A well-organized platform for online meetings is crucial to an efficient and effective meeting. A platform must have features that enable participants to collaborate effectively, to capture ideas and tasks and to share the ideas with team members located in remote locations. It should also have tools to record notes in real-time as well as sharing a digital whiteboard, and creating mind maps and Kanban boards to demonstrate project progress. The ability to schedule in advance, as well as the up-time and reliability of the platform are important aspects to be considered.
Skype, Zoom and Google Hangouts are the most used platforms for videoconferencing. Google Hangouts, a free tool, provides instant messaging, video calls with up to 10 people, and collaborative document-sharing. It can be used to host meetings for teams, webinars, and video conferences. It works with other Google applications and services and offers HD video streaming, cloud recordings, screen sharing, breakout rooms, and much more. The interface is easy to use, but can be prone to audio and visual display issues delay in buffering and dropped calls.
Also, you should look for features like the ability to manage and build a meeting agenda and add participants. Some platforms allow you to drag and drop files into your virtual meeting room. This is ideal for UX designers who want to utilize their wireframing software in the same room, or software developers who can share a URL to a code repositories or a new feature. It is also recommended to look for a platform that allows you to easily access documents, applications and websites. This will allow team members to quickly access notes, screenshots, and other documents from previous meetings or bug trackers without leaving the meeting.
