The Jetsons were really ahead of their time. Just think of all the forward-thinking technological advances that seemed hilariously impossible when the show aired in the early 60’s that have now come to life. Things such as robotic workers, holograms and shortened work weeks with more leisure hours due to time-saving conveniences were a regular part of life in the Jetson’s universe. There were also other futuristic ideas that have yet to be realized such as galaxy life on far-away planets and high-speed commutes via space cars – something we’ve all wished for when stuck in traffic.
In the very first episode of the Jetsons, we are introduced to a space-age device – the Visaphone. This high-tech phonebooth-like contraption would increase productivity through work-from-home conveniences and would allow workers to collaborate using teleconference equipment. Today, we are prepared to go back to the future with the Jetson’s Visaphone, an early prototype of today’s Skype and Meet by Google Hangouts. We picked these two because most people already have them and know about them. Which one is better? Decide for yourself based on your tele-conferencing goals.
First of all, there are tens if not hundreds of similar or similar-with-a-twist conferencing services. Some such as Join.Me specialize in screen takeovers and some such as GoToMeeting have webinar features. Some, such as, Appear.In get high marks for their ease of set-up. Some provide continuous sharing features such as Slack. Some, such as Zoom are known for their mobile app proficiency. Some are free such as Rocket.Chat, some have free trials and some have a no-cost basic level with limited features. Many, many options.
Teleconferences provide savings to companies in travel costs, make people feel more connected with co-workers and clients than with a phone call, makes for happier employees, helps in the interview process and increases productivity if for nothing else because most people multi-task on their calls. Sourced here: Collaborative Exchange
SKYPE
Skype has been around forever and has great name recognition, even if it may be best known as the place to have a weekly talk with Grandma and the kids. Here are the advantages, disadvantages and fees for a Skype for Business account.
- It is a Microsoft product and feels very professional.
- The fee is affordable at $5 per month per user for an integrated plan and $2 for a Skype only standalone.
- They have a free plan for up to 10 users (trial) and 3 users after the trial.
- It integrates automatically with all Office products, such as Word, Outlook and Excel plus PowerPoint for collaborative presentations. Cortana, Microsoft’s digital assistant is also a part of this party.
- It offers enhanced security and cloud storage of mega-giga proportions.
- It is compatible seamlessly with cell phone operating systems, iOS, Android and of course Windows.
- The videoconference is available after the chat.
- There are endless features and it can handle a conference of up to 250 people.
- The set-up for the meeting organizer can be more cumbersome than advertised.
Best News for small business:
Skype for friends and family may be all that you need and it’s free. You can conference up to 25 people and you can share screens, files and pictures, send emojis and get translations.
Professional online meetings built for business.
Easy to set up and join. Powerful collaboration tools.
Getting your team together is as easy as sharing a link.
With one click, anyone can join your online meeting, from any device. You can choose to meet right away, or schedule from Outlook for later. The meeting URL is personalized just for you.
The complete meeting solution.
Microsoft Skpye for Business, Home Page
MEET BY GOOGLE HANGOUTS (HANGOUTS MEET)
- It is a part of the G-Suite of business products, including calendars, contacts and Google Docs.
- The fee for G-Suite ranges from $5 – $25 per month per person depending on the amount of features and storage required. Meet is included at all levels and is not available as a standalone.
- Meet is easy to schedule and participate in chats. No additional downloads, software or plugins required.
- Android and iOS apps are available for cell phone users.
- Videoconferences can include up to 30 participants.
- It has a cool, hip vibe in harmony with other Google products and ventures.
- The non-business version (the original Google Hangouts) is free and can include up to 10 people in a video chat but it feels a bit playful and casual for business use.
Note: Google Hangouts for business was originally launched as Meet by Google Hangouts and has quietly changed to Hangouts Meet or Meet for short.
Hangouts Meet
Video meetings for your business.
Connect with your team from anywhere. With easy-to-join video calls, you can meet face to face without the added cost of travel.
Meet takes the headaches out of joining a video call at work. Just set up a meeting and share a link. No worrying about whether teammates, clients, or customers have the right accounts or plug-ins. With a fast, lightweight interface and smart participant management, multi-person video calls are a breeze.
G-Suite Hangouts Meet, Home Page
JETSON’S VISAPHONE
- It has a hologram feature.
- There is a cool version with phonebooth-like hardware – perfect for privacy in an open office.
- There is a group chat monitor that descends from the ceiling when the chat starts, ideal for work-at-home employees because it disappears when not in use – a great space-saving feature.
So – you be the judge of what will work best based on who will use it, what types of meetings you will conduct, how many people there are and what features you need.
And in anticipation of a live-action remake by ABC of everyone’s favorite futuristic family, here’s the theme song we just can’t get out of our head.
Leisa Chester Weir
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