Author: David Dugas

The Covid-19 Pandemic has very suddenly and rapidly changed the nature of how we do meetings.  Previously, face to face meetings were the normal in most industries, and video conferencing was viewed as a backup or stop-gap measure for when attendees could not attend live due to any unique circumstances. In the present Covid-19 reality however, Video Conferencing has quickly emerged as one of the most important business tools for optimal business continuity.

As with any product or service, there is a plethora of choices when it comes deciding which video conferencing software to use.  For this analysis, we have compared 4 of the most popular ones currently in business use: Google Meet vs GoToMeeting vs Microsoft Teams vs Zoom

	Google Meet	GoToMeeting	Microsoft Teams	Zoom
Pricing	$6 – $25	$16.25 – $21.67	Free – $20	$14.99 – $19.99
Mobile App	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Maximum Participants (Video Call)	250	26	250	500
Free Trial	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Time Limit (Free account)	60 minutes	40 minutes	None	40 minutes
Chat Feature	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Session Recording	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Breakout Rooms	No	No	No	Yes
Screen Sharing	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Unique Features	Google Apps Integration	Salesforce Integration	Microsoft Office/Software Integration	Polls & Whiteboard Collaboration

Google Meet: Google meet, which was previously called and has built on Google Hangouts, is Google’s offering into Video Conferencing.  The unique advantages of Meet are that it is a pure video conferencing solution, and this the focus is on a smooth, seamless video/audio experience.  Another great feature is its integration within various Google apps, and a very smooth user experience if you are working in a Google Android environment (Android phone, Chromebook etc.)

GoToMeeting: GoToMeeting is based on a very solid framework laid out by its parent company, LogMeIn Inc., which has been in the online meetings and remote management business for a very long time and has been a pioneer in virtual meeting and management technologies.  Its primary focus on smaller teams and primary team collaboration sets its apart.

Microsoft Teams: Among many unique features, one of the most important feature Teams offers is its integration with Microsoft Office and other Microsoft apps.  Teams can work seamlessly on various Microsoft projects and it allows for a very smooth user experience in a complete Microsoft environment.  Another unique feature is that teams of upto 10,000 (no video) colleagues can be added and collaborated with.

Zoom:  Zoom is currently the most popular platform among businesses and the general public for video conferencing.  Some unique features include the ability to do live polls and host a whiteboard collaboration session among other unique collaboration tools.  Another added advantage is familiarity, with attendees most likely to have used Zoom in the past, and thus be comfortable with the user interface.

In conclusion, all these Video Conferencing apps are well designed, easy to use and can help you make the most in these unique times until we get back to live meetings.  As all of these offer free trials, you can test and play around to decide which one is best suited for your own business or personal requirements.

As an Event Technology Provider, D. E. Systems has seen its business model turned on its end.  While it remains a very diverse organization, events were at the core of D. E. Systems. 

Surprisingly, business activity has continued even though events have not.  One of the primary advantages to our technology rental department is being able to provide short term access to technology equipment and we have been happy to support a few organizations who have ramped up activity during this pandemic including:

• Pharmaceutical and Sanitization Companies who have ramped up staff.  D. E. Systems has been supporting laptop rentals to a number of organizations in the GTA.
• Call Centres-Some health care and technology call centres have ramped up activity during this pandemic.  D. E. Systems has long supported call centres with technology
• Media.  One of our key business activities in the Ottawa Market has been supporting official media channels providing important information to Canadians during this pandemic.

We of course continue to support our regular clients as they transition to virtual and opt for newsletter campaigns in the absence of the ability to hold live events.  Our IT and Network support division continues to operate serving Ontario Essential Businesses with their networking and office technology infrastructure. 

Most importantly though, we are happy to give back.  Recently we supported sending lunch to Front Line workers at the Montfort Hospital.  A wonderful initiative that was started by the Sandwich Stop and Manny Mellios, D. E. Systems was happy to sponsor this endeavour in support of our front-line healthcare workers. 

A big thank you to those that have supported us; we are committed to supporting you through this transformative period.