Online Meeting Software: Fuze Meeting Review
Even if you travel often for work, that doesn’t mean that every single meeting you attend has to be done in person. And yet so many businesses have employees scattered all over the place – which is why online meeting software is so popular with many companies today.
While GoToMeeting seems to have the biggest advertising budget of the online meeting software options out there, it’s not the only one you can go with. One highly-rated option is Fuze Meeting, which comes from a company called Fuze Box. Fuze Box’s other endeavors include a desktop sharing system for people in the movie business to collaborate on several aspects of movie-making in real time – but as interesting as that might be, that’s far beyond what most businesses need for their online meeting software.
Fuze Meeting is similar to many of the other online meeting options out there, and it’s worth comparing Fuze Meeting’s features (listed below) with the other online meeting software options reviewed on this and other sites. But one standout feature of Fuze that makes it more cutting edge than many of its competitors – and that also makes it even more portable – is the iPhone app version of Fuze Meeting. If you’re on the go during a regular meeting, you can connect to Fuze via the iPhone app and start or join a meeting there without needing to be near your computer at all.
The primary downsides to Fuze include the lack of ability to record conferences and the lack of a videoconferencing feature at all.
- Cost: $9.99 for 24 hours of online meeting time (up to 15 attendees); $29/month or $279/year prepaid (up to 15 attendees); $49/month or $470/year prepaid (up to 45 attendees); $69/month or $662/year prepaid (up to 55 attendees); free 30-day trial on the $29/month level
- Capacity: 15 attendees maximum in the 24-hour subscription level, 25 attendees maximum in the $29/month level, 45 attendees maximum in the $49/month level, 55 attendees maximum in the $69/month level
- Compatible With: Windows Vista & XP, Mac OS X, Linux
- Audio Options: No built-in VOIP; toll-free phone call credits come with the paid versions (with the free trial you’ll have to dial long distance)
- Video Options: No videoconferencing available
- Desktop Sharing Options: Sharing of entire desktop is available with Fuze plug-in
- Recording Options: No desktop recording available
- Technical Support: Support available via online tutorials/manuals/FAQ section, remote IT support, telephone support, email support, and chat support
- Encryption: All transactions encrypted using 128-bit protocol; meeting replays are also password protected