# Recommend some teleconferencing options **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 30, 2009, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-teleconferencing-options/519465 "2009-11-30T14:58:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lazybratsche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@lazybratsche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lazybratsche)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-teleconferencing-options/519465/1 "2009-11-30T14:58:45Z")
My job situation has just changed rather dramatically\*, and I’m now in need of some way to teleconference on a regular basis. Previously, I’d have weekly meetings with my research group (the Principal Investigator, my boss, and a handful of other techs and postdocs). For other academics out there, this is in addition to the weekly lab meetings that involve polished presentations to the whole group – this is more to go over raw data and troubleshooting. Now we’re trying to find a way to do this remotely. Basically, we want some combination of video chat and a method to share data by powerpoint style presentations. My google-fu is weak here… I clearly don’t know the right jargon, and most of what I find involves expensive, purpose-built equipment. What I’m really looking for is some sort of software I can install on a laptop (on my end). On the other end, there will be a desktop with an extra wall-mounted monitor plus webcam that they plan on using for this sort of purpose. Any pointers? \*My PI found a new position (with insta-tenure) at another institution. Most of the lab moved with her, but I really couldn’t, and regular commuting would be torture – about two hours each way. Luckily we have a collaborator that’s letting me use the bench space in his lab. I’ll probably end up making the trip once or twice a month, but we’d all rather not deal with that on a weekly basis. ---
**Author:** ![Shecky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@Shecky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shecky)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-teleconferencing-options/519465/2 "2009-11-30T15:04:33Z")
[Talkshoe.com](http://Talkshoe.com)? If you want a dedicated solution, what about a Polycom setup? ---
**Author:** ![brachyrhynchos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brachyrhynchos/32/376_2.png) [@brachyrhynchos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brachyrhynchos)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-teleconferencing-options/519465/3 "2009-11-30T16:12:05Z")
Maybe your university subscribes to [http://www.elluminate.com/](http://www.elluminate.com/) ? ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-teleconferencing-options/519465/4 "2009-11-30T16:46:08Z")
Skype? You can use it with a webcam and either have sent the PPs beforehand, or send them on the run and people can open them locally. That’s by just looking for stuff that’s free, easy to set up and, if you work computer to computer, gratis (did I say it doesn’t cost you a penny depending on how you use it?); it doesn’t require any kind of dedicated server or fancy setup. The disadvantages over other programs is that AFAIK you can’t “share” your screen, that is, you can’t show your screen to others so making sure that you all see the same slides at the same time requires some coordination. ---
**Author:** ![lazybratsche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@lazybratsche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lazybratsche)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-teleconferencing-options/519465/5 "2009-12-01T17:32:48Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Skype? You can use it with a webcam and either have sent the PPs beforehand, or send them on the run and people can open them locally. Yeah, that’s our default option. I was hoping for something a bit more elegant though, since it’s difficult enough to communicate details of some complicated graph, even when you’re all in the same room and can point at or write on a paper copy. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_Stimulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Digital\_Stimulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_Stimulus)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-teleconferencing-options/519465/6 "2009-12-01T18:09:43Z")
A couple years back, my advisor had us use [ekiga](http://ekiga.org/). Just wanted to mention it… ---
**Author:** ![Peg\_Leg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/90db22/32.png) [@Peg\_Leg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peg_Leg)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-teleconferencing-options/519465/7 "2009-12-01T18:24:39Z")
My company has used LiveMeeting once or twice in the past. I don’t really have an opinion on it though. I’m old fashioned and prefer just using my blackberry or a voip conference phone. ---
**Author:** ![lazybratsche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@lazybratsche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lazybratsche)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-teleconferencing-options/519465/8 "2009-12-02T16:06:59Z")
Thanks for pointing me at LiveMeeting – looks like the sort of thing we want. I don’t know if that’s what we’re going to use, but when I looked it up I was at least able to find the right magic words (“webconferencing”) to google for its competitors. For what we need, I think we’ll try out the free (as in beer, at least) Adobe ConnectNow. ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-teleconferencing-options/519465/9 "2009-12-02T21:23:34Z")
> **[Salesforce: The Customer Company](https://www.salesforce.com)** > > Personalize every experience along the customer journey with the Customer 360. Unify marketing, sales, service, commerce, and IT on the world's #1 CRM. Free, no software installation, screen sharing, audio, video, etc. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2009, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-teleconferencing-options/519465/10 "2009-12-03T12:20:43Z")
LiveMeeting works really well. simple webcam is all you need ---
**Author:** ![billheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e0b2c6/32.png) [@billheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2013, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-teleconferencing-options/519465/11 "2013-12-17T07:04:19Z")
You may try using on premise RHUB desktop sharing and web conferencing appliances. It works on both MAC and Windows computers and is very easy to use. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2013, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-teleconferencing-options/519465/12 "2013-12-17T07:34:25Z")
Disclosure - I work for AT&T. Now that e have that out of the way… [ATT Connect](https://trial.uc.att.com/portal/) is a really great tool. Honestly I’d use it even if I didn’t work for the company. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2013, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-teleconferencing-options/519465/13 "2013-12-17T08:17:11Z")
I’m at the client end of this but I have done a lot of webinars, all of which use [GoToMeeting](http://www.gotomeeting.com/online/home). From my end it is dead easy to use. I just click a link and everything is taken care of. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2013, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-teleconferencing-options/519465/14 "2013-12-17T12:45:14Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > I’m at the client end of this but I have done a lot of webinars, all of which use [GoToMeeting](http://www.gotomeeting.com/online/home). From my end it is dead easy to use. I just click a link and everything is taken care of. Yup, this is what we use. GoToMeeting, and (for larger audiences) GoToTraining. I don’t think it’s free, though. That said, about 40% of my company of 800+ employees are remote, and rely on GoToMeeting a lot. In addition, we use BaseCamp for always-on group chat. Mr. Athena says that [Zoom](http://www.zoom.us/) also works well.