Video calling – High-quality video for one-to-one or conference calls is the backbone of video conferencing software.
Audio calling — Many video conferencing tools will offer the option for calls hosting only audio, akin to a phone call. Similarly, most products will allow participants to join conference calls with just audio, or video and audio.
Recording – Products with this feature will allow users to record a video or audio conference call so it can be reviewed later. Some products will even host the recorded video within the platform with the option to download it, as well, for sharing.
Screen share — T – This feature allows participants to share their screens alongside, or instead of, a webcam feed.
Text chat — Some video conferencing tools provide a live text chat for participants to use alongside or instead of audio. These text chats can be recorded and referred to later. Some video conferencing products will allow for peer-to-peer or peer-to-group text chatting outside of video meetings, as well.
Document sharing – Document sharing features will occasionally be built inside of a text chat function, but this is not a hard-and-fast rule. Some video conferencing software will offer straightforward document sharing without a text chat.
Scheduling — The ability to schedule meetings in-app comes with some video conferencing tools. Others will integrate with outside scheduling or calendar software, too.
Presentations — While some video conferencing tools will allow for presentation hosting via integration with outside presentation software, others will allow users to build and present slideshows within the application.
Presentations — While some video conferencing tools will allow for presentation hosting via integration with outside presentation software, others will allow users to build and present slideshows within the application.
Trends Related to Video Conferencing
While some free video conferencing apps rely on proprietary hardware, many are cloud- or application-based offerings that will work on supported hardware devices. However, a few video conferencing products have built-out software that turns entire rooms into digital conference spaces without any proprietary hardware. This powerful functionality ensures that even those without a device can take part in conference calls, as long as they are in the room. This technology has become incredibly popular and may in fact be setting a new standard for other video conferencing products to match.
Potential Issues with Video Conferencing Software
One of the most common issues with video conferencing software is call quality. While the software itself can be robust, the quality of the video or audio itself is highly dependant on the internet speed of the users involved. It’s critical to ensure that users have access to reliable internet when using video conferencing software to prevent potential frustration.