The IT Melting Pot!

Well, I can’t count the number of times that I’ve heard people saying that they wished they had GotoMeeting licenses or a similar capability that is free… and what just happened!?! Citrix released a free version! 🙂

It of course has some limitations and lack of capabilities compared to the full service you get when being it, but if you can survive with using a Chrome browser to collaborate with you colleagues, friends and loved ones then this is a great service!

Mathieu Hofman, researcher and developer of GoToMeeting Free, and Eric Bensley, GoToMeeting Senior Product Manager, explain what motivated them to create the newest member of the GoToMeeting product line, GoToMeeting Free.

Hi, Mathieu and Eric here. We are really excited about the launch of GoToMeeting Free! This started simply as technology innovation and now has evolved into the latest addition to our award-winning communications solutions. GoToMeeting Free is an entirely free, browser-based (Chrome), unlimited-use video conferencing product for up to three people. And we made it simple: no need to log in, download additional software, or enable plug-ins.

When our teams first began working on this product it was not about adding to GoToMeeting but rather seeing what would happen if we took great technology – Chrome and WebRTC – and created something that would let people connect instantly in a face-to-face experience. In our efforts there were a few things we aimed to address:

• Eliminate the need for downloads by running from a browser
• Make getting into sessions fast and efficient – no sign up, no access codes, just click and go
• Deliver a high quality video and audio experience
• Available in Chrome Web store

The result: GoToMeeting Free is like the “casual coffee” of meetings by removing the barriers to quickly connecting with anyone in a meaningful way…

And here you have some other details from the GotoMeeting blog:

What You Need to Know about GoToMeeting Free

The cost of doing business these days can be daunting. And with the growth of small-business startups comes the need for low-cost and highly collaborative software solutions. Enter GoToMeeting Free.

What is GoToMeeting Free? It’s an entirely free addition to the Citrix collaboration suite that offers unlimited-use video conferencing for up to three people. And did we mention it’s completely browser-based in Google Chrome? Meaning no need to download any additional software.

Who can use GoToMeeting Free? Everyone. GoToMeeting Free was designed with lean startups and entrepreneurs in mind, but this software is open to anyone with Chrome, a webcam and a reliable Internet connection.

Why use GoToMeeting Free? If you are hosting small informal meetings for dispersed teams or your office doesn’t have the budget for a company-sponsored video conferencing account, then this is the solution. There’s no limit to the amount of meetings you can host, and it allows you to connect instantly with a face-to-face experience.

We wanted to build tool that was something that we would use ourselves, so here are a few of the areas we looked to address:

• No pesky software downloads. Because GoToMeeting Free runs from a browser (Chrome), there’s no need to download additional software. Just send your attendees the link and join the meeting – it’s that easy.
• Faster join times. Because there is no software to download, no sign-up required and no access codes needed, all you need to do is simply click to connect instantly.
• High-quality video and audio experience. Using WebRTC technology we were able to create a product that would allow small audiences to connect seamlessly with no dial-in required.

We’ve gotten rave reviews so far on the simple and straight-forward experience of GoToMeeting Free. And we are in development for additional features that will allow teams an even higher lever of collaboration in the near future. We hope you’ll try it out.

Continue reading here and here!

//Richard