One of the many impacts of the pandemic has been the increased importance of internet-based meetings. With no way for employees and stakeholders to hold meetings face to face, getting the opinions together over a net meeting is the next best alternative available.
While platforms like WhatsApp and Google Duo have been providing video calling options, it has been available to limited users only. Skype, on the other hand, has provided up to 50 attendees on calls for some time now.
However, in the post-outbreak scenario, platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, and Jio Meet have risen as popular virtual conference options for enterprise-grade usage. Chief Technical Officers across the corporate sphere are adjudging the benefits of these platforms while deciding which one to use. We tried to identify a few parameters on which video meeting platforms can be compared and a prudent decision can be made to zero in on the best option.
Cost
Zoom has several meeting plans to suit the need as per the number of attendees. Its free plan provides a 40 minutes limit on group meetings, in which up to 100 people can join in. Its paid plan includes a $14.99 per month per host.
While the number of attendees remains 100, the meeting time limit increases considerably to 24 hours. It also provides additional benefits like user management, admin controls, cloud recording, Skype for Business interoperability, etc.
For $19.99 per month per host, a business and an enterprise package are available. The business package allows 300 participants along with benefits like company branding, custom emails, etc. apart from other add-on options.
The enterprise package for the same price accommodates 500 participants while the Enterprise Plus package can include 1000 participants. You get a dedicated Customer Success Manager and unlimited cloud storage on these plans.
Google Meet, or G Suite Essentials as it is also known, has three packages.
The free package provides a 1-hour meeting span to up to 100 participants. The $10 a month package provides 300 hours of meeting time to up to 150 participants while the G Suite Enterprise Essentials accommodate 250 participants for the same meeting time.
Under all these packages, a user can join in from the external browser, and adjustable layouts and screen share options are available. The Enterprise package also plans to provide live streaming in-domain and intelligent noise cancellation. It currently saves meeting recordings to Google Drive.
Jio Meet is offering its services free of cost. It offers various features like browser support, meeting with outsiders, legacy video devices interoperability, etc.
Security
Apart from being more expensive, safety concerns have been raised regarding the use of Zoom as well. Experts have pointed out serious security concerns surrounding its use and encryption policies. Prominent among them is the possibility of unwanted intrusion into Zoom meetings. Besides, there are doubts about the extent to which Zoom can use personal data.
Like Zoom, Google also provides 256-bit encryption on its calls. However, it was the lack of end-to-end encryption in Zoom’s case that created a ruckus recently. To its advantage, Google Meet is not a standalone product as Google has a wide array of services and a rich pedigree in it. This puts Google Meet in the global Google IT infrastructure pedestal which regularly maintains cutting edge security features.
In addition to password protection and encryption, Jio Meet allows the host an option to disable unwanted access. Nevertheless, users will end up sharing personal and non-personal data by using Jio Meet as well. It, however, disclosed that all personal data will be retained for a limited period only and thereafter deleted. Perhaps, with Jio Meet users can hope that their data at least stays in India. That brings us to the origin of these platforms.
Origin
Zoom CEO Eric Yuan claimed that the company is a California-based company that is listed in the NASDAQ. Yuan himself is of Chinese origin and has settled in the USA since 1997. Zoom is a multi-national company with operations and employees in the USA as well as China. It has clarified that its China operation is run through the American parent company. This practice is no different from that of its competitors and similar companies.
Google, on the other hand, is American born and bred with headquarters in California.
Jio Meet is a part of Reliance Industries’ Jio, which is owned by Indian businessman Mukesh Ambani. For Indian users, Jio Meet may seem closer to their hearts, amidst an overwhelming consciousness about national self-dependency and ‘Make in India’ clarion calls.
Conclusion
In terms of cost, Jio Meet is quite lucrative with its free usage. On the other hand, the free versions of Zoom and Google Meet are functional enough for small businesses. In terms of security issues, Zoom has been all over the news.
While Google’s safety measures are proven, the company has a track record of monetizing out of user information. It is still early days for judging the robustness of Jio Meet’s security measures. It is still a challenger in terms of videoconferencing in India, as Zoom has a sizable grasp over the market already. But, Reliance has revealed plans of a $253 million investment in Jio platforms, so Jio Meet seems to be up to the challenge.
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