Zoom

Strongest Asset: User Familiarity

Zoom has taken over as the most popular video conferencing platform. Most people will be at least vaguely familiar with the platform and if not, its user interface can be learned quite quickly.

Pros: Zoom is a familiar platform for most people. It can host a meeting of up to 100 participants for as long as 40 minutes. The “Share Screen” option comes with a slew of annotation tools.

Cons: If you want to host more than 100 people, you’ll need to upgrade to the Business plan. Zoom’s recording storage is light unless you buy the top tier Enterprise plan.

Google Meet

Strongest Asset: Google App Integration

Google Meet is a very accessible and widely known platform that can be used from your web browser or via their app on your iOS or Android device. This software is the revamped and rebranded version of Google Hangouts.

Pros:  Google Meet is a very easy-to-use, free video conferencing platform. No download required if you are using a desktop. The integration with all other Google apps makes it very easy to sync all of your business activities across their services.

Cons: There is no option to annotate while sharing your screen. Compared to some of the other video conferencing platform, you may notice that Meet is a bit light on the features and video conference customizability.

Microsoft Teams

Strongest Asset: All-Encompassing Centralized Workspace

Microsoft Teams is the video conferencing and workspace solution from tech giant Microsoft. If your business is already using Microsoft 365, Teams will be available to you at no extra cost.

Pros: Teams is much more than just a video conferencing platform. It allows you to organize people into teams and conduct chats and file sharing with them through channels. Team members can collaboratively work on Microsoft Office files and engage in group chats before, after, and during a meeting.

Cons: Teams’ integration of all business aspects can make it confusing to navigate, especially if all you need is a video conferencing platform. The size of Teams can create lag and loading issues.

RingCentral

Strongest Asset: Best Free Option

RingCentral is an American company that specializes in cloud-based business communications with offices all over the globe.

Pros: RingCentral boasts HD audio & video calling. Their basic option can host up to 100 participants for as long as 24 hours. No download is required and you can store meeting recordings in the cloud for up to 7 days.

Cons: The mobile app for RingCentral can experience connectivity issues and limited functionality. To gain full functionality, participants need to download the software.

Webex by Cisco

Strongest Asset: Security

Webex is the video conferencing platform provided by American tech giant Cisco. This platform is a favourite among large businesses.

Pros: All paid plans include the free plan options as well as closed captioning, recording transcriptions, cloud recording storage, streaming ability through Facebook Live, and their file transfer feature. The free plan includes chat, note taking, polling, interactive whiteboarding, and breakout sessions.

Cons: Video meetings consume a large amount of bandwidth. Using Webex from your phone can create connectivity issues. Webex caters to large organizations, which may or may not be a plus depending on your business’ size.

Pexip

Strongest Asset: Interoperability With Other Digital Tools

Pexip is the product of a merger between the video infrastructure company Pexip, and the cloud-based video service provider Videxio.

Pros: Pexip is very secure and highly customizable based on your business’ needs. The platform can be outfitted to match your business’ colors and logo schemes. Pexip is also very integrable with other digital tools and platforms. It is one of the best all round video conferencing platforms available.

Cons: The customer support of Pexip can be a little slow to respond. Expect this to improve with more people using the software.

StarLeaf

Strongest Asset: Reliability and Customer Service

StarLeaf was established and is headquartered in Watford, England. It’s known for “taking the friction out of business collaboration” and is a great option for messaging and meetings.

Pros: StarLeaf makes it very easy to share your screen, files, images, or documents with other participants. StarLeaf boasts a great uptime guarantee, more than any video conferencing platform in the industry. StarLeaf’s customer service is very accessible and helpful.

Cons: The cost of StarLeaf can be a little bit more than their competitors. People may be unfamiliar with StarLeaf and this can create some delays and confusion for the first time users.

Start a Free Trial (Or Two)

Whether you prefer the familiarity of Zoom, the security of Webex, or the customizability of Pexip, you are bound to find a video conferencing platform that suits your business’ needs. Many of these platforms offer free trials so consider taking a handful of products out for a test drive before you commit your business and all of its employees to one of these platforms.

Ads can range anywhere from mildly annoying to downright intrusive, but online advertisements are part of our digital world, like it or not. They might present you with products that are in no way related to your life, or they may have enough information about you to persuade you into buying things that you may or may not need. However they find you, ads get annoying.

AdBlock Plus

AdBlock Plus is the most popular ad blocking software on the internet today and is available for Google Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, Microsoft Edge, Opera, and Yandex web browsers. It’s also available on mobile devices.

AdBlock Plus works by having the user create filter lists. Basically you decide what you want the ad blocker to let through and what you want it to block out. You can choose to block all ads or only the blacklisted ones, allowing acceptable ads to come through.

Vivaldi Web Browser

Vivaldi is a web browser that has a multitude of awesome features, one of which is a built-in ad blocker. Along with the ad blocker, Vivaldi also has a built-in tracker blocker. Websites will no longer be able to track you or bombard you with ads as long as you are using the Vivaldi browser.

Vivaldi has an amazing amount of customizability within their browser, but the ad blocking and tracker blocking are the best default options of any web browser we’ve used. Vivaldi was created and spun-off from the Opera browser when Opera decided to switch to the Chromium-based Google software.

AdBlock

AdBlock, not to be confused with AdBlock Plus, is an independent ad blocking service that works with Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, and mobile devices. AdBlock removes pop-up, pop-under, and third-party tacking ads from your browser experience. Along with this, they also provide some protection from malware and viruses while surfing the web.

AdBlock will also block YouTube, Twitch, and Facebook ads so you can carry on with updating your socials and spend less time navigating unwanted ads.

Ghostery

Ghostery is an ad blocker that adds a unique element to its ad blocking ability. Not only will it steer you clear of pop-ups and unwanted trackers, but it will tell you who is trying to track you and give you the option to deny the ones you don’t want. Ghostery enables customizability to really take control of your browsing and decide what you see and what you don’t, as well who does or doesn’t see you. Just recently, Ghostery launched a web browser with all of these features built in.

The Premium edition of Ghostery will provide you will access to Ghostery Insights, a tool designed to audit the trackers that are crawling your website, to identify privacy risks and optimize your page.

AdGuard

AdGuard is an ad blocking tool that does more than just stop ads from reaching your screen. AdGuard will block trackers from finding your data, protects you from phishing and malware attacks, as well as give you the option to enable parental controls and block certain content from being accessed by your children.

AdLock

AdLock is a stand-alone program that blocks pop-ups, banners, and video ads from your web browser as well as from the different programs and apps you use on your device. AdLock will warn you about suspicious websites as well as malware and other unwanted software.

Stands Fair Adblocker

Stands is an ad blocker that aims to hide the malicious ads, trackers, and malware from your device, while allowing through the respectful ads that websites rely on to survive. They refer to these respectful ads as “Fair Ads”. Through their browser extension, you can decide how many of these Fair Ads you want to let through or whitelist the websites that you want to support.

Stands also takes your privacy and data storage seriously. They are transparent about what they use your data for.

AdBlocker Ultimate

AdBlocker Ultimate is a stand-alone program that blocks out your pop-up ads, banner ads, video ads, sponsored content on social media pages, as well as the ads that appear atop your search results. On top of this, AdBlocker Ultimate will also block ads from all other programs on your device.

AdBlocker Ultimate has a free browser extension instead of their full-service version that will block ads, trackers, and malware.

Conclusion

While not all ads are bad ads, you likely want to limit the number of ads that you see while browsing the internet. They can be manipulative at worst and distracting at the best of times.

Whether you want to block them all, allow only the good ones, or find an option that will block ads across all of your programs, there is an ad blocker that suits your needs. We wish you happy, safe, and ad-free surfing!

The digital transition is accelerating and it should come as no surprise that one of the biggest names in tech has developed a video conferencing platform. One of the hallmarks of Google’s success is that their software has been free, easy to use, and accessible to everyone. Google Meet is no exception to this rule. It provides a user-friendly video conference experience, without sacrificing its functionality.

What is Google Meet?

Google Meet is the rebranded and improved video calling software, Google Hangouts. Google Meet can be accessed through a web browser or an app on iOS and Android devices. Additionally, Meet can be purchased (with added features) as part of the Google Workspace package that also includes Gmail, Drive, Calendar, Chat, Currents, Docs, and other Google cloud-based software.

Google Meet allows you to connect in real time with other participants on a video conference call much like its popular competitor, Zoom.

How Do I Use Google Meet?

One of the best things about this product, and Google products in general, is how easy it is to use. If you’ve been invited to a meeting and are using a desktop computer or laptop, just click the invite link or enter the meeting code on Google Meet’s homepage – no download required. If you are using a smart phone or tablet, download the Google Meet app from your app store and enter the meeting code.

What Features Does Google Meet Have?

Google Meet has some very handy features that come with their software, many of which are available with the basic plan.

Closed Captions

Google Meet gives you the option to turn on/off the closed captions that type your speech and interpret others’ in real time. This feature is very useful if you forgot your headphones in a noisy environment or are in a quiet environment where it’d be frowned upon to take a call. Just turn on the closed captions and Google will show you what’s being said.

Jamboard Sessions

One of the great things about using a Google product is its integration with other Google software. From your video call, you can start a “Whiteboard” from the “More Options” menu. This will open a Google Jamboard Session, which allows all call participants to collaborate on a digital whiteboard where they can draw, type, add pictures, and more.

Breakout Rooms

Google Meet gives you the availability to separate your video call participants into smaller groups either of your own choosing or randomly. You can organize breakout rooms in advance by editing the meeting in your calendar or you can create the breakout rooms during the call by using the “Activities” button. You can create up to 100 rooms, but it might depend on the plan you choose.

Polls

A great feature of Google Meet is the ability to create polls in your meeting to survey participants’ responses on a given topic. You can create polls within the meeting and only the poll moderator will be able to see how each participant responded. They’re a great way to gather feedback from employees or test students’ knowledge.

Pros and Cons

Google Meet is an accessible and easy-to-use platform to host your video conferences, but there are a handful of drawbacks as well.

Some of the drawbacks can include screen sharing restrictions, display issues, and some reports of browser freezing issues.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: I use Gmail, but I can’t find Meet. Where is it?

A: If you don’t see Meet in the Gmail sidebar, make sure it is enabled in your Gmail settings. If you use Gmail for work or school, your admin also needs to enable Meet.

Q: Can external participants join a call?

A: Absolutely. In fact, you can share the same link with all meeting participants, making it easier to get everyone you need on the call.

Q: Do I need to install anything?

A: Meet works entirely in the browser. This limits the attack surface for Meet and the need to push out frequent security patches on end-user machines. On mobile, we recommend that you install the Meet or Gmail app from Apple App Store or the Google Play Store and frequently check for updates.

Q: Is a third-party service required for dial-in access?

A: No. With Google Workspace, you have the ability to include a phone number and PIN on each of your meetings with no other configuration required.

Learn More About Google Meet

Google Meet is a fantastic video conferencing platform that is especially kind to first-time users. Its ease of function is great if you are hosting meetings with people who aren’t regular users of video conferencing apps.

Cash may still be king but there is a growing trend to digitize our wallets. With Venmo, you can skip the ATM line and use their smartphone app to pay for your share of the pizza. Just find your friends on the app and they can have money instantly transferred to their account. Venmo is convenient, but there are some privacy concerns. For an app that functions like a bank, it is too easy to find someone’s account and view their recent transactions. It’s important to get informed and learn safe and secure ways to use your Venmo.

What is Venmo?

Venmo, owned by PayPal, is a mobile payment app designed for anyone that need to transfer money to another person. In addition to this primary function, over 2 million merchants now also accept Venmo as a method of payment.

Venmo links to your bank account and you can top up or withdraw funds from your Venmo account in an instant. You can either send funds directly from your bank account or top up your Venmo account first, and then use your Venmo balance to send money. Additionally, you can request money from a friend on the app if they owe you for concert tickets or a dinner tab or anything, really.

One of the draws to using Venmo is that you can attach messages or emojis to your payments to make sending or asking for money a little more lighthearted and exciting. Venmo is a social platform and users can “like” or comment on transactions.

How Much Does It Cost?

For most users, Venmo is completely free. There are no transaction fees to send money to a friend or to use Venmo as a method of payment to a merchant. However, Venmo does have a few features where there is a service fee attached.

The app offers the ability to link your credit card to the app. If you opt to send money using a credit card, you will be subject to a 3 percent fee on each transaction. Sending from your bank account or Venmo balance is free.

Venmo comes with a “cash a check” feature that allows you to cash a check directly into your Venmo account. If this check comes from the government or from your payroll, there will be a 1 percent fee attached to it (minimum $5 fee). All other checks will be subject to a 5 percent fee (minimum $5 fee).

If you are a business looking to accept payment via Venmo, each transaction will cost $0.10 plus 1.9 percent of the transaction total.

When it is time to move funds from your Venmo to your bank account, you can do it for free, though it will take one to three business days. If you want or need the money instantly, you can pay a 1.5 percent transaction fee to have it deposited in minutes.

Venmo also offers the ability to buy cryptocurrency through their app, as well as a Venmo Mastercard. Clarity on the cost of these features can be found here.

Benefits and Drawbacks

There are a variety of benefits to using Venmo, but there are just as many drawbacks that you may not be aware of.

What are the Security Concerns of Using Venmo?

As with any smartphone app, there are going to be some privacy concerns. This is compounded when that app involves social interactions between its users and even more so when those social interactions involve financial activity. To sum it up, there are many reasons to be wary of Venmo’s security.

Venmo users should be aware of how accessible their data is and who can see their activity on the app.

Anyone Can View Your Venmo Activity

Anyone can search your profile and have access to your history of transactions as well as the messages and comments that accompanied them if your settings are set to Public. The dollar amount of the transactions is hidden, but the users involved in the transaction are visible. Additionally, anyone can view your friends list and see who you interact with on the app.

That said, you can change your settings to Friends, which is only visible to the sender, recipient, and other Venmo friends. You can also change your settings to Private, which is only visible to the sender and recipient.

The App Automatically Links to Your Facebook and Phone Contacts

Once you download the app and create your profile, the app will automatically link to your Facebook contacts as well as the contacts in your phone. This can save you time when you need to send a friend money, but if you want to avoid having all of your contacts know who you are sending and receiving money to and from, it’s best to keep this private.

Accidentally Sending Money to the Wrong Person

Because Venmo uses a person’s name and profile to identify them instead of numbers to a bank account, it’s easier to accidentally send money to the wrong person. Have you ever messaged the wrong “John Brown” on Facebook? It might be a bit embarrassing, but no harm done. Do it on Venmo though, and whatever balance you sent is gone and unrecoverable.

How to Keep Your Venmo Account Safe and Secure

Venmo is a great, convenient way to send money to friends or family members. There are some security concerns with the app, but luckily, there are a few things you can do to make your account more secure.

Make Your Transactions Private

By default, all of your transactions on the app will be publicly available for viewing. Making your transactions private will make them only visible to you and the person you are exchanging funds with.

To do this, go to Settings > Privacy. Here you can change the default privacy setting to private or to friends only. Private will make transactions only visible to you and the person you are sending or receiving with. “Friends only” means only your friends can view your transactions. We recommend the private setting.

You will need to change the privacy settings on your past transactions as well. Click on “Past Transactions” and select “Change All to Private”. Equally, you could choose the friends only option, but once again, we’d stick with private.

Disable Venmo’s Auto-Friend Features

As we mentioned, Venmo will automatically link your Facebook and phone contacts to your profile. To disable this feature, go to Settings > Friends & Social. Here you can disable the auto-friending feature.

Use QR Codes to Ensure You Send to the Correct Recipient

To save yourself the pain of accidentally sending the wrong person money, have your intended recipient show you their Venmo QR code. Scan this code and it will take you directly to that person’s profile. Now there is no doubt that you are sending money to the correct person.

Change Your Profile Name and Email

If you really want to be anonymous on Venmo you can change your name and email address in the app. Keep in mind that using an alias will make it difficult for your real friends or family to find you, so you’re more likely to need the QR code we discussed above.

Learn More About Venmo

Venmo is a convenient way to transfer money between friends and family. Its low cost and ease of use make it an attractive app for anyone wanting to quickly pay a debt or transfer funds. The amount of financial information made public by the app is alarming, however. Giving the world access to your social contacts and online payments can give would-be scammers more than enough information to pose as one of your friends looking for payment.

Your best bet is to keep your financial activity and social media accounts separate. Follow the steps we outlined to make sure that nobody has access to your financial information.

If you’re reading this, it’s probably fair to say that you are not using the Google Chrome web browser. Despite its popularity, you’ve likely been happily using Safari or Microsoft Edge. Maybe you’ve been using Mozilla Firefox and want to see what all the hype around Google Chrome is about. If you’re wanting to give Chrome a try, or just looking to see what features make this browser so popular, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s explore how to install and use Google Chrome in a step-by-step approach.

What is Google Chrome?

Let’s start with the basics. What is Google Chrome?

Google Chrome, which was launched in 2008, is a web browser. It’s the app or program you open when you want to visit a website or ask a search engine a question. Your web browser connects you to the worldwide web. You can have more than one web browser installed on your device, and different browsers are good at different things.

Google Chrome has taken over as the industry leader in this field, and by quite a large margin. As desktop browsers go, Chrome has over 65% of the worldwide market share, with Safari coming in at a distant second just under 10%.

What Makes Google Chrome So Popular?

The success of the Google search engine paved the way for Google to expand its services into a fully functional web browser. One of the things that makes all Google products so popular is that they are accessible to everyone and easy to use. If you are completely new to a Google product, you can probably figure it out in a matter of minutes. There is no confusing user interface with puzzling buttons or menus – they design their products with simplicity in mind.

To add to the simplicity of their products, Google also makes sure that their products are extremely fast and reliable. Load times are minimal and crashes are rare. Google, with their simplicity and speed, have been able to dominate not only the web browser market, but the internet as a whole.

Basic Features

The Google Chrome browser comes loaded with features, many of which the average user will never use and won’t even be aware of. We’ll get to those later. For the moment, let’s take a look at the basic features that separate Chrome from its competitors.

Address Bar

The address bar in a web browser is where you type the URL of the website you want to visit (the www.enterwebsitehere.com part of the browser). This is a necessary component for any web browser to function properly, but Google has taken this element to the next level.

You can type anything into the address bar and Google will browse the depths of its search engine to find what you’re looking for. Want to know how many feet are in one meter? Or what the capital of Yugoslavia was? Just type these questions into Chrome’s address bar and you’ll instantly have the answer.

Chrome’s address bar functions as a calculator, meteorologist, translator, currency exchange valuator, and Google Drive file searcher. Google has the best web browser for finding the information you need in an instant.

Sync Chrome Across Your Devices

When you turn sync on, Google will save your search history, bookmarks, saved passwords, and payment information. This feature also saves your progress across your devices. For example, if you were doing some research on your laptop earlier and wanted to pick up where you left off on your phone, you can.

Google Caters Content Specifically For You

Google will personalize ads as well as blogs, articles, and other content based on the searches you make and the types of content that you click on or regularly engage with. Google will learn what interests you and direct more content of that nature to your web browser.

You can limit how much Google learns about your online activity if you aren’t comfortable with this.

How To Install Google Chrome

If you like what you’ve read so far and want to give this web browser a try, here’s what you can do to download Google Chrome:

You can now begin to use some of the features we mentioned previously, and some of the hidden or more advanced features we’re going to discuss now.

Hidden Features

Quick Search

If you are reading a webpage and come across a word, phrase, or organization that you’d like to know more about, highlight the part in question. Once you have your selected word(s) highlighted, right-click and select the menu item that reads, “Search Google for (your selection)”.

Incognito Mode

If you want to visit websites without Google saving it to your history or without the website knowing about your previous activity, you can use Google Chrome’s Incognito Mode to stay hidden.

To access Incognito Mode, click on the three dots in the upper right corner of your browser. Then click on “New Incognito window” and Google will open a new window where you can browse in the dark. Using this mode not only keeps you hidden, but it can also lead to finding better deals on flights, concert tickets, and gifts. Some sites track your activity and may raise their prices if they sense that you are looking to buy something.

It should be noted, however, that your online activity will not be hidden from your internet service provider or your company/school if you are using their computer or network.

Add Extensions To Your Browser

Adding extensions to your Google Chrome web browser can increase your productivity, help clear up space, clip parts of web pages, or block ads from reaching your screen. There are thousands of different extensions you can download and add to your browser. Visit the Chrome Web Store to see the different ways you can customize your browser.

Organize Tabs Into Groups

If you’re anything like me, you’ll end up having 10 or more tabs open during a given browser session. Google Chrome can keep your tabs organized into groups. When you need to return to a previous tab, you’ll have an easier time locating it at the top of your screen.

To do this, right-click on the tab at the top of your window that you’d like to add to a group, and select, “Add tab to group”. You will have the option to give this group a name and assign it a color. You can have multiple groups going at the same time. If you added a tab by mistake, just right-click on it and select, “Remove from group”.

Pros and Cons

Being such a popular web browser, there are undoubtedly many things to like about Google Chrome, but it isn’t without its drawbacks. The major drawback to using Google products is how it interacts with your data. You can read more about it here.

Here’s our list of what we think makes Chrome a great option and what we aren’t so crazy about:

Download It and Get Started

To sum it all up, Google has created the most popular web browser for surfing the Internet. As far as simplicity and quickness go, Google is unmatched.

A tech company as large as Google presents some privacy concerns, however. Your data may not be hidden the way you think it should, and Google can target you with ads or content to persuade your decision-making. This may not bother you, but it’s something to keep in mind.

Conference calls have been given a facelift in recent years, thanks to video conferencing platforms. What was once a number you dialed on your camera-less work phone has turned into a link you click that allows everyone to see what you’re wearing and what’s happening behind you. Zoom is leading this digital transition. If you’ve never used Zoom before but have been invited to join a meeting, here’s everything you need to know to get you up to speed.

What is Zoom and What’s It Used For?

Zoom is a video conferencing platform that allows users to connect in real time. When in a Zoom meeting, you can see and hear everybody at the same time, similar to being in a boardroom. There’s an option to mute yourself so that nobody can hear your coughs, sneezes, or background noise, as well as an option to turn off your video so that nobody can see your less-than-casual business attire.

The company was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in San Jose, California.

Zoom is a great tool for conducting meetings, classes, or social gatherings when getting together in person is not an option. This might be the case if you want to meet with people who are in different cities, countries, or continents than you, but was certainly useful when restrictions on in-person interactions due to pandemic lockdowns prevented people from gathering as a group.

Businesses, schools, governments, and family and friends use Zoom to conduct their interactions.

How To Sign-up and Use Zoom

To sign up for Zoom, visit their website. You can create an account using your email address. Once you verify your email address and create a password, you’ll be prompted to download the software, either the desktop or mobile app. Congratulations, you’ve joined the digital world of video conferencing!

To join a meeting that you’ve been invited to, you can log in to the software and click “Join”. Enter the meeting ID that’s been provided in your invite, and password if required. Depending on the host’s settings, you will either be admitted to the meeting immediately or the host will be prompted to approve your entry. Once this happens you’ll be able to see everyone else in the “room” and hear (and join in on) the conversation.

How to Create a Meeting

If you want to host a meeting, click the “Schedule” button on the home screen. You’ll be asked to choose a name for your meeting as well as a date and time and a few other details. When you’ve finished this and your meeting has been created, click on the “Meetings” button at the top of the screen. Here you can edit the meeting details, as well as copy the invitation and send out invites.

Basic Features

When you enter a meeting, you’ll find most of the available options along the bottom of the screen. On the left side you have the option to mute your audio or hide your video. For most meetings your video will be hidden when you first log on. Just click the “Start Video” button in the bottom left of the screen and you, as well as all members of the meeting, should see your face on screen. You can switch this, and the audio, off anytime by pressing the respective button again.

Be aware though that if you start browsing the internet while your Zoom call continues in the background, people will still be able to hear and see you. While doing this, your Zoom window will either be minimized or you’ll see a smaller overlay of the Zoom meeting screen on top of your current screen. To get back to the main Zoom window, click the button with the green arrow pointed towards the top right.

The “Chat” button opens a side panel allowing you to type messages to all or select participants.

You also have options to “Record” your meeting and as add emojis during the meeting under the “Reactions” button. This button will also allow you to “raise your hand” while someone else is speaking. Just don’t forget to “lower your hand” when your question or comment has been answered or acknowledged.

Screen Sharing

The “Share Screen” button allows you to show your screen to meeting participants. You will be given the option to share a specific window, specific section of your screen, specific files, a plain whiteboard, or other options. The simplest option is to just share your screen. If you want to share the audio of your device as well, be sure to click the checkbox in the bottom left of the pop-up window.

Once your screen is shared, you can click on the “Annotate” button at the top of your screen to draw or type notes. The eraser button will remove your annotations.

To exit your screen share, click the red “Stop Share” button near the top of the screen.

Plans and Pricing

Basic: This is the simplest option of all the plans. This tier of Zoom is without fees, and you can host up to 100 people in your meetings for up to 40 minutes at a time.

Pro: This tier of Zoom (much like the Business and Enterprise tiers) comes with a monthly fee, but allows you to host meetings for up to 30 hours at a time. It also includes 1GB of cloud recording and social media streaming.

Business: With Zoom Business you can host up to 300 participants and it includes recording transcripts, managed domains, and company branding.

Enterprise: With Zoom Enterprise, you get all the benefits of Zoom Business plus the ability to host up to 500 participants and unlimited cloud storage.

Pros and Cons

One of the best things about Zoom is its ease of access and use, and quick learning curve. Additional pros of the platform include:

• The no-fee option is sufficient for personal use
• Ability to host large meetings
• Social media streaming for paid users
• Sync meetings to your calendar
• Connect with people globally in an instant
• Very user friendly
• Breakout rooms allow for smaller team collaboration

Zoom is a fantastic tool, but it’s not without its shortcomings. Here is what we’d like to see improved about the application:

• You must download the software; it won’t work in a browser
• While pricing is reasonable, many of the add-ons can get expensive
• Slightest delays in audio/video can disrupt flow of meeting
• Zoom has been playing catch-up with its security features

Frequently Asked Questions

Get Started Today

Zoom is one of the most popular video conferencing platforms and for good reason. With its ease of use and wide availability, anyone can quickly become comfortable using Zoom. Whether you’re catching up with old friends or conducting a 500-person company meeting, you can trust Zoom to run your meeting smoothly.