What to Look for in an Effective Online Meeting Platform
A well-organized online platform for meetings is crucial for a smooth, efficient meeting experience. A platform must have features that allow participants to collaborate effectively, to record ideas and tasks and to share them with remote team members. It should also include tools to take notes in real time as well as sharing a digital whiteboard and creating mind maps and Kanban boards to show the progress of a project. The ability to schedule in advance, and the up-time and reliability of the platform are also important aspects to take into consideration.
Skype, Zoom and Google Hangouts are the most used platforms for video conferences. Google Hangouts, a free tool, includes instant video calling, messaging with up to ten people and collaborative document sharing. It can be used to host group meetings, webinars and video conferences. It is compatible with Google apps and services and provides HD streaming video and cloud recordings, as well as screen sharing. Its interface is simple and user-friendly, but it can be susceptible to audio and video display issues, buffering delays, and dropped calls.
Other features you should look for in an effective online meeting platform include the ability to design and manage a meeting agenda, and to add participants. Certain platforms let you drag and drop files into your virtual meeting room. This is great for UX designers who want to use their wireframing tool in the same virtual room, or software developers that can give a link to code repository or a new feature. You should also consider a platform that lets you easily access documents, applications, and websites. This allows team members to quickly access screenshots, notes from previous meetings, or Full Report bug trackers without having to leave the meeting.