Verizon & Sprint vs. the iPhone.
How does your smart phone hold up in a web conference?

Posted by Fuze Meeting - Kristen

Since we recently launched the first ever web conferencing app for the Android, there’ve been some articles and such around the web, harking on the wonderment of mobile meetings. That said, AT&T, Verizon and Sprint all act a little differently when hosting a Fuze Meeting and we here at FM just wanted to make sure we passed off hints for your mobile meetings.

Let’s unpack this, shall we?

Miraculously, AT&T comes out the current winner on this one since their technology supports simultaneous voice and data transfer. This means that you are able to use data transfer (like the internet or Fuze Meeting) while being on a phone call.

Conversely…The CDMA technology used in Verizon and Sprint phones prohibits simultaneous data and voice streaming. Which means no matter how talented our engineers are (and trust me they are TALENTED), you just cannot be on a call and in a Fuze Meeting while the meeting is grabbing data from satellite.

There is a way around it!

As long as you’re around WiFi. You can actually log into the data stream via your WiFi connection. So, in order to participate in the visual AND audio parts of a meeting from your Verizon or Sprint phone, enable WiFi and Fuze Meeting will use your WiFi connectivity to transfer meeting data while you are on the voice bridge. If you do not have WiFi coverage available, or it is interrupted, then only one feature can be supported, and you will be disconnected from the web portion of the meeting – leaving you only on the call.
WAIT THERE’S MORE! VoIP (which will let you transfer audio AS data and will cut out the telephone portion all together) will be coming to your iPhone and Android phones later this year…thus solving the entire matter completely!

But until then – we realize you have meetings, you have requirements, you’ve got important things to talk about and we want to make it as easy as possible for you to get what you need. Hope this was helpful and let us know if you have any questions.

How to Upload Content to a Fuze Meeting

Posted by Fuze Meeting - Kristen

Hey y’all!

HOT off the YouTube presses, we’ve got a new tutorial for you. Most of our users have no problem with this one, but we’ve heard that a few of you could use a quick review. Enjoy!

Anything else you’d like to see? Let us know!

5 MORE Ways to Revel in Your Fuze Web Conference

Posted by Fuze Meeting - Kristen

What’s that you mean 5 more ways???Ah, well for a list of the first five – look here!

1)     Coming Soon – Remote Control – Control freaks rejoice!  Anyone screen sharing in a Fuze Meeting can now grant remote control to other meeting participants.  Remote control is great for technical support, interactive product demonstrations, remote training and more.

2)      Software Presentations –With Fuze Meeting, you can use the lag-free desktop sharing to showcase that product that you’ve been toiling over. And without having to travel to show it off, you can afford the time and the money to get it in front of zillions*. (*rough estimate)

3)      Review and approve work – Interdepartmental mail, FedEx and messenger services can take a back seat. Share and approve work online, you’ll save a day and a wad of cash on every approval. From xrays to high res image corrections; from in-process Powerpoint to HD video editing – you can keep you review process online and on time.

4)      Sync your team –  Fuze is great for internal team meetings, and with everyone’s schedules everywhichway, you can make your life a little easier. Cut out a step and use our Outlook plug-in to get your Fuze Meeting directly into their calendars.

5)      Have an impact and reduce your impact. $aves on travel and hassle, but it also saves this big blue planet. One round-trip flight between JFK and SFO (about 5K miles) adds up to about 2500 pounds of C0₂. That’s equivalent to 15% of one US home’s electricity use for an entire year!

5 Ways to Indulge in Your Online Meeting

Posted by Fuze Meeting - Kristen

Is Fuze Meeting better for individuals to present, train and sell, or would you say it’s better for collaborating among a team?

Well, yes to both.

Fuze Meeting is a great way to put your self in front of a crowd for any presentation no matter what the brilliant idea is that needs sharing. That said, businesses around the globe have found Fuze to be invaluable for syncing internal teams – their plans, their thoughts, their visions.

And that’s not all – here’s 5 ways that you can use Fuze Meeting to squeeze every ounce of juice from your work day.

1)      Internal Team Meetings – You’ve got a talented team. But one of them is in Boston, two are in Minnesota, and yet another is in Silicon Valley. Get ‘em all on the same page with a daily 20 minute online sync up. You’ll get more done and have fun doing it.

2)      Creative Pitches – Need to show off your sleek design work or next big campaign?  You’d better be using software with high res image and HD video capabilities. Hey. Have you heard of this great product called Fuze Meeting?!?! Make sure your work is presented the way it should be seen…in high resolution, including video, images and more.

3)      Conference Calls – Yep, use our super cheap telephony without even logging onto a meeting. Just dial into Fuze, enter your room number and you’re all ready to go! Does this mean that you can save even more money because you can cancel you cash guzzling conference call service? Yes. Yes it does.

4)      Sales Demos – Give sales presentations, demonstrate applications, and even review contracts online. It’s wicked easy for your attendees and taking the meeting online means that you get in front of more people, ace more pitches, and close more deals.

5)      Mobile Meetings – Don’t be shackled to your desk 24/7. Go to the App Stores and grab the fastest and slickest meeting in the industry for your iPhone, the only app that provides hosting capabilities from a Blackberry, and the ONLY web conferencing software available on Android devices. Are you an iPaddict? Well then sit tight because iPad meetings are just around the corner.

Annotator to Presenter to Host
Icon Explanation and More

Posted by Fuze Meeting - Kristen

Check it out! Per your requests, we’ve decoded all those funny little icons, trying our best to make your meeting experience as easy as possible. Actually, we went one step further and created am entire tour of the Web Attendees Box. Check out our very thorough presentation. You are able to view it in full screen mode by clicking on the menu option in the bottom left.

Anything else you need help understanding? Let us know in the comments! We’d love to make sure we’re helping you as much as we can.

How to Skype Into a Fuze Meeting

Posted by Fuze Meeting - Kristen

Hi Everyone, we noticed that one of our most highly trafficked blog posts was our single Skype post saying “FYI you can do it now”

And then the light bulb went off.

Skype can be a little tricky to use and there are probably people searching for a how-to lesson.

So – back with another tutorial, here’s our video tutorial on how to use Skype to get into  our web conference.  Even though Fuze meeting looks the same on any computer (because it’s browser based), Skype isn’t and is a little bit different on a Mac vs. on a PC, so we do a little section for each.

So check out our video! (more…)

3 Tips to Business Travel on a Budget

Posted by Fuze Meeting - Kristen

When I travel for business, do you know what really tickles my fancy? I enjoy being picked up at my mansion, chauffeured by my polite driver to my private jet whilst my porter handles the bothersome baggage. Then, while I’m reclining in my in-flight massage chair sipping Dom, I remember…that I’m dreaming.  Why? Because I work for a growing business…and sometimes, we need to learn how to travel on a budget.

I realize that this is a web conferencing blog and here’s the part where you’d expect me to say, forget travel! Use Fuze! Well. You’ve come to the wrong place for that one…because while online meetings save money, sometimes you’ve just got to fly.

But (there’s a but), there’s no reason that you shouldn’t be just as efficient with your dollar on the road as you are when planning the rest of your business.

Here’s 3 easy tips for keeping an eye on your dollar. (Your wallet will thank you.)

1. Help your business associates to plan in advance. It is obviously not news to anyone that booking flights in advance will save a buck, but frequently when you have to travel to meet someone, it’s not on their dime, so they don’t hear the cha-chings in their heads when you’re planning travel. If you plan in advance, you’ll save gobs AND you’ll let everyone see how organized you are.
2. Don’t eat where you sleep. Once you get to the hotel, I know it’s super convenient to pop downstairs to the hotel restaurant or order in but ooo-eeey, may as well just toss some greens down the toilet because it’s likely your most expensive option.
3. Rent a car but skip the extras. The truth is, your car insurance is probably going to give you just as much coverage as the one they offer at the car rental and your phone probably has GPS. The biggest money saver is to SKIP the full tank of gas. There’s almost no chance you’re going to run the tank dry just in time to return the car. Even at a reduced rate, you’re not saving much if you leave more than a gallon or two in the tank, so skip the pre-fill and pay for the overpriced gas  near the airport if you have to.

Got any money saving tips to share?

To Web Conference or to Business Trip? That is the Question.

Posted by Fuze Meeting - Kristen

Little did The Clash realize the implications for business meetings when in 1982 they posed that pivotal question: Should I Stay Or Should I Go-oh?

Being at a company that does online meetings, it’s funny how some people approach me at all my fancy parties and say something like… “well you JUST can’t replace a personal relationship and that’s why virtual meetings
just don’t work.”

Oh. Hey there, slippery slope. You’re lookin’ slick today!

Hold up. We’re the first to admit that sometimes a plane flight and a one-on-one meeting is just what the doctor ordered. However, we also recognize that there are quite a few people who are hopping on planes without really evaluating if it’s necessary for each particular meeting considering the cost and the consequences for the environment. I know…if it’s what you’ve “always done” it’s going to be a stretch to believe all this new(ish) technology can really cut the mustard.

So, before you cash in all your Starwood points or write off web conferencing completely, here’s a quick little guide to help decide when to stay and when to go-oh.

See, we get it. And way back in the research phase, we learned that even when budgets were tiny, one HUGE reason people still decide to travel is because sometimes seeing it on screen is just not clear, just not sharp and just not good enough.

Well, like a good neighbor, state fa I mean, Fuze Meeting alleviates some of that stress by offering digital collaboration in high resolution – you know, just to show off how hard you really did work on it.

What other kinds of meetings do you meet online for? What kinds of meetings do you always have in person?

New Fuze Meeting Feature:
Meeting Recording and Playback

Posted by Fuze Meeting - Kristen

Now that we’ve released a boatload of new functionalities, one of the most popular and most requested features is meeting recording and playback.

That’s right! Now you can preserve that huge productive meeting where you made the sale of your lifetime for-ev-er! You can share your high res pictures and video, record them in high res and watch them in high res to boot!

Now…HOW you ask? Well, don’t worry – we’ve got your back there, too! Check out our 2 video tutorials – one on meeting recording and one on recording playback. Just a reminder, recording is available only on the Premium and Pro accounts. (If you can’t live without recording, feel free to upgrade your account by clicking on ‘My Accounts’ in the upper right hand corner of the screen once you’re logged in.)

Part 1: Recording a Meeting

Part 2: Recording Playback

Was that helpful? What else would you like to see tutorials on? What could we do better?

Increase Web Meeting Payattentionability!

Posted by Fuze Meeting - Kristen

By now you’ve heard our 5 Tips on Hosting a Better Online Meetings (and then 5 more), but did you know that a few adjustments to your PowerPoint file can make it more online meeting friendly?

Let’s face it – any meeting can challenge even the most professional attention span, and when you host a meeting online, you lose the ability to dish out the stink eye if someone’s not giving you the affirmative “I’m with you” head nod.  Hence, here are quatro tips for sprucing up your presentation to enrapture even the most scatterbrained attendee.

1. Withhold each bullet point until you’re ready to talk about it. If you send out a PDF before a meeting, people are going to look at the whole thing and ask you about items on page 13 before you’re done with page 6. Hence, your decision to use web conferencing in the first place. Well, you can practice the same general idea in your virtual meeting as well. Keep their attention right where you want it by only serving up what you’re ready to talk about.
2. Flash bright lights in their faces AKA use slide transitions. You know it’s true! Flashing lights in someone’s face is a good way to get them to look at you. Even the simplest transition option changes the light levels coming from the screen, and could be just the trick to pull wandering eyes back on your presentation.
3. Change it up. As visually compelling as 38 slides of text in a uniform font size is, it’s not compelling at all. So change it up! Make titles bigger than the rest of the text or do some classy mixing of serif and sans serif. Throw in a color or use images (Note: be careful when using images and colors. Pink copy with a picture of a unicorn sitting on a rainbow will not inspire confidence.) Use graphs at any opportunity. It may seem unnecessary, but giving your attendees something different to look at throughout your meeting will keep their eyes on the screen.
4. Snip Snip. If ever there was a time to keep that presentation slim and sexy….the time is NOW. I repeat. The. Time. Is. Now. I mean, you should be keeping them to about 10 slides anyway but really…if you can slim it down, your attendees will appreciate it.

Had enough yet? No? Here’s a link to a pretty well known post from back in aught five on keeping VC presos to 10 slides. For something to be relevant on the interwebs for a whopping 5 years means it must be pretty legit.

See you in a few.