Tokyo (SCCIJ) – Due to mass working at home during the COVID-19 crisis, video telephony and video conferencing for business purposes are experiencing an unprecedented boom worldwide. The most chosen applications are products of large U.S. corporations. However, for all who prefer a home-grown solution, Switzerland’s largest web-hosting company, Infomaniak, is also offering a fully capable solution. We present their service and some other options.
The Swiss webhoster Infomaniak offers now also videoconferencing (© Infomaniak).
Infomaniak Meet
The Swiss video conferencing service “Infomaniak Meet” is, according to its website, “a secure and independent alternative to U.S. products”. A user can start a video without an account or any program installation, invite participants via a link and share the screen during the meeting. The service is completely free.
On the computer, this can be done at meet.infomaniak.com directly in the web browser. Alternatively, there is an application for Mac, Windows, and Linux. The corresponding app for Android and iOS has been available since the beginning of April in the respective app stores. The solution is available in German, English, French, and Spanish.
Marc Fehler, Chief Operating Officer of Infomaniak, told the Swiss web magazine Watson: “Our solution is based on the open-source software Jitsi Meet. It can be fully analyzed by specialists to ensure that there are no bugs or security holes. Infomaniak Meet is also hosted on our servers in our data centers. Therefore, we can guarantee the security and complete independence of our solution.”
Zoom Meetings
Following its successful IPO in 2019, Zoom has positioned itself as one of the leading providers of video conferencing. The free basic version allows users to hold an unlimited number of video conferences with up to 100 participants – but only for a maximum of 40 minutes. 1-to-1 meetings are possible for an unlimited length. The application is also available in Japanese. Recently, IT specialists voiced concerns about data protection because of Zoom’s signal routing and possible eavesdropping.
Microsoft Teams
This successor of Lync and Skype for Business is part of Microsoft’s Office 365 Suite. However, anyone with a Microsoft account can sign up for the free team version. Teams Free is suitable for small businesses with up to 300 members and supports guest access as well as individual and group video calls, screen sharing and document coloring for online office applications. Storage space for shared files is limited, though.
Google Hangouts Meet
Google Hangouts Meet is firmly integrated into Google’s office product G-Suite. For a small fee, the basic version includes Gmail, Docs as well as web-based video and telephone conferences. Hangouts Chat is also included for team communication. Like most Google services, Hangouts Meet is designed for Google Chrome. Mobile applications are also available for Android and iOS.
Blizz by Teamviewer
Besides remote maintenance software for screen sharing, the German company Teamviewer also offers video conferences via its Blizz application. You only need to download the application on your desktop computer or any mobile device. Similar to Zoom and Skype, you invite other users via a link to join the session. German data protection rules apply: Teamviewer does not record the session and due to its end-to-end encryption has also no means to decipher it. Private use is free of charge. Also, Blizz offers webinars with up to 300 participants. This software is also available in Japanese.
Text: Martin Fritz for SCCIJ
