Introduction
In today's business world, it's hard to get everyone in one place for a meeting. Fortunately, there are several virtual meeting applications that allow you to get everyone together at one time to discuss whatever it is that needs to be discussed. Some of the hosting virtual applications are entirely free of charge, whereas some do require a fee.
Step 1
GotoWebinar is one of the most used hosting virtual applications around the world. This application requires absolutely no downloads and works on both Mac's and PC's. However, this hosting virtual application does cost money. It costs $49.00 per month for meetings that have 15 or less attendants.
Step 2
Elluminate is another popular hosting virtual application. This application consists of a quick java file download and you're basically ready to start your meeting. Elluminate is free for a 30 day trial and is best for companies that want to hold large and small webinars.
Step 3
Adobe Connect is requires absolutely no download and offers screen sharing capabilities to it's meeting attendants. It also offers annotating tools, teleconferencing, text chat and VOIP all for 32 cents per minute per user.
Step 4
Microsoft Office Live Meeting supports Windows, Linux and Mac operating systems. Microsoft Office Live Meeting is a great application for hosting virtual meetings as it allows up to 250 users in one meeting at a time, so it's a very good application for companies that hold large meetings often. It also offers text chat, teleconferencing, multiple presenters, VOIP and screen sharing.
Step 5
AT&T is already known as one of the most intuitive companies but it just got a whole lot better with their AT&T Built For Business services. Their hosting virtual capabilities, include: white board tools, text chat, teleconferencing, mobile access, video conferencing, VOIP and up to four multiple presenters.
Other Virtual Hosting Sites
There are a ton of other hosting virtual sites that could help you and your company. Look into Yugoslav, Yugma, IBM Lotus Live, HearMe, Dimdim, Gomeetnow, InstantPresenter, Intercall, MegaMeetings, Paltalkexpress, SightSpeed and Video Seminar Live. To determine which one is best for you, look into these hosting virtual meeting sites.
Tips and Comments
Not only does hosting virtual sites help you achieve your daily meetings and keep everyone in your company on track, but they also help you 'go green'. The carbon costs to the environment is something not very many of us focus on but it is a growing problem. When attending virtual meetings and conferences, you're helping reduce your carbon footprint. We are living in a virtual world, so it only makes sense.
Along with the normal hosting virtual services, you could try a more fun approach to having live meetings and conferences. There are a ton of online virtual worlds, like Second Life that also have meeting features. This is a great way to keep your staff connected and also to allow them to enjoy the awesome graphics that Second Life has to offer. A second life account is entirely free, however, in order to have a meeting in your own specified place, you will need to buy the property and build it from the ground up.
