By Juan Carlos Diaz, William James Sanchez, Angelo
Francesco Zambrano
Go to meeting is an online meeting
software that provides audio and video conferencing. The software has many
features including screen sharing, text chat and meeting recording.
GoToMeeting was designed to make it
easier for everyone to organize and participate in online meetings, so you can
do more and travel less.
GoToMeeting users can collaborate on
documents, deliver presentations, perform product demonstrations and securely
share confidential information from anywhere, at any time. GoToMeeting’s rapid
download, quick meeting setup and intuitive user interface has meeting
organizers and attendees up and running in a matter of seconds.
GoToMeeting incorporates
industry-standard security features and end-to-end SSL encryption to ensure
that login information and meeting data are secure. This high level of security
allows GoToMeeting users to confidently present and collaborate on any data.
Users can rest assured that information such as sales forecasts, financial data
and M&A contracts will not be viewable to anyone except meeting
participants.
History:
GoToMeeting is a
software application created by Online Services Division of Citrix Systems,
Inc. Citrix Systems, Inc. is based in Santa Barbara, California. The software
was originally in development through the company ExpertCity. ExpertCity and
its software were acquired by Citrix Systems and renamed the Online Services
Division.
FEATURES:
AUDIO
CONFERENCING
The audio conferencing
feature of the GoToMeeting software is available for use by attendees through a
toll-free phone conferencing number or via VoIP using the mic and speakers on
your personal PC. Audio Conferencing with the basic software package can
accommodate up to 25 attendees per meeting. Meetings can be schedule in advance
or can be started immediately.
VIDEO CONFERENCING
HDFaces, the video
conferencing feather of the GoToMeeting software uses the same basic tools as
the audio conferencing, but requires the use of a webcam on your personal PC. HDFaces
allows up to six attendees to share their video feeds in each session. The
video conferencing has simple controls and is available to use on Macs, PD and
iPads. HDFaces uses the existing webcam on a computer and does not require any
additional proprietary hardware.
SCREEN SHARING
The screen sharing
feature of GoToMeeting is one of the features that make the software so
practical for business applications. When screen sharing, an attendee activates
the screen sharing feature and allows other attendees access to view or
manipulate their computer screen. The person sharing their screen has the
option to share the whole screen on just a specific application. Sharing
specific application is a feature that is useful for presentations. By only
sharing the specification application, PowerPoint for example, the attendees
view a sharp clean screen with only the presentation and the presenter can have
other notes available on their screen that are not viewable by the attendees.
Additionally, the keyboard and mouse control can be turned over to other
attendees. This feature is very useful when training personnel on new computer
software as the trainer can walk the attendees through the software without the
need to physically be in attendance. The last feature of the shared screen
option is draw and highlight. This feature allows attendees to edit a single
document as a group.
AVAILABILITY:
App versions of
GoToMeeting are currently available for iPad, iPhone and Android mobile
devices. HDFaces is not available on the iPhone or Android versions, but the
remaining features are consistent with the PC/Mac versions.
HOW
IT IS OPERATED:
1. Start
your meeting.
Launch
GoToMeeting on your computer, iPad, iPhone or Android device. Instantly start a
meeting by clicking Meet Now in your GoToMeeting start window.
2.
Invite other people.
You
can invite others via phone, email or instant message – just click Invite
Others in the control panel.
3. Turn on
your webcam & collaborate face to face.
Tap into communication-enhancing facial
expressions and body language with your attendees by using your webcam and
built-in HDFaces video conferencing.
4. Share
your screen.
Click Show My Screen to easily start and stop screen
sharing.
IMPORTANCE
TO E-COMMERCE:
For the world of commerce, communication
is one of the most important aspects as it is transactional in nature and
requires the participation of at least two parties. With the kind of app such
as GoTo Meeting, many companies, institutions, and individuals can greatly
benefit from it as it promotes efficiency and effectiveness. For a low rate,
people can interact easily with each other, discussing trade matters, product
planning, deal closing, product/service presentation, and other commerce related
matter without going through the hassle of each individual going out of their
ways to meet up, wasting resources of time and money that is later on also
reflected in the price of goods. With GoToMeeting app, it made the e-commerce
industry less complicated by eliminating barriers of communication, lessening
the cost of transacting, and increasing efficiency and effectiveness by
promoting a fast-paced and hassle free communication that would equally benefit
both sellers and buyers.