SKYPE,AND THE
BEST ALTERNATIVES
Of particularnote is Vsee’s apparent use of half the bandwidthof
Skype,meaningyou’lluse less data per call. It also supports720pHD
calls, and you can share your screen to others.This sharingis limited,
though,and you can only do so onceper day for free. To share more
than that you’llneedto subscribeto the paid service.It’s cheap,
though,costingaround$10 a month.Studentswith eithera .id, or
.edu emailaccountcan get this VSeePlus accountfor free.
Voca
getvoca.com
This chat applicationis focusedon internationalcalls and keepingin
touchwith othersabroad. The reason for this is the program’s offer
of very cheapinternationalcalls via VoiP. Calls are also encrypted,for
reliableprivacy.
Calls to othersare chargedvia a credit-basedschemein whichyou
purchasetime prior to use, and the time left is shownduringyour
calls, so you’re alwaysaware of how muchyou have left. Of course,if
you and your contactboth have Voca installed,calls are free.
Voca’s interfaceis very simpleand very easy to use, and this is one
of the program’s best points.It’s very well designedand is perfectfor
usersof all abilities,even thosetotallynew to computers,software, or
even chat applications.
Oovoo
http://www.oovoo.com
Oovoo,like WeChatis a very socialmedia-focusedapp, and it
offers a rangeof features that complimentthe videochat,which
is of very high quality. The tool can host conferencecalls and text
messagesand group chatscan includeup to 12 peopleat any one
time.Screen sharingis also supported,as well as file sharing,and
you can record videoand uploadit to YouTube with a singleclick.
Of particularnoteis the abilityto connectto friendsand familyvia
socialmedia,evenif they don’t use Oovoo,as calls from the app
can be pickedup on Facebook.
The free versionof Oovoocomeswith ads, sadly, but the paid
serviceremovestheseand also suppliesonlinestoragefor up to 1,000
minutesand lets you call landlineor mobilephonenumbers.GoToMeeting
http://www.gotomeeting.com
Our final optionis the popularGoToMeeting.This is a very powerful
videoconferencingtool that, whilenot free, is probablythe best
overalloptionin termsof abilityand quality. This isn’t surprising,as it
comesfrom Citrix,an expertin remotecommunications.
GoToMeetingis designedfor businessuse, so it’s not as suitedto
homeuse, not least due to the cost, but even in the homeit could
be very useful.It allowsfor possiblythe highestqualityvideocalls
around,with up to 25 able to attenda group sessionsat any one
time.The videoand audioare true HD quality, and alongsidethe video
calls you can share files, screens and even pass control of a systemto
anotheruser in the group, makingit ideal for technicalsupport,or
helpinga friend.There are toolsto highlightpartsof a screen, perfect
for presentations,and userscan host seminarsand trainingsessions
thanksto the well-roundedfeatures.
Paymentplansaren’t cheap,startingat around$50 per month,but
GoToMeetingis a very powerfulcommunicationtool, and it’s also very
secure, whichis even more importantif you’re usingit as part of a
businessor educationaltool.mmiGoToMeetingiOovooiVoca
iVSee