Top 5 Video Collaboration Services


1. http://www.webex.com/

It combines real-time desktop sharing with phone conferencing so everyone sees the same thing while
you talk. It’s far more productive than emailing files and struggling to get everyone on the same page over the phone. And it can often eliminate the need for people to travel and meet on site.
WebEx is a web-based service, so you can use it from any computer (Windows, Mac, Linux, or Solaris) — as well as your iPhone, Blackberry, or any other WiFi or 3G-enabled mobile device. There’s no complicated installation. Just log into your WebEx account to start or schedule a session. Participants don’t need to be WebEx subscribers to join you online.

2. http://www.sightspeed.com/

SightSpeed is the award-winning provider of Internet video chat and voice calling for friends and family, and video conferencing solutions for businesses. We make it easy to install and set up so you can…
• Connect with everyone in your network, face to face, anyplace
• Save time, hassle, and money spent on travel
• Help save our environment by minimizing your carbon footprint!
Our patented video technology ensures you get the best possible video and sound quality every time, unlike other online video services. SightSpeed offers the highest-quality, full-motion 30 frames per second video with clear audio and no annoying delay.
On top of that, you can easily send video email which is much more personal than the traditional email – and text chat endlessly with our integrated instant messaging (IM) service. SightSpeed also offers low-rate worldwide phone calling. And don’t forget, SightSpeed works great on both PCs and Macs!

3. ooVoo

ooVoo allows free video conferencing with up to six users. It allows supports video mail. It runs its own P2P servers, and can therefore afford to offer good quality.

It might have one of those abstract Web 2.0 names, but ooVoo is a free video conferencing service not to be laughed at. It’s a free download that can run on Windows and Mac OS X (with a Linux version in the offing). The free version of ooVoo lets you video conference with up to 3 people or you can upgrade to chat with up to 6 people. If your contact isn’t online you can also leave a recorded video message, which is a very handy feature. Other non-video features in ooVoo include VoIP calls, IM, text chat and person-to-person file transfer. In all, ooVoo is most definitely worth trying out especially if you can foresee yourself only ever video conferencing with one or maybe two other people at a time.

4. Skype

Skype is the most popular of VoIP voice and chat applications but still lagging behind in terms of video. Only one to one communication is allowed, unless with some third-party plugins. But Skype comes with all its momentum and popularity.

This ubiquitous softphone offers VoIP, IM and video chat in one application. As this is a post about free video conferencing, I decided to place Skype behind SightSpeed simply because the option to upgrade is not there. Unlike SightSpeed, where you can upgrade and video conference with 4 people simultaneously, Skype is limited to free person-to-person video chat. It is free, however, and does work well on Windows, Mac OS X and Linux.

5. Palbee

The great thing about PalBee is that it is completely web-based, therefore there are no downloads or installs: all you need is an account with PalBee and a webcam connected to your computer. Once you have got your meeting room setup it’s just a matter of sharing the URL with up to five of your friends. The one caveat is that there is a one hour time limit on using the meeting room. PalBee has a great recording capability built right in that lets you record a conference and then embed it on your blog or profile, or simply share with contacts. If you don’t mind the one hour limit and plan on conducting relatively small conferences (< 5 participants), then PalBee is definitely worth a shot.

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