As technology progresses, there is always the need to proceed with innovations to remain in the lead. This is what Microsoft and Skype have thought, introducing a new tool for smaller businesses online. With the introduction of Skype Meetings for free, they have targeted a broader audience than that already using the premium Skype for Business. With the use of Skype Meetings, the people behind Microsoft and Skype anticipate to entice smaller business to use their paid version in the end.
What Does Skype Meetings Offer?
Within the first 60 days of their subscription, small businesses can conduct meetings of up to 10 individuals. This number drops after that to 3 individuals per meeting. As for the special features offered to the users, they are pretty impressive and focus on the best quality standards for each meeting. Besides the HD video conferencing option that includes audio, you can also benefit from a number of different features.
You can engage in screen sharing and you can also send or receive files throughout the meeting. PowerPoint presentations are also featured in Skype Meetings and the use of IM is another cool option for business associates. Laser pointer and whiteboard features also add to the overall quality and effectiveness of the meeting held online. Finally, you may be glad to know that there is a muting feature available – so that you can talk to others and not worry if they listen to you.
Skype Meetings vs Office 365
For informing your team regarding the next meeting, you simply share a personalized URL. This is pretty simple and works at the same time! Of course, we cannot forget the alternative option, which is Office 365. In this case, you can set up meetings with up to 250 individuals and benefit from a plethora of added features. Meeting recording, Office apps available at all times and the ability to share content even offline seem great. But, they come at a cost and thus they cannot be described as free services. Based on your needs, though, you can see if the free stuff suffices for you.
Microsoft and Competition
If you are wondering what has driven Microsoft and Skype towards providing an extra service free of charge, you should consider the competition. Indeed, there are alternatives that have prevailed in this field and that have offered superb features to users. For example, Google Hangouts have already used screen sharing and are now about to launch webcasting. Slack has introduced video calls to its services and now targets a wider audience. In avoidance of staying behind and becoming obsolete, there is the necessity to constantly offer more.
More on Communication and File Sharing
So, Skype now allows users to send content to others, even when they are offline. This is an additional feature, apart from Skype Meetings. It is a new way that improves the communication between users. Without the restriction of online accounts, videos and photos, documents of all sorts can be sent or received at all times. The files can be up to 300 MB. Another step to improve quality and attract users, especially businesses! Let’s see what the answer to these services and cool features will be!
Top/Featured Image: By YouTube
