[Horizontal Review] Which of the 12 online conference software is easier to use?

As the COVID-19 epidemic continues, most companies have responded positively to the country's call and have adopted the way of employees working from home to promote the resumption of production and work, and the demand for remote meetings has also increased sharply. How good are the various online meeting software? The China Software Evaluation Center conducted a horizontal comparison of the online meeting functions of the current 6 mainstream online meeting software and 6 office/social software (the latest version of each software was selected as of March 5).

The comparison of each indicator is as follows:

1. Mobile platform support is good, but Mac compatibility needs to be improved

Of the 12 softwares in this cross-comparison, 100% are compatible with mainstream mobile operating systems and Windows systems, but only 8 are compatible with Mac systems. Huawei Conference, Tianyi Cloud Conference, DingTalk, and WeLink need to further optimize their compatibility with Mac systems. In addition, Tencent Conference and Xiaoyu Yilian also support mini-programs to participate in meetings. The degree of support for different platforms of each software is as follows:

2. The registration process is relatively simple, and some software supports quick login

The registration process for each software is not complicated, and most software can be quickly logged in through other platforms or software accounts + verification of mobile phone numbers, which further simplifies the registration process. Online conference software registration often does not require enterprise certification, while office software DingTalk requires enterprise certification, and Feishu also requires enterprise certification when there are more than 500 people.

3. The functional experience is different, and the maximum capacity varies greatly

1. Pre-meeting reminders are practical and considerate, and multiple invitation methods cover a wide range of people.

Except for Baidu Hi, all other software provide the function of meeting reservation, which allows you to set the meeting time in advance for notification. Among online meeting software, only Huawei Meeting can send SMS reminders to meeting members before the meeting. Among office/social software, DingTalk, WeChat for Enterprise, Feishu, and Yunzhijia can all send reminders to participants at a specific time before the meeting.

2. Document presentation is simple and easy to use, and some software provides file sharing within the venue

In terms of document presentation, except for Baidu Hi, all software provide screen presentation function, and WeChat for Business also provides document presentation function. Tencent Meeting, Zoom, All-Time Cloud Meeting, Baidu Hi, and Cloud Home support text communication in the meeting room. Tencent Meeting, Huawei Meeting, Zoom, WeChat for Business, Feishu, and WeLink software integrate video recording function, but WeLink video recording requires payment. Cloud Home provides conference recording function.

3. Calling names and raising hands strengthens interaction, and the friend function of office software is more practical

In terms of other functions, online conference software does not support the creation of group chats. Huawei Conference, All-Time Cloud Conference, and Tianyi Cloud Conference provide a relatively simple address book function. In terms of special functions, each software provides differentiated services. Among them, All-Time Conference and Xiaoyu Easy Link provide roll call functions, Zoom can support remote control by the other party during screen presentation, and DingTalk provides beauty functions.

4. Administrators have higher permissions, and some software can control recording permissions

Except for Baidu hi, all software provide administrator (host) functions. Administrators have more permissions than ordinary participants, such as removing participants, turning off other people's microphones and cameras, etc.

5. Free of charge for a limited time during the epidemic, and multiple customer service channels provide services

Except for Baidu Hi, other software are not completely free, but during the epidemic, most software also provide different degrees of free trials. In terms of customer service channels, different software provide differentiated customer service. Most software can provide telephone customer service or online customer service, and the online customer service's response is relatively timely.

6. Some functions are yet to be perfected, and different software targets different users

At present, there are a wide variety of online conference software on the market, and users have more diversified choices, but actual experience has found that this type of software still has some problems. First, each software lacks sufficient functional guidance for novice users. Although each software can achieve multi-platform adaptation, there are still certain differences in the operation between different platforms. It takes an adaptation process to get started, and due to lack of familiarity with software operation, emergencies are prone to occur at the venue. Second, the security of the meeting needs to be improved. Although some software can set a meeting password, it is not necessary to enter a password when joining the meeting through an invitation link or other methods. If a stranger joins, there is a risk of leakage of meeting materials. However, some online meetings can now add watermarks of the names of participants, which to a certain extent helps prevent the leakage of meeting materials and is worth promoting and promoting. Third, the text communication function is relatively useless. Most software does not yet support text communication in the venue, and in the software that supports text communication, the administrator cannot better control the text chat and cannot mute or turn off the function.

By comparing the online conference functions of 6 mainstream online conference software and 6 office/social software, each software experience has its own advantages. Different software excels in different fields, and the user groups and usage scenarios they target are also quite different. The online conference functions attached to office software such as DingTalk and WeChat for Enterprise can better meet the needs of internal communication meetings of enterprises and teams. They are also simpler and more convenient to use and have richer functions. For larger scenarios that require external contact with enterprises and teams or participation by multiple companies, online conference software such as Tencent Conference, Zoom, and All-Time Cloud Conference can provide better venue order and better privacy, and it is more convenient to participate in the meeting without logging in. Each enterprise and team can choose the software that best suits them and the meeting according to the occasion of use and different needs. The free trial during the epidemic is the best training ground for online conference software. It not only gives consumers the opportunity to fully try out the product to obtain user experience, but also gives manufacturers the opportunity to seize the market opportunity and improve and iterate their products.