The Best Apps for Remote Meetings

It used to be that meetings meant everyone had to be in the same room to get the full effect. But our mobile lifestyle makes remote meetings are more feasible so long as participants have an internet connection.

Unlike the old conference call, remote meetings allow you to see everyone in the conversation. It avoids interruptions and also means that everyone is more engaged.

A professional meeting doesn't have to take place in a boardroom. But the amount of 'extras' you need will dictate which app is right for you.

• Google Hangouts. This app offers the bare bones of a meeting and there's a chance you use it already. It allows you to set up a space with up to nine other people where you can see and talk with one another. Nothing extra or fancy but it gets the job done and it's free to boot. This is the perfect choice for small informal conversations with other attorneys and professionals about general business strategy.


• Team Viewer. If you need more than just a video conference, this free app and desktop software offers video, screen sharing, chat, and the ability to share documents with meeting attendants. If you have remote meetings infrequently and need everyone to be able to see the documents you're working on, this is the cheapest way to do it.


• WebEx. For professional remote meetings, you get what you pay for. This is one of the most popular remote meeting apps on the web and allows you to screen share and video conference with meeting participants in a more upscale platform. The meeting host must have a software subscription but meeting attendants can download the app for free. Android users can't video conference and see shared content simultaneously but Apple users can.


• GoToMeeting. This Citrix product is similar to WebEx although mobile users can't simultaneously see video and shared content. The software supports up to 25 meeting participants so it's ideal for small to mid-sized meetings. The price is the same as WebEx so the only real call is which software the presenter has or prefers.


• Adobe Connect. The real advantage of this over competitor's products is how many attendants you can have. Adobe Connect allows up to 99 people to attend a meeting which makes it ideal for remote gatherings where you want to include a larger audience. It also runs on Flash which means most people will be able to use it without downloading anything other than the free app. Meeting hosts still have to purchase the software.

Related Resources:

• Hold a Remote Meeting (The Wall Street Journal)
• Attorneys May Just Dump Skype for Google Hangouts (FindLaw's Technologist)
• Video Court Hearings Save Pa. County, Attorneys Time and Money (FindLaw's Technologist)