Implix, an online marketing and e-business service provider, Monday launched its cloud-based ClickMeeting and ClickWebinar services, aimed at SMBs.
The two services are based on Implix's ClickMeeting platform, which runs on the company's own cloud network. "ClickMeeting helps small and medium-sized companies (SMBs) increase productivity and accelerate decision making in order to compete more effectively with larger players,” the company said.
ClickMeeting can be used to set up on-the-fly web-based meetings and conferences for as many as 25 participants. ClickWebinar can be used to provide live video conference streaming for 100 to 1,000 attendees.
The ClickMeeting platform includes event management, such as invites, auto-reminders, document uploads, and meeting updates; videoconferencing and VoIP audience conferencing; desktop document and application sharing, as well as real-time whiteboarding; and polling. Meetings can be managed from an administrative panel, including managing presenters, audience interaction, and desktop sharing.
ClickMeeting also lets companies have a "lobby" area, which "will allow your attendees to log in and wait for you. If the maximum number of the attendees has been reached, Lobby will let others wait should a spot free during the event."
In addition, ClickMeeting allows companies to custom-brand and control session look-and-feel logos, graphics, colors and fonts.
ClickMeeting does not require any additional software other than a browser with Adobe Flash Player. Audio users will need a headset or speakers; two-way audio users will also need a microphone. In terms of bandwidth, Implix recommends that presenters have at least 1Mb/s and attendees 512kb/s.
T.J. Keitt, an analyst at Forrester Research, said, "Cloud-based conferencing lets SMBs hold virtual meetings and events without investing in premises hardware other than users' PCs."
For an SMB, Keitt said, "Implix's pricing is a good match for SMBs. There are already a number of companies offering web conferencing for this marketplace at reasonable prices, like free ones like DimDim, as well as others targeting this market, like Citrix GoToMeeting and IBM LiveMeeting. These can be good for marketing and sales presentations to customers, and other meetings. Where higher-quality or greater “presence” is wanted, there are broader collaborative toolsets which can involve on-site displays and codec/gateway hardware, for telepresence and teleimmersive meetings."
Annual pricing plans range from $29.99 per month for unlimited online meetings for up to 25 attendees to $199 per month for unlimited webinars of up to 1,000 participants.
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