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