August 2008

Sometimes a team conference call just isn’t enough—and these days, it doesn’t have to be. A number of tools, such as TeamViewer, DimDim, Yugma and Acrobat Connect, let you display information over the Web. You can show everyone the applications or documents on your computer, interact via text chat, or even video conference, all for free. They might be just the thing for your next team meeting.

How do they work? The basic function of online conferencing tools is to provide an online “meeting room.” Typically, a moderator creates the “room,” and participants enter via a particular Web address. Some tools require participants to download a small application the first time they're used, an important consideration if many different people of different technical skill levels will be participating.

Participants who join a meeting can see everything the presenter displays, and interact with the presenter and with each other. Features vary substantially between applications, but may include the ability to see the presenter’s desktop, text chatting, displaying slide shows or documents, or video conferencing. Some even let presenters hand over control of their desktop to one of the participants.

You can always use a separate phone line for voice conferencing, but some tools support Voice Over IP (VOIP) to play the audio through participants’ computer speakers. While VOIP audio is inexpensive, and often free, users report more difficulty with sound quality and drop-offs. This option can also be issue-prone with less technically savvy participants, who often have difficulty troubleshooting problems with their computer speakers. Participants who want to speak will need microphones, which still aren’t common computer peripherals.

So what conferencing software should you use? There are a number of free options:

• Screenstream (www.nchsoftware.com/screen/). Free for anyone to use, Screenstream allows Windows PC presenters to share their desktops. Participants on PCs, Macs or Linux can view the desktop through an Internet browser with no install required.

• TeamViewer (www.teamviewer.com). While focused more on desktop support situations, TeamViewer allows presenters to share PC or Mac desktops with participants on PCs or Macs. Both presenters and viewers must download and install an application. A free version of the tool is available for private use.

• DimDim (www.dimdim.com). DimDim is a fairly new, streamlined online seminar application with support for text chat, slide shows, VOIP voice conferencing and video conferencing. Only PC desktops can be shared, but DimDim supports Mac and Linux users for other features. Participants can enter meeting rooms using almost any system or browser, typically without a download. A free, ad-supported version allows up to 20 participants.

• Yugma (www.yugma.com). Another relative newcomer, Yugma provides desktop sharing, chat and white-boarding. It also supports VOIP conferencing, including a feature that integrates seminars with Skype calls. Presenters can use PC, Macs or Linux. Participants can use almost any system or browser by downloading a Java applet. A free, ad-supported version allows up to 10 participants.

• Acrobat Connect (http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobatconnect/). Adobe's take on video conferencing and online seminars is polished, and similar in features to DimDim, with desktop sharing, video conferencing and VOIP conferencing. Presenters can use Mac or PCs. Participants can use any browser that runs Flash. The tool is free for up to three participants, with no ads.

The free versions of these tools aren’t likely to effectively support a full online training or seminar program, but they can be very useful for internal meetings. With their help, it doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated to add visuals, demos or video to your conference calls.

For More Information

Idealware, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, provides impartial information to help nonprofits choose software—and we have more resources about online conferencing! All these resources are free, unless otherwise noted.

A Few Good Online Conferencing Tools
An expanded version of the information here, which includes more information about features, considerations and more sophisticated and expensive tools.

Six Views of Project Management Software
Looking for tools geared more toward file sharing, scheduling and task management? This article looks at some of the other team collaboration software packages out there.

Idealware Online Seminar: Getting Started with Online Conferencing and Seminar Tools
This is a recording of an Idealware online seminar, in which we talk more in-depth about the features and tools covered in this article, with demos, screenshots, and lots of time for your questions.  We’ll close with some tips and tricks about conducting training via the web. The recording is $20 per person. Or check out our seminar schedule for a live seminar!

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