Conference calls/Video conference?

[Rob]

Something I've randomly been asked to look into, but our company are looking at getting a conference call facility and ideally, something along the lines of being able to screen share etc.

Can this be done without landlines? Has any one had any good experience of specific software etc?

Totally new to this sort of thing so I'm just looking for somewhere to start.

 

[Clart]

We use MS lync, its great. You can have conf calls, share desktops, present applications etc etc

 

[M26]

HP Virtual Rooms is a good tool for presenting remotely and sharing screens and stuff.

You can also use Microsoft Lync which should tie in with Exchange servers which allows you to use VOIP instead of landline calls

 

[Scrooge]

I use ms lync, works great tbh.

 

[Nigel]

Another Lync user here. It's pretty good. The camera switches view to whoever is talking which is cool.

 

[Sargara]

We use MS lync, its great. You can have conf calls, share desktops, present applications etc etc

This. It also syncs with Outlook so will change your lync status to Busy when you are in a meeting.

 

[Rob]

Thanks so far, so MS Lync sounds great for video calls, screen sharing, and all that jazz (which is great as we already use exchange for emails etc) but what about just conference calls in general? Is there a service where you can pay x amount a month and then just give out a number for people to dial into?

We use MS lync, its great. You can have conf calls, share desktops, present applications etc etc

I use ms lync, works great tbh.

Another Lync user here. It's pretty good. The camera switches view to whoever is talking which is cool.

This. It also syncs with Outlook so will change your lync status to Busy when you are in a meeting.

A question for you all, has someone else got to have a Lync account to join a meeting?

i.e lets say I had a specialist consultant, who I wanted to bring into a meeting, can I just invite them, they join, done. Or have they got to download 500mb of software first?

 

[GRitch]

Thanks so far, so MS Lync sounds great for video calls, screen sharing, and all that jazz (which is great as we already use exchange for emails etc) but what about just conference calls in general? Is there a service where you can pay x amount a month and then just give out a number for people to dial into?









A question for you all, has someone else got to have a Lync account to join a meeting?

i.e lets say I had a specialist consultant, who I wanted to bring into a meeting, can I just invite them, they join, done. Or have they got to download 500mb of software first?

Think of it like MSN messenger, as old as that sounds it works pretty much the same. Both users need to have it. It's painless to set up. My phone runs through it too. You can see who's calling etc.

 

[Jack!]

Is there a service where you can pay x amount a month and then just give out a number for people to dial into?

BT MeetMe.

 

[dk]

we used to use lync, now we use cisco, jabba for desktop presence and mobile stuff (and externals can be federated too) and then webex for meetings etc, and then cisco cameras and screens in meeting rooms.

All works very well i have to say, very integrated solution, doubt its cheap though.

 

[ThomasBrentnall]

MS Lync. You can use Lync web app if the client doesn't have it installed.

However Lync is included in Office Professional Plus so it should be installed

 

[Nickson]

Started using a system called 'LifeSize' at work. (LifeSize are a division of Logitech).

Pretty impressive but costly systems. Depending on what system you get you can have multi-way calls, desktop/document sharing etc etc.

Looks really good in 1080p.

 

[@Spoonie]

i.e lets say I had a specialist consultant, who I wanted to bring into a meeting, can I just invite them, they join, done. Or have they got to download 500mb of software first?

You have normal phone numbers that others can call in to.

 

[Rob]

BT MeetMe.

I'll look into that. Cheers.

we used to use lync, now we use cisco, jabba for desktop presence and mobile stuff (and externals can be federated too) and then webex for meetings etc, and then cisco cameras and screens in meeting rooms.

All works very well i have to say, very integrated solution, doubt its cheap though.

Cheers D-kizzle. It's all stuff for me to look into. It's for a fairly large budget project so I'll just put forward a load of stuff.

MS Lync. You can use Lync web app if the client doesn't have it installed.

However Lync is included in Office Professional Plus so it should be installed

Web app, just what I was looking for! Nice one mate.

We're not a big firm, so it's not like Office professional plus is going to be sitting on everyone's machine as standard etc.

 

[ThomasBrentnall]

I'll look into that. Cheers.



Cheers D-kizzle. It's all stuff for me to look into. It's for a fairly large budget project so I'll just put forward a load of stuff.



Web app, just what I was looking for! Nice one mate.

We're not a big firm, so it's not like Office professional plus is going to be sitting on everyone's machine as standard etc.

Fair enough, not sure what the licensing set-up is for lync.

Also is your firm using MS exchange?

 

[Djw John]

We use http://www.webex.co.uk/

NHS though so I've no idea what it costs! Works well though and there is a good mobile app for it as well.

 

[Rob]

Fair enough, not sure what the licensing set-up is for lync.

Also is your firm using MS exchange?

Yeah, 365 accounts.

Another question as you're here. Is there a similar solution to dropbox, but more in depth with regards to giving access and whatnot?

 

[ThomasBrentnall]

Yeah, 365 accounts.

Another question as you're here. Is there a similar solution to dropbox, but more in depth with regards to giving access and whatnot?

Rob

Sorry, I went to bed!

Dropbox for business - https://www.dropbox.com/business

Or Sharepoint + Skydrive pro

Good comparison of the two here http://en.share-gate.com/blog/sharepoint-2013-skydrive-pro-vs-dropbox




Lync pricing: http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/lync/meeting-software-compare-lync-plans-FX103842081.aspx

Alternatively you could purchase Lync server + CALS however this may work out expensive for a small business / number of users

 

[Inequality Street]

We are getting Lync soon at my company, looking forward to it.

 

[dk]

with cisco jabba, if my phone is off, it gets redirected to my laptop automatically if I'm logged in and my f**king laptop rings, freaks me out, if i accidentally answer it the webcam fires up and i have a video chat, not sure i like it, i prefer to be invisible.

as an alternative to dropbox, there is onedrive for business i think its called now, or we have just started using sharefile, which allows us to have unlimited storage as its shared out from our SAN in effect, but is available anywhere, seems to offer more features than the others, think its by citrix.

 

[Cub.]

We use webex aswell.

 

[rctempire]

Yeah, 365 accounts.

Another question as you're here. Is there a similar solution to dropbox, but more in depth with regards to giving access and whatnot?

Depending on what o365 package you have.
You get lync SharePoint and onedrive as part of it.

One drive is the new name for skydrive.

Remember you can only upgrade o365 but cannot go backwards.

 

[georgecampbell]

I think use of tools like WebEx, GoMeetNow, RHUB, Gotomeeting etc. will perfectly suit your needs for screen sharing and VOIP audio conferencing.

 

[daveski]

Also a Webex user here.

 

[rdoxenham]

We use Intercall here