Web Conferencing Alternatives: GoToMeeting, WebEx and Yuuguu

At Urban Insight, we use web conferencing to facilitate collaboration between team members working in different locations as well as to communicate with our clients around the country. The critical features we need are 1) screen-sharing; 2) integrated audio over telephone or via the computer's microphone and; 3) the ability to schedule meetings and invite attendees.

While Skype is fine for quick internal meetings, for client meetings & web presentations, we have been using GoToMeeting for several years. We recently re-evaluated two web conferencing alternatives and compared them with GoToMeeting (GTM) to see if we wanted to change tools. 

GoToMeeting

http://www.gotomeeting.com

• Pros:
  • GTM has an elegant interface
  • Setting up meetings is easy
  • The "Meet Now" feature is convenient
  • Good overview of scheduled meetings
  • Screen-sharing works effectively
• Cons:
  • Not available for Linux
  • Mac tools are slightly different than Windows version
  • While a repeating meeting can be set up, the scheduled meeting list gives no indication of its day or time.

Despite its shortcomings, we are satisfied with GTM. Any alternative would have to offer at least the same features as GTM.

WebEx

http://www.webex.com/

• Pros:
  • We liked the full-screen sharing options and the annotations feature that enables you to draw on the shared screen
  • Invitation options are well design
  • The public dashboard for meetings is convenient
  • Phone support was quick and painless
  • Nice integration for sharing host video feed
  • It's cross-platform (WebEx claims it works on Windows, Macs, Linux, iPhone, Blackberry, or other mobile device Details)
• Cons:
  • The user interface didn't seem as elegant as it could have been.
  • It was more cumbersome to setup meetings & manage accounts
  • URLs to join meetings are very long
  • Some clients reported that they were unable to join meetings. This may be related to the usability of the interface for users new to WebEx.

Yuuguu

http://www.yuuguu.com

• Pros:
  • No plugin required as it works in browser
  • It's cross-platform (Mac/Linux/PC)
  • A selectable bandwidth/quality feature could be useful
  • Priced competitively compared to other options
  • Starting new meetings is quick and easy
• Cons:
  • Requires Skype for VOIP audio
  • Cannot schedule meetings in advance
  • No complete full-screen option; it works with browser's full-screen if available
  • Only provides one pin number that is common across meetings
  • Cannot grant control to participants

Decision

WebEx has the features we need. The additional features that WebEx provides are useful, but not compelling enough for to make us want to switch. Yuuguu's design seems better suited to team collaboration than to client presentations. Requiring Skype for meeting audio is cumbersome. While both alternatives are viable, neither was compelling enough for us to switch. We decided to continue using GoToMeeting for now.

Can you recommend any other alternatives we should consider?