Top 10 Video Conferencing Platforms for Eastern Europe

2024. Microsoft unveiled Team Copilot



Microsoft has introduced Team Copilot, an AI-powered chatbot that acts as an assistant for entire teams and departments, using the group's shared knowledge to answer questions. Microsoft describes Team Copilot as "an extension of Copilot for Microsoft 365." For example, it can manage video meetings by tracking time and taking notes. In Teams chats, it can summarize what's said and use this information to answer the group's questions. Team Copilot is essentially a way for AI to gather knowledge from multiple people and then use this information to engage with those users. Furthermore, because Team Copilot sessions are accessible to multiple people, the AI ​​can simultaneously interact with multiple users in a single chat.


2023. Google Meet introduces face retouching feature



Google Meet has introduced the Portrait touch-up feature, which allows you to even out your complexion during a video call, brighten under-eye areas, and conceal redness or dark circles. The company believes this feature will be useful, for example, if a user joined a meeting straight from the gym or is recovering from a cold—the feature can help "subtly improve" their appearance. You can enable the feature and select the level of retouching in the settings. The feature will gradually roll out to some users on Google Meet mobile, including those on Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Starter, Education Plus plans, Google One subscribers, and others. It is not available to users with personal accounts.


2022. G2 published quadrant with the best video conferencing systems



G2, the largest international business software marketplace, published a quadrant mapping the balance of power in the video conferencing market. G2 uses user reviews, as well as data from other publications and social media, to assess the market. Unsurprisingly, Zoom and Microsoft Teams were recognized as market leaders, while Skype, the veteran, still holds third place. Cisco Webex, Google Meet, and GoToMeeting (now owned by LogMeIn) also rank among the leaders.


2022. LogMeIn rebrands to GoTo



LogMeIn has announced that it's being rebranded to GoTo. This makes sense, as the company's core products currently - are a line of video conferencing and remote support systems: GoToMeeting, GoToWebinar, GoToAssist and GoToMyPC (which the company acquired from Citrix in 2016 for $1.8B). Furthermore, along with the rebranding, they launched a couple more GoTo services: GoToResolve for IT infrastructure management and support, and GoToConnect, an online unified communications system (UCaaS). The company also offers collaborative corporate social network Jive and password management service LastPass. LogMeIn itself in 2019 was sold by its previous owners to investment firms Francisco Partners and Evergreen Coast Capital Corporation for $4.3B.


2021. Slack added short video messaging



Slack has launched a new feature called Clips. It allows to record a video message and send it to a group chat or directly to a colleague. The video message will appear as a regular message and become part of the app, with no add-ons or plugins required. You can respond in any way you like—text or video. According to the developers, Clips is useful when you can record a short video instead of a 30-minute meeting. This tool will also be useful for those living in different time zones and forced to participate in real-time meetings.

2021. Google Meet now automatically corrects darkening



As you know, the camera in Google Pixel smartphones (specifically, its software) is considered the best on the market. And it looks like Google has begun to transfer its technology to its video conferencing service Google Meet. The service's latest update will automatically detect dark video streams and adjust their brightness. For example, video often darkens when a person is sitting behind a bright window. This feature can be disabled (if desired).


2021. Cisco acquired video conferencing service Socio Labs



Cisco has acquired Socio Labs - video conferencing software developer. The company also offers tools for creating web pages for event registration and ticketing menus. The platform allows companies to customize conference registration pages in various ways, for example, by incorporating their corporate branding or offering early registration discounts. The American tech giant intends to incorporate Socio Labs' developments into its Webex video conferencing platform. It is also expected that Socio Labs' technology will complement the developments of Slido, a startup acquired by Cisco in December 2020. Slido developed a platform for incorporating interactive content, such as quizzes and polls, into virtual events.


2021. Zoom added new template that shows all meeting participants



Zoom introduced the Immersive View template, which displays all meeting participants (up to 25) in a single screen. Call hosts can manually or automatically place participants on the virtual stage, as well as move them around. If there are more than 25 participants, thumbnails of the remaining participants will appear at the top of the stage. Users can return to the standard view at any time. Zoom launched with several templates, but users can upload their own scenes. This feature is not yet supported in meeting recordings.


2021. Microsoft Teams optimized for webinars and online presentations



Microsoft Teams users can now host interactive webinars for up to 1,000 participants. Presenters can manage webinar registration and track webinar reports. A new online presentation mode, PowerPoint Live, has also been added. Presenters can access notes, slides, chat, and a participant list in a single window, while viewers can adjust viewing speed and contrast. Presenter mode allows you to customize the display of video and other content for your audience. Microsoft also promises to add end-to-end encryption for one-on-one calls in Teams for business customers in the first half of 2021.


2020. Pexip went public, valued at $1B



Norwegian video conferencing system developer Pexip went public. As a result, the company's market capitalization reached 9.6 billion kroner (almost $1 billion). Pexip was founded in 2012 by video conferencing and telepresence experts from Tandberg (acquired by Cisco). By May 2020, Pexip was one of the most popular business video conferencing services in Europe. Its services are used by, among others, the US government, Amnesty International, Spotify, PayPal, Vodafone, Intel, and many other large companies and organizations. Unlike Zoom, which has security issues, Pexip allows companies to self-host its software, so in some cases, clients can use video conferencing without an internet connection.


2020. Skype allows you to participate in video calls without registration - via browser



Watching Zoom's rapid rise in popularity during quarantine, Skype, somewhat offended, tweeted recall that, in fact, it (since last year) also allows video conferences with participants who don't have a Skype account (they can simply join the video conference via a link in a browser). Up to 50 people can participate in a conversation at once. Calls can also last much longer than on Zoom (4 hours versus 40 minutes). There's also a limit of 10 hours per day.


2018. 3CX WebMeeting allows to participate in conferences from a regular phone



The new version of 3CX WebMeeting now lets you easily join a conference from a regular phone. To do this, you assign a phone number on your PBX for conference calls. Participants who are out of the office - on the road, at home, or simply don't have a smartphone or PC handy - can join the conference by simply calling this number. For this purpose, 3CX v16 includes a dedicated WebRTC gateway that connects your 3CX PBX and the WebMeeting cloud. When a user calls into a conference but no one else has joined, the call is held on your PBX. As soon as regular users join WebMeeting, the gateway connects you to the conference. Connections are managed by the conference creator via the 3CX web client. In the new version of WebMeeting, the participant and chat windows have become slightly larger. Each participant now has a volume control - very convenient feature during a conference.


2018. Gartner Names Webex the Best Online Meeting Service



In the new Gartner Magic Quadrant for Meeting Solutions report, Cisco Webex was named the leader. The report examined several meeting solutions from various vendors. Cisco's products were found to be the most relevant to the requirements of such services due to their wide range of features and accessibility. Currently, the number of Webex Meetings users exceeds that of other similar services: Cisco Webex hosts more than 6 billion online meeting minutes annually. In 2018, Cisco Webex added more than 1,000 features. Gartner highlighted two such features related to both the product itself and devices: intelligent speaker tracking and voice commands (the world's first voice assistant for online meetings, which helps start meetings, add new participants, etc.).


2017. Cisco Spark optimized for video conferencing



Cisco has unveiled a new version of its cloud-based video conferencing and collaboration service Cisco Spark. The app features a new design that is consistent across all devices (desktop, mobile, and tablet). Collaboration is now possible on an interactive whiteboard, perfect for teleconferencing. After scheduling a meeting, the app creates a workspace where users can set the agenda, invite participants, share content, and chat. Cisco also unveiled its Cisco Spark Board, an electronic whiteboard for meetings. A monthly subscription, including cloud services, help desk support, and software updates, costs $199.