Web Worker Daily

With travel costs rising each and every day, business are seeking ways to not only save money but be more conscience of the way their business practices are affecting the environment.  Video conferencing is a hot space currently with many options for web workers to choose from.  Being able to see your team on a video screen is vastly superior to a run-of-the-mill conference call.

SightSpeed (previously covered at GigaOm) is a great offering that does not require you to install expensive equipment to confer with your colleagues and team mates.  The application allows you to collaborate with up to 4 locations at a one time and is suited for both ad hoc and scheduled meetings.  If you want, you can share your desktop while in the midst of a video conference to enable collaboration on a website, word document, or any window on your desktop computer.

Sharing items is relatively easy with SightSpeed.  While in the call window, click Send File to broadcast the file to one or more of your meeting attendees.  Also, rather than having attendants worry about taking detailed notes during a call, allow them to focus their attention on you by viewing a recording of the call afterwards.  Additionally, files can be shared later in case someone new joins the team.

In case an attendee is not logged onto SightSpeed during a time where you want to reach them, the application will allow you to call them on an alternate phone number such as cell phone or home line.

While SightSpeed might not be for every organization, it can help a dispersed team feel less so.  It’s also possible to send a colleague a video message, which feels much more human than a voicemail or email.  During 2 test calls, I found that voice quality was very good.  Video was a little jerky at times, which is to be expected from any video conferencing application.

SightSpeed is compatiable with both Windows and Mac OS X and can use just about any webcam that works with these operating systems.  Of course, to use SightSpeed, you’ll need a broadband connection such as DSL or a cable modem.

Pricing starts at $190/year for a single seat license and $895/year if you want to get a 5-seat license.