Webex vs. GoToMeeting
Web conferencing is quickly becoming the preferred method in business communication. With benefits such as increased productivity and an extended customer outreach, companies are able to compete economically using inexpensive online meeting tools. As a cost effective alternative to travel, small businesses may especially benefit from this new technology. The most difficult part is finding the service that best fits your company.
Two applications appear especially promising – Cisco’s WebEx and Citrix Online’s Go To Meeting.
Go To Meeting gained notoriety for its simple and intuitive interface. Registration and software installation can be completed in a matter of moments. From that point forward, starting your web conference is just a click away.
Information can be shared and edited via Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word files. Users can also discuss through integrated IM services. Hosts may opt for the Total Audio option, in which attendees can communicate by voice via phone or VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol).
Each webinar session allows for a maximum capacity of 15* attendees, only one of whom requires a prior registration with the service. *For capability of more attendees (up to 1000) check into GoToWebinar)
The role of presenter may be passed on at any point of the conference, giving each participant the ability to edit or add information to the documents under review.
PC users may record and save entire sessions on their hard drive for future use (Note: Mac users do not yet have this capability, but they are able to view finished recordings through the Windows Media format).
When considering Citrix vs Webex, be aware thatGo To Meeting excels in affordability. At a flat rate of $39 a month under the Annual Plan, it is the more economical of the two programs. Additionally, there is a 30 day free trial to assist in the decision making process.
WebEx cannot quite match the price, but more than makes up for it in sheer quantity of features.
It possesses all of Go To Meeting’s aformentioned capabilities, but additionally there is a coveted video application. It is not limited to the host, either; within a conference, video can be shown from 6 different webcams.
WebEx also supports the Linux, Solaris, and Unix operating systems, as opposed to its competitor, which only supports Windows and Mac (in Go To Meeting 3.0 and higher) . Users can even attend using their smartphones and receive invitations via text messages. At 25 attendees per session, the maximum capacity is also a bit higher than the alternative.
Under the Annual Plan, customers will pay $59 a month. All things considered, this does not seem terribly unreasonable, but here is the catch: because of the relative complexity of the program, customers often report less reliability and a sluggish data transfer. The tech support team has been praised for their availability, but it appears there are still a few kinks to sort out.
In side by side comparisons, Go To Meeting tends to prevail for user friendliness. The program has ranked above WebEx on TopTenReviews.com, which provides extensive research of products on the market to determine “smart purchases” for consumers. Reputable industry research site InsideCRM.com also favors the Citrix service, claiming the product is especially fit for “small to medium-sized businesses.”
The biggest deterrent would be the incompatibility with operating systems outside of Windows. Even Mac users are supported but limited. In this case, your decision depends on your primary network of users.
Still, if you are seeking simplicity and affordability, Go To Meeting is a worthy investment. When choosing between Gotomeeting Vs Webex a smart thing to do (if you have time), would be to test-run them using their free trial period. This gives you an hands-on feel for the capability of each software program.
Disclaimer - An affiliate link from Company: "Citrix" is used on this page.
