Today at the DEMOfall 09 conference, Fuze Meeting unveiled the latest version of their online meeting software which now integrates with social networks like Twitter and Facebook as well as various email address books. But what’s more interesting about the new version of this web-conferencing tool is its ability to let you start or join meetings from your Blackberry or iPhone. Mobile web conferencing? It has arrived.
Web conferencing solutions are nothing new, but if there is one thing that seems to be consistent across the board it’s that they’re harder to use than they should be. Fuze Meeting attempts to make the experience easier thanks to their 100% browser-based product which doesn’t require any downloads in order to run. Sharing features allow Fuze users to share all sorts of media, including HD content, as well as do screen sharing.
With the new version launching today, Fuze Meeting also makes adding collaborators easier than before as it now integrates with several email applications, social networks, and IM platforms. Supported services for gathering contacts include Outlook, Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, AOL, and LinkedIn. Additionally, you can share links to your online meetings with others via Facebook and Twitter, which is great for promoting a public meeting or event. Skype integration is also new, letting Fuse users chat with their online buddies from within the web conferencing software. Meeting participants can use Skype to join in the audio portion of the meetings, too.
However, the most interesting new feature in this latest version is the new support for mobile web conferencing. Currently offering both Blackberry and iPhone versions, Fuze Meeting users can schedule, launch, and join in meetings directly from their mobile device. On the iPhone, users can even share media from their phone’s photo library. As with the desktop solution, mobile users can view screen shares, documents, photos and videos.
Fuze Meeting vs. HP SkyRoom
At the DEMO conference, Fuze Meeting followed a launch from HP, who also debuted a new online meeting solution called SkyRoom. Like Fuze Meeting, SkyRoom’s big selling points are affordability and support for sharing HD content. But when Fuze showed off their mobilized versions, it was HP that appeared to come up lacking. In today’s modern workplace, where folks are working remotely, on the go, and often only have a mobile smartphone available for connecting with their colleagues, it’s Fuze Meeting that seems to have the more forward-thinking solution. However, since HP plans on including SkyRoom for free on all HP workstations starting October 1st of this year, they’ll definitely have an edge up in terms of user base.
To try Fuze Meeting, choose your pricing plan here and then click “Get Started” to begin the signup process.
