Fuze Box has updated its Fuze Meeting online conferencing service. It’s hoping the improvements will give it an edge over rivals WebEx and GoToMeeting.
Like those other two, Fuze Meeting lets you set up meetings online. You can share your screen, upload meeting materials for online presentation, talk to meeting participants via teleconference, and record the proceedings.
Since launching the service last year, Fuze Box has been trying to differentiate it from WebEx and GoToMeeting on several fronts. For one thing, Fuze Meeting doesn’t require a software client, as the other two do; it’s entirely Web-based. Fuze Box also claims its service supports higher-resolution graphics than its competitors, making it particularly good for creative professionals. And, if one of your participants forgets to dial-in, Fuze Meeting’s “fetch” tool lets you quickly dial that person’s phone.
The latest version of Fuze Meeting adds a couple of new features. One is meeting replay: After your meeting is over, you can download a full recording of it, including all the shared content. Also, the service’s interface has been revamped and, the company claims, simplified. The fetch feature has been expanded to cover groups; you can dial in multiple attendees at once. There’s also better international support (global conference numbers, French language compatibility, support for Skype-In calls) and a new iPhone app.
Fuze Meeting is also aggressively priced. It offers three monthly plans: Personal ($29 a month, a maximum of 25 attendees at a time, 2GB of online storage); Plus ($49 a month, 45 attendees and 10GB of storage); and Pro ($69 a month, 55 attendees and unlimited online storage). By comparison, GoToMeeting costs $49 a month with a maximum of 15 attendees; WebEx starts at $49 a month for a maximum of 25 participants. Fuze Box also offers a daily plan: for $9.99, you can hold as many meetings as you want within 24 hours, with up to 15 attendees each.