Save the planet, hold virtual meetings for free!

Is was at a Science Cafe event recently about climate change, which made me realise just how good virtual working is for the planet as it helps reduce our carbon footprint; whether that is employees working from home or companies using virtual services. Either way, avoiding travel is a good opportunity to make a difference. Not only does it reduce your environmental impact, it will save you a huge amount of time, money and hassle too.
Avoiding travel by holding virtual meetings is not new. We've been tele-conferencing for years, web-conferencing has been around a long time too and has taken-off with fast broadband, which has also enabled more video conferencing. People still have to find the formula that works best for them and their situation, but I sense more business people are actively seeking this option today.

The good news is that there are plenty of free services around to help you get started, and as your requirements get more sophisticated its likely you'll naturally start paying for more features. Here are a few suggestions for places to start - some you will know about already, and a few will be new - but, don't forget to Google "free tele-conferencing services" because new ones seem to appear every week.

For tele-conferencing try:

1. Skype for Business: 10 people can conference for free with Skype. Setup is clunky and call quality can vary, so use with people you know well, who will be forgiving. 1:1 video calls are available too. 
2. Your VOIP Service: If you already use VOIP, your service provider may offer tele-conferencing, and have a telephone handset that supports multiple lines, you may be able to use it to set up a conference.
3. Tele-Conferencing Services: www.conferencegenie.co.uk, www.conferencenow.co.uk and others are free to use, with participants paying a call charge of 5p/min or thereabouts.... well, it's almost free.

If you want to share a presentation or an application on your PC during the meeting, then you will need to use a web-conferencing service in parallel with the tele-conference. Many services come with a free built-in VOIP service or free-phone call-in numbers, but you generally have to pay for these services - a good example would be WebEx WebMeeting.

A couple of examples of easy-to-use free web-conferencing services are Spreed.com and Yugma.com. Spreed is free for up to 3 participants whereas Yugma is free for u pto 20 participants. As these companies become more established and successful, they seem to reduce the number of free participants they allow. Again, Google "free web conferencing services" because new ones appear regularly. 

For more ways to help you save time, money and hassle Search This Blog or visit www.office-lifeline.co.uk