SHARE
Facebook X Pinterest WhatsApp

Tuning In Free Videoconferencing

Reduced travel budgets, cheap technology and ample broadband connections have helped to create interest in simple videoconferencing solutions. Skype has led the way in building that interest, and its video service is being used by popular TV shows, such as Oprah Winfrey, Millionaire and others. With a renewed emphasis on video, it only makes sense […]

Written By
thumbnail Frank Ohlhorst
Frank Ohlhorst
Mar 4, 2009
Channel Insider content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More

Reduced travel budgets, cheap technology and ample broadband connections
have helped to create interest in simple videoconferencing solutions. Skype has
led the way in building that interest, and its video service is being used by
popular TV shows, such as Oprah Winfrey, Millionaire and others.

With a renewed emphasis on video, it only makes sense for businesses to
consider using many free products for ad-hoc videoconferencing. While the list
of free videoconferencing services is growing, it is still pretty hard to beat
Skype as a starting point for diving into the intricacies of desktop PC-based
videoconferencing, especially now that Version 4 has arrived.

But, there are a couple of catches—Skype is only free for Skype-to-Skype
calls and Skype only supports one-to-one videoconferencing. Those limitations
have greased the wheels for other players to grab some mindshare, and Skype is
no longer the only game in town.

Solution providers will find that instant profits may be hard to come by and
appreciable margins may be a thing of the past, yet videoconferencing still
proves to be an excellent way to demonstrate advanced capabilities and pave the
way for commercial solutions.

Aggressive integrators will choose to roll out some of those free services
just to introduce a business to IP videoconferencing and demonstrate the value
of the service. After all, videoconferencing is a lot like potato chips—you
can’t just have one.

The following is Channel Insider’s analysis of the leading free videoconferencing
options available to solution providers.

Recommended for you...

SailPoint Intros Accelerated Application Management Solution
Jordan Smith
Aug 22, 2025
ConnectWise Partners with Proofpoint on Security in Asio
Jordan Smith
Aug 22, 2025
RegScale CRO on Channel Growth in Risk & Compliance
Victoria Durgin
Aug 22, 2025
Manny Rivelo on Evolving Channel & How MSPs Can Get Ahead
Victoria Durgin
Aug 20, 2025
Channel Insider Logo

Channel Insider combines news and technology recommendations to keep channel partners, value-added resellers, IT solution providers, MSPs, and SaaS providers informed on the changing IT landscape. These resources provide product comparisons, in-depth analysis of vendors, and interviews with subject matter experts to provide vendors with critical information for their operations.

Property of TechnologyAdvice. © 2025 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.