As we become more and more connected and rely more and more on the platforms that bridge the physical gap between home and the office or different branches scattered all over the globe, video calling continues to play a bigger and bigger role in the way we work and do business. Here are four of the biggest video calling platforms right now that companies and individuals are using to stay in touch.
Google Meet
Thanks to its tight integration into Google Workspace and Google Classroom, companies and educational institutions that use the Google platform are also likely to use the video calling and conferencing platform provided. It has some distinct advantages over competitors, most notably that it works seamlessly in a web browser, so no downloads or app installs are needed. It also supports all the standard features in this space, like waiting rooms, mobile support, and virtual whiteboards.
Zoom
When the world went online in the early days of the pandemic, Zoom was the first app to quickly rise to a household name. Armed only with a headset made by a company like Lenovo, both companies and families alike quickly adopted the polished and easy to use video calling app for their needs. At the time it was already a mature platform, and it has only grown over the last two years. It supports screensharing no matter your platform, breakout rooms and scheduling including some handy browser extensions. Many swear by Zoom as the best video calling app in existence.
Microsoft Teams
In the realm of the corporate world, perhaps no video conferencing and meeting platform has the penetration and userbase as Microsoft Teams. It’s a fully integrated communication tool, borrowing the best features from apps like Slack and Zoom to create a communication suite that you never have to leave. It supports integration with VoIP providers, cloud storage, SharePoint and all the services your business is likely already running. Microsoft Teams allows users to organize themselves into channels for specific communications, share files and collaborate on documents, as well as host and attend meetings and webinars. It’s the jack of all trades when it comes to video calling platforms.
Skype
The grandfather of video calling still holds a spot on the list thanks to its ongoing prolific use amongst friends, families and clubs who still make use of Skype to hold video calls. The app is rather basic by today’s standards, offering only video and audio calling and chat. It does, however, offer a very easy way of breaking out of Skype to Skype calls and the ability to call traditional landlines and mobiles through the purchase of credits. It’s not inaccurate to say that Skype has a long tradition of bringing families together and making the world feel a little bit smaller.
Without these video calling and conferencing apps being readily available for adoption, the pandemic and the sudden move to work from home would have been a very different and far more challenging experience. Thankfully, technology was there to save the day, as it so often is in these modern times.
