Communication is a vital part of human life. It is how we exchange information, ideas, and emotions. For companies, opening new channels to communicate is a great way to encourage information exchange. In the digital age, gone are the days when everyone is relying on SMS. Now, everything we need can be provided by applications that aide us in various ways.
Is your company using tools to make communication flow easily? Here are some applications that you can use to stay connected with your coworkers remotely.
1. Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams offers a free six-month subscription to help companies maintain their communication while people are working from home. While Microsoft Teams previously launched a free version of their application in 2018, some special features have been reserved for the paid version. Those features as of March 2020 will be available in the free version, as confirmed by JP Courtois, Microsoft’s executive vice president of Microsoft Global Sales, Marketing and Operations. Microsoft Teams now allows video meetings for up to 250 participants, live events for up to 10,000, unlimited chat and search, built-in group and one-on-one audio or video calling, and 10 GB of team file storage and 2 GB of personal file storage per person valid through January 2021.
2. Google Hangouts
Google has been a staple for all people, working or not. Google has expanded its business serving various functions starting with the use of Gmail. Google Hangouts is a platform that offers video conferencing and recording video conferences. While those features are already free, Google Hangouts now offers larger meetings for up to 250 participants per call, live streaming for up to 100,000 viewers within a domain, and video recording that can be saved via Google Drive which is valid until July 1, 2020.
3. Skype
Skype is an app for messaging, video calls, and voice calls that can be accessed via computer, tablets, mobile devices, and even smartwatches through connecting to the internet. Skype allows a maximum of 50 persons to video call at the same time and is available via Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android.
4. Facebook Messenger
If your team is tight and connected via Facebook, using Facebook Messenger comes in handy. Facebook Messenger can allow up to 50 people to video chat at once for free. The app is accessible to Apple devices with iOS 8 or higher as well as Android devices with version 4 and up via Wi-Fi or mobile data.
5. Whatsapp
Whatsapp is a messaging tool owned by Facebook. It allows its users to send SMS, voice messages, make video calls, share images, documents, and other media through an internet connection. It’s a free application that can be accessed via Android devices running OS 4.0.3 or higher and Apple products with iOS 9 or higher. Whatsapp allows up to 16 people to video chat at the same time.
These are just five of the various applications available to boost efficiency and aid individuals and companies with communication.
What are you currently using to maintain your connection with your team? Feel free to share it with us.
References:
Our commitment to customers during COVID-19 [1]
WhatsApp Tips: How it can be used to work from home [2]
Google Makes Premium Version of Hangouts Meet Free As More People Work Remotely [3]
10 free video chat apps to use if you're social distancing [4]
