Free online web conferencing service Vyew launched earlier this year. Today, they’ve launched a new version that allows users to create “VyewBooks” to share, present, and interact with other people around content such as Microsoft Office files, pictures, audio and video.
The new version includes tools to facilitate the creation of new presentations and also supports a desktop view for live sharing of files, images, and web sites.
A widget-style tool “Vyewlet generator” allows content to be embedded on any website, a screencast tool of sorts that records collaborative work for demonstration elsewhere.
Henry Hon, CEO of Vyew compares the new version directly with competitors: “Vyew isn’t just another WebEx or GotoMeeting where information is communicated in a canned one-to-many format. Vyew is an enterprise-class social computing platform where people can also create, share, and participate with rich content in a many-to-many relationship, both in real-time and asynchronously over time.”
There are a lot of alternatives in this space and competing with the likes of WebEx and GoToMeeting is a challenge in itself. Vyew offers something a different a little different at a competitive price.
Previous TechCrunch coverage here.
Vyew has entered a pretty saturated market…it will be interesting to see what new features they can add to distinguish their product from the big boys.
I’m with Allen here but given that they attempt to do the same for less I think they stand a fair chance to at least be competitive.. given that they find a way to make some money somewhere to pay the bills
Yep, Vyew has some way to go before it can compete with the live web conferencing tool. Missing audio and video (teleconferencing option was not available outside US) are critical for live interaction. You will also need some kind of Java system to use the client (at least on one computer it kept saying “loading”). Inexpensive price is attractive, and ads for the free version are located okay – but bottom line is that Vyew still has something to catch up.
I tried several times, but could not get the desktop sharing function to work. May just be a hiccup or user failure, but I tried three times and nothing!
Vyew is a great alternative for small business. A user could set up a skype and vyew session to get around the audio. Ok, they are not integrated but not bad at all for free or a low monthly – especially when you compare it to the cost of a cisco or microsoft implementation.
I couldn’t create an account… kept saying “one or more fields missing.”
Mix Meeting offers full feature web conferencing on an uncommited basis for 5cpm with no minimum usage. It is web based with no large plugins needed, as a matter of fact no plugins needed to view a conference. Mix Meeting also provides audio conferencing at low rates as well, both domestic and international.
http://www.mixmeeting.com
I’m looking for something like this right now, will check out MixMeeting.com also. How does Yugma (also free) compare with these?
Jason Alba
CEO – JibberJobber.com
Losing your job sucks.
I’ve researched well over a dozen of these applications, even wrote a comparison of a few on my site (searching webconference you’ll find it).
I’ve decided against using any application that uses voice, most of the time it’ll just ruin the entire collaboration session. Just use skype, its the best VoIP out there.
Vyew is really nice, incredibly nice I must say. @ Workplays, you may have had just a one session problem, sometimes it does that to me. But, with Vyew theres nothing to download, its fast and very convenient to have your material always there, uploaded and ready for you.
(No, I don’t work for Vyew or make any money from them, just a happy customer)
when – you enter a market it –
– Make sure it isn’t full …..
-Rbowles
That chart would be great if it wasn’t all lies. Adobe Connect is way more powerful than this vyew stuff.
We switched to Yugma so we could use our MacBook Pro. It’s worked well for us. Great pricing.
How does it compare to ZOHO Meeting or dimdim? Did Tech Crunch forget its coverage of those?
We’ve tried a few collaboration software services for our needs. As a small business, we like the features that Yugma provides. It’s been easy to use for us and our clients. Plus I like the name Yugma (YOOOG-MA…reminds me of the Payton Manning commercial…”they’re not booing, they’re chanting Moooovers”) Great name.
Has anybody tried MeetFlex available at:
http://www.jhatak.com
I think it is the only free web meeting solution.
We have used MeetFlex and have it found it to be very useful to conduct instant web meetings.
Since it is based on a Java plugin it works in all browsers, even those which do not allow the activex plugins.
Besides since it is free web meetings, it helps a lot.
Just an FYI – Yugma is free for up to 10 users (once you have your account). It works on Windows, Mac and Linux (that’s what the site says). Hope this helps.
One thing we like MeetFlex is that it has no limitation on the number of users and the interface for the users who connect to the meeting is amazing.
MeetFlex lets many-2-many desktop sharing…which I think is our favourite feature.
We have been using MeetFlex since more than 6 months. The many to many desktop sharing feature is really good.
If anybody is interested in viewing Mix Meeting’s conferencing service, we are running demo’s between 8am-3pm CST Mon-Fri. Simpily visit the website and fill out a trial form. http://www.mixmeeting.com
Google acquisition candidate!!
Its a neat trick how yugma employees post comments pretending to be yugma users every time a conferencing article is written about someone else.
i wonder how they do it.
HA! this fake guy Harry, posted about jahtek flex thing a bunch of times.
He says its the “only free web meeting solution”!? what an idiot, does he not see that yugma, vyew and others are already free?
their website says “professional web meeting solution” ! funny, who are they trying to fool.
I couldn’t get screen sharing to work for me a couple of weeks ago. I went looking into the faq and it started to get kinda complicated. I might give it one more try
Interview with Rajeev Purnaiya : Founder of Hooeey
Webex themselves had purchased an Indian company – Cyberbazaar to grow, now they’ve been taken over by Cisco.
There is an interview by the founder of Cyberbazaar and ex- MD of Webex India, Rajeev Purnaiya with some more behind the scenes info…
http://www.losc...nder-of-hooeey/