Adobe Connect review- A customisable Online Meeting Place
Adobe has been a pioneer with software technology. They have been synonymous with the concepts themselves with their stellar products. Adobe PhotoShop, Adobe Acrobat and Flash Player are some of the examples. Now, they are testing the waters with web conferencing solutions space with their new offering Adobe Connect. We will gather more information on this piece of software from Adobe.
Adobe has been a name that is synonymous with quality software solutions. Their new offering in the form of Web Conferencing tool labelled Adobe Connect has been receiving good reviews from various corners. Keeping in tune with the standards that Adobe has set for itself over the years, Adobe Connect has been a consistent winner of accolades.How do I get started with it?
Adobe Connect has a lot many features for setting up your meetings. In fact, it is one of the most customisable web conferencing tools currently available. It will let you make the meeting space that suits your liking.
Well, getting started with Adobe Connect is quite easy. If you do not want to pay for the packages right away, you can sign up for a trial account. And the steps involved in signing up for it are straightforward. You just need to provide your contact details and email ID. Answer a few basic questions about your business and that does it. There isn't any need to provide any payment information right now.
You will receive an email with your login details and password information along with the trial expiry date. You just need to login to the account. Remember to change the password to one of your own choices as soon as you log in for the first time.
The interface looks quite suitable for a corporate appearance. The grey and white combination makes it look a little comfortable and intuitive while carrying out the tasks. There are clearly laid out options to create meetings and accessing the previously saved work.
Setting up a meeting should not be an issue. There is a user guide to help you out in setting your first meeting up. It is quite easy. Just give a name to your meeting "room" add a custom URL. You can decide to let the system generate a URL. That's it! Your meeting room is set and ready to go.
Adding the participants is a little tricky, though. You can add registered users (provided you have saved them to your contacts), but inviting a non registered users will not be that easy. What makes it worse is that you have no clear documentation on how to do it.
To invite non Adobe users, you will need to copy the meeting URL and share it with the members through any of the channels like email, chat or social network.The Actual Meeting
The meeting screen is shareable. You can also set it so that the participants can share their screen as well. That is a well thought feature. Most of the other web conferencing solutions do not provide this option. One of the competitors , ClickMeeting allows only the presenter to share their screen. However, you will need to download a plug in to use the sharing service.
You can also make the participants enable their web cam. The number of video feeds that can be shared across in a meeting is unlimited - making it another feature that cannot be found in other providers. Most of the other service providers limit the feeds to a specific number.
When the meeting begins, you have access to a lot of features and chat icons. You get a wizard that pops up frequently to assist in joining the call, raising hands and view shared content. There are icons for agreeing, disagreeing or asking to speak softer or louder.
The on screen activity can be recorded. You can pause and resume the recording as per your needs. Help and support
Well, it has a plenty of those features to help you out while using the product. There are quick start guides and Getting Started tutorials both for the presenters and participants. Adobe Connect has a Help wizard and a user community to discuss and address your issues.
You can open a case if you run into any issues while using Adobe Connect by means of Chat option. You can also interact with them via Twitter to get help. There is no telephonic support available, though.
The website consists of a dedicated database with resolutions to most of the common issues you may come across while using the product. The site also has FAQ databases. Some distinguishing features
It is quite easy to use. You can set it up with an ease as it needs no downloads. Adobe Connect works through the Adobe Flash Player which almost computers and laptops have installed already. The participants can easily join just by clicking on the meeting URL shared with them.
It comes with the best in class security. There are adequate security features designed as far as authentication, data management and logging are concerned. No sensitive data is susceptible to a security breach. Packages
Adobe Connect offers you both monthly and annual subscription plans. Monthly subscriptions begin at $39.95 per month excluding the taxes. The plans provide unlimited online meetings for up to 15 participants.
The annual subscription plans will cost you $395 per year excluding the applicable taxes. That would mean a 15 percent saving on subscriptions. You can try before you buy. The trial plan lasts 30 days and is eligible for full support.Final Thoughts
Adobe Connect is one of the best web conferencing solutions currently available. It is one of the simplest and secure solutions from among the competing service providers. The best part of the service that sets it apart from the others is its fully customisable nature. Though there are certain issues concerned with inviting the non registered participants, as outlined above in the main article - the software provides a smoother functioning. Adobe Connect lets you quickly set up webinars or training sessions with the minimal set of preparations. Go get it today and share your experiences here.
Follow