Fuze With Skype: What to Consider When Choosing A Web Conferencing Headset
Just this afternoon, some of the team here were in a Fuze Meeting webinar and I noticed almost all the callers were on Skype. That said, either they were home alone, annoying the rest of their office with loud voices emanating from their computers, or on a headset. And since I’ve done my best to swear off telecommuting, I’ve been on a constant search for the *perfect* in-office web conferencing headset experience.
I’m not in love with my headset choice YET (Freetalk Everyman Headset – more on that later) – but 4 headsets in the last 3 months make me somewhat of an expert on headset rejection – so here’s a short list of features to consider when finding an online meeting headset solution.
#1 Connection
Headset rejection #1 was because, foolish me, didn’t realize that not all computers have a mic jack. Headphone/mic jacks and USB connections both work really well in terms of sound, but you’ll probably have to mess with the input/output settings a bit if you use a USB connection. On the other hand, all computers have a place to shove a USB cable, so you won’t be stuck there like a cross-eyed buffoon staring at your headphone jack in the headphone port with your mic jack dangling of the edge of your laptop. (Sore subject) My recommendation: go with the USB.
Found yourself with the double-jack and a computer that won’t work with it? Don’t worry – they have converters and (let’s be honest) it’s probably not a bad idea to have a stereo headphone converter handy in case you only have your iPhone set with you.
#2 The Boom Boom
Chances are, you don’t really notice that your headset mic isn’t working for you until you start getting annoyed with all the ‘could you speak up’ complaints. Finally, someone had the good sense to suggest that the problem was my mic and headset #2 was out the door. I switched from an on-cord mic to a boom mic, and the audio complaints went away. A plus side of the boom mic? Feeling like a pop star and asking people if they’d like fries with that. My Recommendation: Boom
#3 Headphones
Headset #3 got the boot because it only had a speaker on one ear, and I just decided I’m a surround sound girl.
But – there’s all TYPES of headphones. In-ear buds, foam headphones, and the very intense gamer-style foam padded headphones. This is a personal choice, but, for me…the buds fall out and the gamer headsets do too good a job of cancelling out the noise. I work in an office, so I actually like the ambient noise and currently use the Freetalk Everyman Headset that SKYPE suggests, but…I’m not in love.
Why, you ask? They’re a bit flimsy and they only come in black. I’m still on the hunt for the perfect headset and I gladly take suggestions!
Note: Fuze doesn’t necessarily endorse the products shown or mentioned, but – if you’re looking for them here are the links: Input/output Converter, Stereo Converter.
Fuze Interview with FreeCallsTo
Our very own Community Manager (me) was recently inerviewed by a website called FreeCallsto.com. The site was created to share all the cheap and sometimes free (! Did you say free !) ways to stay connected with people across the globe. They write about ways to call internationally for free as well as VOIP, web conferencing, internet fax, calling cards, and any other type of product that helps you stay connected worldwide without breaking the bank. Isn’t that nice of them?!?!
The Interview:
I had a great opportunity to do an Interview with Kristen Isaacs, PR/Community Manager for Fuze Box and learn about the exciting web conferencing software the company provides. Check it out:
What exactly is Fuze Meeting?
Fuze Meeting is a browser based web conferencing software. It allows meeting attendees from all over the world to host or attend an online meeting and share/view content and desktops – just like if you were all in a big conference room, but without the hassle (and expense) of travel.
What are the benefits that users will get from your product?
Well, there are the obvious benefits to online meetings – real time communication, fast paced synergy, huge savings and the like. Specifically Fuze Meeting stands out among competitors because
- Fuze Meeting is browser based – meaning attendees don’t have to download a plug-in to attend a meeting – that’s a big hit with training and sales teams. One click and you’re in!
- It’s really easy to use. There’s no disclaimer ‘well, once you get used to it and know where to click.’ We went through a TON of user testing to make sure the meeting process was intuitive.
- It handles all typs of rich media really well with a focus on high resolution images and videos – this is a favorite feature of creative and healthcare professionals who have to present intricate images/videos with tiny (and important!) detail. Plus, you can mark up all content.
- We’re cheaper than the big guys. This (of course!) makes us especially popular with small businesses.
Is it mainly for business or for consumer as well?
Anyone who has a need to collaborate online would benefit from web conferencing in general. Currently, most of our customers are businesses or freelancers, but we’re seeing growing numbers among students as well.
What do you see in the future of VOIP?
As a business, we’re betting on VOIP increasing in usage, especially in the business sector. Currently 5-10% of users Skype on our meetings, and we’re seeing this trend increase. With our upcoming releases, we’re integrating it further into our software and are embedding VOIP into our upcoming iPad app.
Fuze Meeting’s parent company is Fuze Box. What else does Fuze Box do?
Fuze Box is a leading platform provider of visual collaboration applications for consumers and businesses so we’ve designed our products to fall under that umbrella.
Fuze Messenger integrates all your IM accounts them through a single interface on your iPhone or BlackBerry. It’s similar to Meebo, but Fuze Meeting is the only free app that allows you to integrate OCS (Micosoft’s Office Communicator).
Fuze Movie is a real time review and approval collaboration tool for remote film or video professionals.
Tweetshare is the baby of the bunch but one we’re excited about. It is Fuze Box’s first foray into Twitter APIs. It’s a third party Twitter service that allows Tweeters to immediately publish any type of content to the web, including HD video, presentations, images and start and monitor twitter threads around their content. It also brings Fan Pages to the Twitter community with branded pages.
Lessons from Eyjafjallajökull
Yes that’s right everybody. Your favorite Iclandic volcano and mine has been doing quite a number on the air space around Europe and has stranded quite a few would-be meeting attendees on the other side of this big blue ball of dense space dust (or on my side for that matter).
So what does this mean? Since you’re on the Fuze Meeting blog, I’m going to let you guess… But OK FINE, I’ll just tell you. If by chance you happened to be stranded, enjoy your few extra days of vaycay, but take advantage of this moment to learn about web conferencing!
If you haven’t been doing online meetings yet, THE TIME IS NOW.
Q: What have you got to lose?
A: Literally…nothing. I mean…do you really have another choice anyway?
So, *hint hint wink wink* sign up for our 30 day free trial (or just get free unlimited meetings for 3 attendees by fanning us on Facebook) and (for heaven’s sake!) use this opportunity to learn something new about whatever unexpected culture you’ve just found yourself amidst.
Take that, Eyjafjallajökull! You and your ridiculous spelling won’t keep us from being productive with our co-workers.
Regis, I’d Like to Use a Life Line
Remember when I promised loosely related posts? Well, here you go.
Unless you are living under a rock, you probably noticed that the Oscars were on Sunday night. Being the blogophiliac that I am, I used my keen wit and common sense to scour the blogs for predictions. The big winner of the night (Besides The Hurt Locker?) You guessed it. Your very own Community Manager.
But…what does this have to do with Fuze Meeting?
Ah! Well, nothing actually. But is just another lesson on the amazing power of the online community. Remember Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Ask the audience was always your best shot. Don’t you see? Online communities are one BIG ask the audience! I was writing a blog post, needed references, Tweeted the question and in 1 minute had 7 references. Crazy!
All this to say – if you don’t know…ASK. There are blogs about almost everything, and most bloggers (like myself) love helping out and answering questions. As it turns out, most of us are looking for MORE ways to get involved in our communities. The more of us who are involved, the better it will be. *sigh* How organic.
And there you go. Your dose of encouragement for the day. Now get out there and find that blogger to answer your burning question. Remember! There’s no such thing as a stupid question.
___
Ok. Now prove me wrong. Give me your best stupid question in the comments.
Lame post, good intentions…
Hi guys! Just saying hello via our team blog. I just got back from a trip to NYC to visit investors as well as the Web 2.0 conference.
Hey – question for you – are you a user of Fuze Meeting? If so – please tell us what you like (or don’t like!!) about our service – Frustrated? We’re sorry. Happy? Even better! Share!
Patrick
Product Marketing – don’t learn from the big guys, IMO
I am laughing at a recent post on ZDNET titled “SharePoint 2010 SKUs multiply like rabbits” – Now SharePoint is pretty powerful (so I hear; we abandoned it for Box.net internally) — but does it really need 10 SKUs and a degree in Microsoftology to purchase and deploy?
…and I quote:
With SharePoint 2010, there will be (at least) 10 different SharePoint SKUs. (I guess the SharePoint team is bucking the trend that other Microsoft teams seem to be following — that fewer SKUs is better.) On the product editions list: SharePoint Server 2010 for Intranet Scenarios (with Enterprise and Standard Client Access Licenses); SharePoint Server 2010 for Internet Sites, Enterprise; SharePoint Server 2010 for Internet Sites, Standard; FAST Search for SharePoint 2010; FAST Search for SharePoint 2010 for Internet Sites; Search Server 2010; Search Server Express 2010; SharePoint Designer 2010; SharePoint Foundation 2010 (the product formerly known as Windows SharePoint Services). There are also at least two SharePoint Online SKUs: Standard and Deskless Worker.
Did you get all that? This was after a fun time in the office poking fun at HP’s “purchase page” for HP Skyroom (a competitive product to ours, I guess) that has the header, “HP SkyRoom Version 1 (Quantity 5) Node-locked E-LTU Software (VK631AAE) – Specifications and Warranty” – That makes me want to buy it, you?!
Here at Fuze Box, we want to keep it simple. Maybe all these names are why their prices are so high, and ours are so low… Anyway, If you see us doing complex things that add friction to the process, let us know!
Seven Steps to Conducting a Web Conference
With a new product launched in the market, many business magnets resort to the web conference way of promotion. This is indeed an ideal and exclusive way of conveying to an audience of prospective buyers or companies what their product is all about. Through online presentations and webinars, a product could be extensively studied and understood. This has become a novel way of reaching out to your clients with help of the latest technology. The major advantage with this kind of a web conference is that no matter in which part of the world, your audience is, product promotion will never require their physical presence in a particular place. The virtual arena has indeed made this world a smaller place, with the convenience of being able to access and reach anybody anywhere.
Online meetings and this kind of web conference promotions have taken off with tremendous acceptance from a lot of people around the world. People’s communication and faster access to things and people’s opinions could be enhanced through the technology of web conferencing that facilitates two or more people to discuss, display or share information on a particular subject or high priority. These web conferences are scheduled very conveniently with the facility of the lightening speed of the internet that can be accessed almost in every corner of the world today. In order to conduct a web conference effectively, a briefing on the seven basic steps could prove useful.
- Being informed and educated on the usage of the web conferencing tools, along with desktop sharing could be the basic necessity for all those who wish to be a part of the web meeting that is hosted by the product company.
- Before the host begins the web conference with his product presentations, he must emphasize on the objective of the online meeting as things become more explicit then.
- The web conference host must take care that while displaying the presentations, they have naturally convincing points and not something that seems like a camouflaged sales tone.
- Rehearsing the whole process before hand and anticipating the probable questions from the audience during the conference could help a lot in bringing quality to the presentation you wish to present live.
- Have an automatic generated survey form that could help you get a clear picture of what your audience opines on the presentation. This would help you gauge whether this method of promotion through an online web conference has really worked or not.
- Since one should be able to generate a client base, it is important that a follow up of the web conference is done to ensure that you haven’t ignored a seriously interested client.
- Make sure that you haven’t lured people into any hidden charges on the product. Being open and sincere with what you can offer is an ideal way to get people to be more open minded to your web conference.
Employing these tips with the right online meeting etiquette and could amplify your business tremendously.
Online Meeting Etiquette for Effective Decision Making
The code of conduct or etiquette for a formal meeting involves everything from your dress code, behavior, attitude and style of presentation. Meetings that are online today with less scope for people to see each other face to face surprisingly haven’t made things any different. The etiquette of having an effective meeting online is something all professionals must be acquainted with. These online business meetings demand certain behavior and by putting into practice the same, it indicates the respect you have for your co-employees present in the web conference that facilitates worthwhile outcomes and decisions. This indeed does justify the purpose of such meetings.
While in an online meeting it is advised that concentration should be totally on the topic that is being discussed without frequently being tempted to open other desktop applications. Since a computer could open scope for us to multitask between other applications and a web meeting, the very concept of doing so while in an online meeting is considered indecent or an undesirable etiquette. By doing so, there is a chance that you could get distracted from the main stream of discussion and may need clarifications on and off . This could send uncomfortable vibes to all the others participating in the web meeting. At times this irresponsible behavior could give people a feeling that you are disinterested or are not giving the issue genuine importance and thought it should get.
The meeting could happen in different ways. It could be a simple chat session amongst a group of people through the web conference facility or it could be a video conference where one gets to see the other especially if it is a meeting involving only two people. Video conference interviews are very common and an ideal way of knowing a person personally even if they are miles apart. While in an online meeting where people from different places communicate through the voice chat option, the basic etiquette for the listeners is to mute their own voice so that their mic doesn’t catch all the different sounds in their environment be it an office or home. This could cause disturbance in the thought flow of the individual who is speaking at the other end.
Following the required rules that could enhance the effectiveness of your online meeting becomes inevitable especially when the topic discussed aims at arriving at a substantial decision that could help. The World Wide Web consists of numerous softwares that could help you install the set up for a web conference. After installing one, you could run the executable file and get ready to be accessed and access all your colleagues on a web meeting that you could have scheduled. Numerous free softwares are available but to make the best choice, a survey could help. The mic, speaker, headphones, web cam and the basic conferencing software are the minimum requirements along with the best etiquette for an online meeting to take place effectively. Improvement in technology should in no way take a toll of our behavior or manners in any given situation.
10 Free iPhone Apps for On-the-Go Professionals
As much as I hate to say it, there are days where I live by my iPhone. Whether I’m dashing through an airport or roaming the streets of an unfamiliar city, my phone often becomes my lifesaver in a world of chaos.
Our Fuze Meeting iPhone app is just one of many tools I use to accommodate my on-the-go lifestyle. The app complements our web meeting software perfectly, integrating major features like desktop sharing, IM aggregation, full feature conference management, and of course, HD viewing! In a nutshell, this new application allows me to attend web meetings from virtually anywhere my iPhone gets service.
I thought I’d list out some of my other favorite free “on-the-go” apps:
• Easy WiFi – Connects your phone to the nearest AT&T Wi-Fi network hassle-free simply after entering your number.
• Around Me – Takes a current location and displays what’s in the area – restaurants, bars, gas stations, banks, and more. It even gives directions how to get there and lets you save the destination straight to your contacts.
• Melodis Voice Dialer – There are other voice dialers on the market, but this one’s free! Hold a button, say, “Call (insert name)” and there you go! Perfect for those of us who make a habit of making calls in the car.
• FedEx Mobile iPhone App – Let’s me keep track of packages coming in and out of the office, even when I’m not around.
• Readdle – Read a variety of business documents (books, MS Word/Excel files, PDFs) for free up until 512 MB. Once a document is viewed, it can be accessed later without the presence of an Internet connection. Very handy!
• Evernote – Let’s me take video, text, and photo notes, and sync them neatly with a desktop client on my Mac.
• ITalk recorder – A simple, free recorder that lets me recall conversations and audio notes to myself
• Remote Desktop Lite – Great for Mac users with a Windows machine. It lets me access my desktop (programs and documents) via iPhone. The only drawback is that it only currently supports XP machines. Sorry Vista users!
• ToDo List – Just like the name implies, this app is a simple ToDo list tracker that is a must-have for multi-taskers.
What’s your favorite app on your iPhone?
Life is too short… to NOT live in HD!
Everything is being marketed as HD these days – Broadcast TV, HD-Radio, Computers, Ad Displays and even Microsoft’s ZUNE player.
When our eyes resolve HD Resolutions and in a 16:9 aspect ratio, our peripheral vision is invoked; and the scientists tell us that at HD resolution in the 16:9 aspect ratio, we become converted from passive spectator to active participant. This means that we engage with our content. Interestingly, most HD marketing revolves around entertainment and passive activities, yet most of our day is spent enduring one after another business meeting.
Why then, shouldn’t our meetings be rendered in HD as well? If life truly is short, and we spend a good part of our existence on this planet in meetings, then why not live in HD all the time?
The FCC has mandated that the American broadcaster must transmit in HD. This is the law. So why then, shouldn’t our meetings deliver the same experience? And we don’t need the FCC to govern our meetings, we can let Fuze Meeting do the work for us.
(Written by our CEO while boarding a plane on his iPhone). Thanks Jeff, for the post!
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fuzemeeting: Doing your best to spare some air? Good job! Telecommuting also has it's headaches, though! http://fuze.me/9Sr #sparetheair
9/02/10 06:45PM
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