Yugma - Great webconferencing but for the install! Saturday, September 22, 2007

I'm a regular user of web conferencing services but unlike the majority of people who tend to use them for internal meetings inside a corporation, most of my meetings will involve people from other companies.


This creates a tremendous challenge since most services demand that the participants install an application on their desktop. Less of an issue inside a small firm, but a nightmare in most corporations, where desktops tend to be locked-down for very sensible reasons.

As with other applications, I'm always on the lookout for better alternatives. So, I was really disappointed when I tried out Yugma to find it required an install on the PC of each participant. The application very looks slick and encompasses most of the features you'd find in high-end, well known and expensive services.


They have provided for conference calling services but it is not mandatory to use them, indeed it specifically acknowledges skype as an telephony option.


If this is adopted by corporates for internal use, then the obstacle to installation goes away. More significantly, the pricing model looks a steal at $900 dollars for sessions involving up to 500 participants. I suspect that one licence might well suffice for a corporate if one person is assigned to be the primary contact point and operator, albeit that clearly is not what Yugma hopes for.


There is a free version that allows up to 10 attendees to be in a meeting, albeit each participant has to register and there are other limitations.

But just like buses, a similar service is Yuuguu which even sounds similar. It too requires a desktop install but this one is presently FREE regardless of number of attendees at a meeting. Sam Seithi wrote about them here.


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posted by John Wilson @ 8:42 PM Permanent Link newsvine reddit



5 Comments:

At 1:30 PM, Blogger Unknown said...

Hi John - thanks for mentioning Yuuguu - we've just announced a browser only version to address the issue of not being able to download clients behind the corporate firewall

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/09-24-2007/0004668155&EDATE=

Cheers Philip Hemsted Yuuguu

 
At 3:51 PM, Blogger Connie with Yugma said...

Hi,

This is Connie from Yugma. On behalf of Yugma with our One Year Anniversary, I would like to thank you for mentioning us on your site and helping us to spread the word about our product. The blogging community had had an integral part in making Yugma one of the fastest growing real-time web collaborations services in 2007 with over 100,000 users to date.

To express our thanks, we’re donating/sponsoring Yearly Premium Yugma accounts (valued at $99.50) to bloggers who simply ask. To learn more about this program and how to get your sponsored Yugma account, check out the details on the Yugma blog – linked below.
http://www.yugma.com/blog/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=261&Itemid=1

Please be sure to check this out soon! The window to request your account through the Yugma Blogger Program will be through the end of January, 2008.

With Greatest Appreciation,

Connie and the rest of the Yugma Team

PS: Be sure to stay tuned! To follow up on the release of the Yugma-Skype integration and the web-viewer that were released this fall, Yugma is set to release new features and improved performance in the next few weeks and months. To keep informed of all the happenings, check out www.yugma.com under the news and blog.

 
At 5:44 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

how does it compare with ISP owned/operated web conferencing services

 
At 9:57 AM, Blogger John Wilson said...

I much prefer these to "webex-like" services for their ease of install and convenience of use, as well as the free price tag.

Main challenge is with corporate use and overcoming the corporate IT department and firewall.

 
At 8:02 AM, Blogger Unknown said...

Hi John! I am also a regular web conferencing user like you. But I use RHUB's web conferencing appliance which fulfills my requirements. This appliance allow the attendees to join meeting within 5 seconds without downloading any kind of software and requires no flash too. Attendees can join from any platform with a full-fledged browser. It is capable of working with lock down computers even.

 

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