Remote Collaboration Software Battle Royale!

As consultants who interface with several clients on several different platforms, we get a taste of different screen sharing and video conferencing software packages. The state of our world is accelerating the use of these tools. So what tools are good and what tools aren't promoting effortless remote collaboration? Here are some of our perspectives based on our experiences:

Christian: We use JoinMe for many of our client meetings. It has allowed us to give full demonstrations of the application along with insights from our design team. JoinMe does a decent job of facilitating real-time interaction with clients, giving us feedback that we can quickly turnaround and implement. JoinMe "checks the box" on a lot of expected functionality: webcams, screen sharing, passing presenter control. The dedicated meeting URL is nice. Some of presenter controls could be better, it’s not that easy to quickly re-send the meeting info to those joining at the last minute. It is easy to pass along screen-sharing capabilities. JoinMe isn't great, but has been a good tool for us.

Chris: I have warmed up to Teams, and it might be my favorite right now. The tight integration with our Office365 suite is a plus (probably a minus if you are on G-Suite). One-click meeting setup on Outlook is convenient. The video quality has been good and the screen sharing tools have been very smooth compared to other tools on this list. Of course, Teams had a highly publicized crash last week which doesn’t help its street cred, but there hasn’t been any lag or dropped connections.

Christian: Slack is our primary instant messaging tool, but we are using it now more than ever for screen sharing or video chats. For example, we use it very frequently to ask a quick question about a programming decision or a reminder about replying to a client email. It is convenient that the screen sharing is integrated with our messaging tool so we can quickly transfer files or send formatted code snippets. Screen sharing does feel like an afterthought with Slack. You can't pass control, and the video quality is just OK.

Kyle: As our primary team communication tool, we mostly use it for quick, direct communication but Slack also makes it very easy to jump to more personal means of communication. In a moment we can jump from a chat to quickly share screen, do a quick voice or video call, or share code snippets. While the interface could use a couple of improvements, I think Slack does most things well.

Kyle: Zoom seems to be a really solid solution for meetings. When using Slack or JoinMe, I’ve experienced at least one technical issue every session since we started working remotely. Whether it was loss of connection, mics not working, or something else. Zoom, on the other hand, has functioned very smoothly even when being used in a very large and complicated meeting. The video and audio quality has been above average.

Sydney: One feature that sets Zoom apart is the breakout rooms feature that allows splitting the session into up to 50 separate “rooms”. Though it’s not a feature we would use very often due to our smaller team size, the breakout rooms would be a very helpful tool for larger teams.

Chris: GoToMeeting used to be the “Coke” or “Kleenex” of virtual meetings but now I think it kind of sucks. I’ve been having stuttering video and dropped connections with GoToMeeting. The software feels like a virus. The video has been choppy and screen sharing has not been optimal.

Christian: To many of us, this was one of the first messaging apps we used, whether personally or professionally. Relatively simple interface and easy to use. For years it was a stable app and I had no issues. However recently, it appears to have more issues than before. It would randomly crash here and there, and freeze for no reason. I’m not a fan of the layout. I find it cumbersome to move between conversations. It also doesn’t separate individual conversations vs group chats like other apps do. It also doesn’t integrate with Microsoft Office suite (OneDrive & Calendar specifically) that allows seamless passing of information & files.

Larry: Google Hangouts has worked well for meetings with several different participants. The video quality has been above average and the audio quality has been very good. Google Hangouts is a safe choice.

Chris: Desperate times call for desperate measures. And yes, I’ve been on a meeting where a participant has chosen to use their phone and Facetime to show what’s happening on their screen. As you might assume, this not a recommended approach. But in a pinch ask yourself, what would MacGyver do? But, if everybody is on Apple devices and all you need to do is video chat, then sure, Facetime works. Otherwise, it just doesn't have all the features to be a first or second choice.

What tools have you been using these past couple weeks since we have all been directed to hunker down at our homes? What are is your team using that works well, that we didn’t discuss? Being physically separated from your work-mates can be stressful and cause worry, but rest assured there more tools than ever to help you stay connected! Let’s hear from you and your real-world experiences!