The deal further solidifies Momentum’s position as the leading provider of collaboration services to customers across the country and opens the door for Dialogue’s audio client base to a greater variety of audio and video conferencing solutions and service enhancements.

“We are very excited to bring Dialogue audio conferencing customers into the fold, offering them the highest possible level of customer care and enhancing Momentum’s position as Canada’s leader in collaboration services,” says Frank Gorkis, Momentum president. “With organizations across the country continuing to utilize work-from-home operations, we are proud to be able to continue to support productivity for Canadian businesses and add Dialogue audio conferencing clients to the long list of satisfied Momentum customers.”

For Dialogue audio customers, there will be no change to their conferencing platform with all dial-in numbers, moderator and participant codes remaining the same. The Momentum team is currently reaching out to Dialogue clients to review their accounts, and ensure they have the necessary information to utilize the service going forward.

“We anticipate a seamless transition.” says Momentum CEO Steve Niven. “This deal allows Momentum to fully serve Dialogue’s audio client base with our vast set of solutions, dedicated account representatives and passionate customer service teams across Canada. Dialogue clients will be pleased to learn about the full range of services available to all Momentum customers including our 8 to 8 support infrastructure, detailed billing and click-to-play invoice process.”

ABOUT MOMENTUM CONFERENCING

Momentum Conferencing is a communication solutions company that partners with the leading conferencing service providers in the market, delivering best-in-class, state-of-the-art business communication tools. This means Momentum is not beholden to any one partner. Momentum consults with clients to determine the best possible solution, maximizing business efficiencies and delivering a proven lift to overall productivity and cost savings.

ABOUT DIALOGUE CONFERENCING INC.

Dialogue Conferencing Inc. is a Canadian audio-conferencing services provider offering services to North American customers of all sizes since 2004.

CONTACT

Momentum Conferencing

1-888-551-5925×2

clientservices@momentumconferencing.com

Momentum intégre la clientéle du service de conférence audio de Dialogue Conferencing

TORONTO – (1^er novembre 2021) Momentum Conferencing, l’un des grands fournisseurs de service de conférence au Canada, a complété son acquisition de la division audioconférence de Dialogue Conferencing Inc. Dans le cadre de cette entente, Dialogue a transféré la totalité des clients existants de son service de conférence audio (sans réservation et assisté par opérateur) à Momentum.

Cette transaction consolide la position de Momentum en tant que fournisseur principal de services de collaboration à ses clients partout au pays et ouvre la porte aux clients de Dialogue utilisateurs de conférence audio vers une gamme élargie de solutions en matière de conférences audio et vidéo, et de services améliorés.

« Nous sommes très enthousiastes à l’idée d’accueillir les clients du service de conférence audio de Dialogue et de leur offrir le meilleur niveau de service à la clientèle possible, tout en renforçant la position de Momentum en tant que leader dans le domaine des services de collaboration. » a déclaré Frank Gorkis, le président de Momentum. « Alors que des compagnies à travers le pays continuent d’opérer en utilisant la formule du télétravail, nous sommes fiers de pouvoir maintenir notre appui à la productivité des entreprises canadiennes et d’ajouter les clients du service de conférence audio de Dialogue à la longue liste des clients satisfaits de Momentum. »

Les utilisateurs du service audio de Dialogue ne verront aucun changement à leur plateforme de conférence. Les numéros qu’ils devront composer, les codes des modérateurs et des participants vont rester les mêmes. L’équipe de Momentum est actuellement en contact avec les clients de Dialogue pour passer leurs abonnements en revue et s’assurer qu’ils aient les informations nécessaires pour continuer d’utiliser le service.

« Nous nous attendons à une transition harmonieuse. » déclare le PDG de Momentum Steve Niven. « Cette transaction permet à Momentum de servir la clientèle de la division audio de Dialogue de façon intégrale avec notre vaste gamme de solutions, des conseillers dévoués et des équipes dédiées au service à la clientèle passionnées disponibles à travers le pays. Les clients de Dialogue seront heureux quand ils prendront connaissance de l’éventail de services dont les clients de Momentum disposent, y compris notre infrastructure de soutien 8×8, la facturation détaillée et le traitement des factures Click-to-Pay. » 

À PROPOS DE MOMENTUM CONFERENCING

Momentum Conferencing est une entreprise qui propose des solutions de communication. Elle travaille en partenariat avec les fournisseurs principaux de service de conférence présents sur le marché en leur procurant les meilleurs outils de communication de pointe. Cela signifie que Momentum n’a aucune obligation envers aucun partenaire. Momentum envisage avec ses clients la meilleure solution possible, maximisant l’efficacité de l’entreprise et contribuant à une augmentation démontrée de la productivité globale et à la réduction des coûts.

À PROPOS DE DIALOGUE CONFERENCING INC.

Dialogue Conferencing Inc. est un fournisseur de service de conférence qui travaille auprès des clients de de l’Amérique du Nord de toutes sortes.

CONTACT

Momentum Conferencing

1-888-551-5925×2

clientservices@momentumconferencing.com

-30-

The post Momentum brings Dialogue Conferencing audio-conferencing customers into the fold appeared first on Momentum Conferencing and Collaboration.

This shift in work environments brought about many positive changes, especially for businesses. Even before Covid-19, companies with remote work policies were reaping the benefits, with greater profits, lower turnover rates and higher rates of overall team happiness.

On the surface, workers benefitted too. Who wouldn’t welcome a reprieve from lengthy commutes and working out of their PJs?

In practice, however, circumstances have been less than optimal for many. Uprooted from their daily routines and workplace social social interactions, people have to adjust to the unique rigours of working from home. Not everyone is equipped to deal with this.

Working from home has revealed several hidden costs that businesses should consider. These include heightened security risks, increased financial burdens as well as some psychological and physical repercussions. Here are why these are important and what can be done to mitigate them.

1. Heightened security risks

When your team members are working away from the office, your company is more susceptible to security breaches. Without supervision, employees tend to use unsecure mobile devices on their personal network, leaving them vulnerable to hackers digging for sensitive information.

The statistics are revealing. Research shows that between March and July 2020, nearly half of companies experienced a data breach or security incident, with half of these attacks being caused by phishing attacks.

Outside of fraudulent emails and phone calls, collaboration tools have become a favourite access point for hackers. Considering how important these tools have become for out-of-office productivity, this is quite concerning. Between Q1 and Q4 2020, there was a 768% increase in remote desktop protocol attacks!

Why does this happen? Remote employees don’t always have immediate access to the IT team and forget to check in with them when they find themselves in a pickle. In the office, it’s easier to reach out and receive help.

The biggest culprit, however, is the lack of work from home protocols. For the sake of productivity and limiting expenses, many companies skip steps and put themselves at risk.

To avoid this, companies need to be more proactive – for example, have separate devices for personal and company use. Make sure that everyone is on the same page and aware of the risks when working remotely. Education is also key – here are some tips and best practices you can follow to protect your company’s privacy.

If you want to go a step further, it’s a good idea to invest in a paid VPN.

2. Increased financial burdens

When you’re working from home, it’s natural to assume that you’re saving money. Many employers seem to think so. With no commute, less is being spent on gasoline and lunches, to name a few expenses. But the reality is more complicated. Here’s why.

During the pandemic, many employees could not bring home equipment that they use in the office (i.e., monitor, printer). On top of that, they had to buy additional equipment to set up a home office, as not everyone had a dedicated space.

Combine these work expenses with your ongoing monthly costs (such as air conditioning) and it can all add up rather quickly. The worst part is that companies are not compensating workers for these additional financial burdens and instead, exacerbating the situation by slashing their paychecks.

The solution is two-fold:

• Companies should find ways to minimize a worker’s personal expenses when they’re on the clock. For example, provide them with a company phone instead of having them use their personal device for work-related calls. Provide reasonable deductions for home office expenses where feasible.
• Provide extra leeway or alternative solutions for unexpected variables such as internet outages. No one wants to be held responsible for lost productivity when the circumstances are beyond their control.

3. A psychological and physical toll

Not only is there a financial cost to remote work and collaboration, but there are ramifications for people’s physical and mental well-being.

Working from home has blurred the boundaries between our personal and professional lives, asking us to remain productive while contending with additional distractions (i.e., children). Finding a productive workspace where one can focus and be productive can be difficult.

Humans are social creatures and not automated machines – being physically separate from your colleagues leaves a void. Collaborative solutions, where you connect through video or a call, can only do so much.

Moreover, not everyone’s home setup is ideal when it comes to ergonomics, leading to physical discomfort. It’s not uncommon for people to report soreness in the back, shoulder and/or neck. After all, remote workers move less frequently than their office counterparts, the latter of whom walk to meetings, the washroom or chat with their teammates.

Left unchecked, we run the risk of burning out mentally and physically. The solution starts at the company level. Many organizations can take for granted how much working and collaborating remotely can impact their staff’s well-being. Here are some effective strategies for companies to follow and get their employees back to their most productive selves.

If you need help optimizing your out-of-office productivity or just choosing a remote collaboration solution, the experts at Momentum Conferencing have you covered. We are vendor agnostic and offer a wide range of options. Give us a call today or drop us an email.

The post Working remotely? 3 hidden costs that businesses overlook appeared first on Momentum Conferencing and Collaboration.

Hoot Meetings is one solution that we have been testing for our team internally at Momentum Conferencing. We really like how intuitive it is to use as well as a host of features that take it to the next level as a business collaboration tool.

With so many options on the market, how do you sift through and decide which collaboration tools to use? Every business has different needs and not all tools are created equally.

To simplify this process, we’ve highlighted five key features you need to prioritize when shopping for your next business meetings app.

1. Affordability without compromise

Online meetings and video collaboration are all the rage these days, with each provider trying to differentiate their offerings from the competition. Beyond offering the basic functionality to connect participants, many have built out added features, which has in turn driven up costs.

In this environment, it can be difficult for businesses, especially mid-sized and smaller ones, to find something that provides good value without breaking the bank.

There are affordable options out there that don’t sacrifice quality or features. For example, Hoot Meetings gives you almost everything you need at a fair price.

Starting at $17.99 per user (host) per month for the Lite plan on a three-year contract, all Hoot Meetings plans give you the essentials, from meeting archives, unlimited calling to 5GB of cloud storage for each user, with more as you move up the tiers. While there is no free option, the platform is continually updated with new features and performance improvements.

2. Don’t skimp on security

With the explosion of people working from home, many businesses embraced Zoom because of how quick and easy it is to use. However, that ease comes at a cost – security!

Ease of use is certainly important, but it should never come at the expense of security and peace of mind. Without strong safety and encryption measures, you’re putting your participants and company at risk – leaked information and unwanted guests to name a few.

If you’re looking for a secure solution, we recommend a platform built from the ground up with integrated security protocols across every facet of the experience, from account registration to in-meeting controls.

3. Ease of use & dependability

Your online meeting tool should be intuitive, allowing you to get in and engage without much hassle. We’re all busy and no one should be scratching their head trying to figure out where all the feature are and how to use them.

The best options on the market maximize usability. It should be easy to share your screen, navigate the platform, offer a variety of engagement choices and seamlessly integrate with calendaring and scheduling tools (such as Microsoft Outlook) to keep track of your sessions.

Beyond that, reliability can’t be taken for granted either. Your online meetings should just work. The last thing you need is inconsistent video and audio quality leading to unnecessary disruptions. If you’re in a remote or poorly connected region, we suggest looking into tools with network workarounds that compensate for this variability.

4. Keep everyone happy with accessibility

Your online meeting platform of choice should be accessible to everyone. For example, users should be able to use it on iOS or Android devices, without losing access to key features such as mute, video, speaker and call join/exit. It it can seamlessly integrate with other communication tools your business already has, that’s also a plus.

For example, Hoot Meetings offers significant flexibility. You do not need any plug-ins or downloads to login into a session. It also supports a single sign-on (SSO) for quick access as well as a no-client interface for a seamless experience.

5. Access to recording and archives

Personal or otherwise, sometimes people cannot attend a scheduled meeting. That’s why it’s important that your online meeting app can record sessions and send them to anyone who’s absent.

Beyond that, this feature allows you to review the session again and mark areas for improvement in future meetings – there’s always ways to deliver meetings more efficiently without going over the allocated time.

If you need more help choosing a business communication and collaboration solution, the experts at Momentum Conferencing have you covered. We are vendor agnostic and offer a wide range of options. For more tips on remote success, read our breakdown of the skills your workforce needs to succeed working away from the office as well as the strategies you can employ to deal with work from home fatigue.

The post Want to improve your remote communications? Top 5 features to look for in a business meetings app appeared first on Momentum Conferencing and Collaboration.

Under the new deal, Conferencing Link clients will have access to a higher level of customer care including dedicated account managers, enhanced customer support, extended global access numbers, as well as access to Wish Collaboration’s leading edge web conferencing and streaming services.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to provide our services to Conferencing Link’s customers and anticipate a seamless transition.” says Wish Collaboration President Frank Gorkis. “These new clients will be delighted with the full range of services available to all Wish Collaboration customer including our 8 to 8 support infrastructure, detailed billing and click-to-play invoice process.”

For Conferencing Link audio customers, there will be no change to their conferencing platform with all dial-in numbers, moderator and participant codes remaining the same, as well as access to their online reporting portal. The Momentum team is currently reaching out to Conferencing Link clients to review their accounts, and ensure they have the necessary information to utilize the service going forward.

The deal further establishes Wish Collaboration’s position as one of North America’s leading providers of collaboration services.

“We are proud to support productivity for Canadian businesses and add Conferencing Link audio conferencing clients to the long list of satisfied Wish Collaboration customers across North America,” says Frank Cianciulli, Chairman and CEO of Wish Group, Wish Collaboration’s parent company. “Collaboration tools have never been more important, and we believe Conferencing Links customers will quickly come to recognize the benefits of our enhanced levels of service.”

ABOUT WISH COLLABORATION:

Wish Collaboration is a communication solutions company that partners with the leading conferencing service providers in the market, delivering best-in-class, state-of-the-art business communication tools. This means Wish Collaboration is not beholden to any one partner. Wish Collaboration consults with clients to determine the best possible solution, maximizing business efficiencies and delivering a proven lift to overall productivity and cost savings.

MEDIA CONTACT

Peter Vamos
pvamos@wishgroup.ca

CUSTOMER SERVICE

1-888-551-5925×2

The post Momentum Conferencing Acquires Conferencing Link Inc’s Canadian Clients appeared first on Momentum Conferencing and Collaboration.

This is our third blog devoted to secure remote communications in the past few weeks. Security is a subject that is near and dear to our hearts because security has long been a central tenant of the services Momentum offers.

Today, we’re going to dive into free conferencing apps and why these may work just fine for yoga studios and having evening cocktails with friends while still adhering to “shelter in place” guidelines during the pandemic, but pose very real risks to businesses.

Recently, one of the world’s most popular video conferencing apps announced that those who use the video platform for free will no longer have encrypted calls. The reasoning is to support law enforcement agencies in the event the platform is used for malicious reasons. Interestingly, if you pay to upgrade, then encryption is included, so the motivation here is interesting and seemingly complex. But the net result is if you don’t pay, your data will not be encrypted.

What is Encryption?

Encryption is an algorithm that ensures data can only be read by specific recipients, and not accessed by random people, or other algorithms. End-to-End Encryption is the strongest form of encryption available.

If your data isn’t encrypted, someone could pull it off a Wi-Fi network with relative ease. This should concern everyone, particularly businesses exchanging information with clients.

This is the reason many government agencies, institutions, and earlier this year, businesses around the world abandoned popular free conferencing apps as quickly as they adopted them when the COVID crisis began.

Zoom, Google Hangouts, cell phones, and Skype calls do not feature end to end encryption. While it is unlikely the average person would need this level of security, when you consider classified government information or corporate strategies, you want to use a more secure platform. Here is a great article that summarizes Zoom’s ongoing struggles with security data integrity.

So, what are your options if you are looking for a conferencing platform that will meet your business’s security needs?

The most secure platforms are Cisco Webex and Microsoft Teams. Both effectively serve businesses, educational and health institutions, and government agencies worldwide.

Webex has a reputation for maintaining robust cybersecurity and offers a shopping list of security features, including the option of establishing E2EE in media streams for businesses that require this added layer of data security.

Microsoft has an internal rating system for the security of its products and has designated Teams to be Tier-D compliant, which means that it can adhere to the strictest government and industry security standards and legal requirements.

If you want to know more, Momentum Conferencing offers a range of collaboration tools including Cisco Webex and Microsoft Teams. Our team takes pride in working with clients to find the right collaboration tools to help businesses remain productive.

Let us know how we can help assure your business stays on track.

We are standing by and ready to assist @ 1-888-551-5925 x2 or clientservices@momentumconferencing.com.

The post The Danger of Free Conferencing Apps appeared first on Momentum Conferencing and Collaboration.

The deal further solidifies Momentum’s position as the leading provider of collaboration services to customers across the country and opens the door for Telemerge’s audio client base to a greater variety of audio and video conferencing solutions and service enhancements.

“We are very excited to bring Telemerge audio conferencing customers into the fold, offering them the highest possible level of customer care and enhancing Momentum’s position as Canada’s leader in collaboration services” says Momentum president Matthew Ley. “With organizations across the country rapidly moving to work-from-home operations, we are proud to be able to continue to support productivity for Canadian businesses and add Telemerge audio conferencing clients to the long list of satisfied Momentum customers.”

For Telemerge audio customers, there will be no change to their conferencing platform with all dial-in numbers, moderator and participant codes remaining the same, as well as access to their online reporting portal. The Momentum team is currently reaching out to Telemerge clients to review their accounts, and ensure they have the necessary information to utilize the service going forward.

“We anticipate a seamless transition.” says Momentum CEO Steve Niven. “This deal allows Momentum to fully serve Telemerge’s audio client base with our vast set of solutions, dedicated account representatives and passionate customer service teams across Canada. Telemerge clients will be pleased to learn about the full range of services available to all Momentum customer including our 8 to 8 support infrastructure, detailed billing and click-to-play invoice process.”

ABOUT MOMENTUM CONFERENCING:

Momentum Conferencing is a communication solutions company that partners with the leading conferencing service providers in the market, delivering best-in-class, state-of-the-art business communication tools. This means Momentum is not beholden to any one partner. Momentum consults with clients to determine the best possible solution, maximizing business efficiencies and delivering a proven lift to overall productivity and cost savings.

ABOUT TELEMERGE

Telemerge Canada provides on‑premises and cloud‑based video collaboration services to medium-sized and blue-chip corporations, as well as provincial government organizations. The company works to make secure video conferencing easy to adopt, use and optimize.

CONTACT

Momentum Conferencing

1-888-551-5925×2

clientservices@momentumconferencing.com

The post Momentum brings Telemerge audio-conferencing customers into the fold appeared first on Momentum Conferencing and Collaboration.

Encryption is an algorithm that ensures data can only be read by specific recipients, and not accessed by random people, or other algorithms.

Your digital credit card and banking information are encrypted to keep it safe when you use online banking, for example.

Summary

End-to-End Encryption is the strongest form of encryption available. Platforms we are able to offer your business, like Cisco WebEx, offer E2E Encryption as an option but also adhere to very strong industry-standard privacy and encryption standards.

Zoom Conferencing implemented a custom version of encryption which was found by Citizen Lab, a UK based security firm, to be extremely weak and could put your sensitive business data and communications at risk.

If it wasn’t encrypted, someone could pull it off a Wi-Fi network with relative ease, making the entire concept of the Internet, let alone online financial transactions, a very risky proposition.

Fraud and identity theft would be rampant. Encryption is a basic prerequisite for the use of the Internet.

According to Berty Technologies, a peer-to-peer messaging app, encryption can be likened to a kind of digital envelope that prevents the data placed in this envelope from being read, with the exception of senders and recipients.

There are two basic types of encryption.

One is encryption in transit, the kind where transmitted data between a device – such as your mobile phone – and a server – such as your internet provider – are secured along the way. But the service provider has access to the unencrypted data, and you have little choice but to trust that your service provider will protect it.

The second form is end-to-end encryption. With this type of encryption, data are encrypted between you all the way through to the person you are communicating with, meaning that intermediaries such as your service provider cannot access it; only the sender and the recipient can.

For this to work, two unique codes (or keys) need to be embedded with the data, one to encrypt the data and a second to “decrypt.” In other words, if the data is accessed along the way, it cannot be opened by anyone (or anything) but the user for whom it was destined.

This is why so many government agencies, institutions and businesses around the world abandoned the popular Zoom app as quickly as they adopted it.

It may be hard to remember that Zoom was not a well-known virtual conference option in the enterprise space only a few short weeks ago.

Then, seemingly overnight, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the global move to work from home, it became the go-to platform to hold lessons, business meetings, and sensitive discussions.

The number of daily users exploding from 10 million to 200 million from December to March.

Zoom has been aggressively marketing its services, and because so many users found themselves at home needing to quickly establish communications channels, they began setting up easy-to-use Zoom accounts.

This kind of thing would generally no pass muster with most self-respecting IT departments, but we all know how quickly things have moved these past few weeks. So, clearly important procurement processes were short-circuited to get people up and running from home.

As the service’s popularity has surged, Zoom security has come under close scrutiny and exposed it for a variety of issues including the phenomenon known as Zoombombing, the unwanted disruption of video conference calls by posting inappropriate materials, as well as questions about its claims to feature E2EE.

On March 31, the Intercept reported that Zoom, in fact, employs encryption in transit, which means that user information can be accessed at the server level. For individual users, this is not a big deal.

Google Hangouts, cell phone and Skype calls, for example, are not E2EE and it is unlikely the average person would need this level of security. But when you consider classified government information or corporate strategies, you want to use a more secure platform. The threat was further highlighted when it was revealed that Zoom data was “mistakenly” routing some user data through servers in China.

Zoom has pledged to fix security and privacy issues, and some features have already been rolled out including updated passcode protocols and the removal of code that sent user data to Facebook. But many issues, including E2EE, have yet to be addressed.

So, what are your options if you are looking for a conferencing platform that will meet your business’s security needs.

Probably the best platforms when it comes to overall security are Cisco Webex and Microsoft Teams, which both effectively serve businesses, educational and health institutions, and government agencies worldwide.

Webex has a reputation for maintaining robust cybersecurity and offers a shopping list of security features including the option of establishing E2EE in media streams for businesses that require this added layer of data security.

While Teams’ E2EE status is vague, it does have an internal rating system for the security of its products, and has designated Teams to be Tier-D compliant, which means that it can adhere to the strictest government and industry security standards and legal requirements.

If you want to know more, Momentum Conferencing offers a range of collaboration tools including Cisco Webex and Microsoft Teams. Our team takes pride in working with clients to find the right collaboration tools to help businesses remain productive. Let us know how we can help assure your business stays on track.

We are standing by and ready to assist @ 1-888-551-5925 x2 or clientservices@momentumconferencing.com.

The post What is End-to-End Encryption and Why It Matters? appeared first on Momentum Conferencing and Collaboration.

Much of the coverage is concerned with questions of encryption/data security, criticism for routing some user data through servers in China, as well as an issue that has ubiquitously become known as “Zoombombing” – an occurrence where uninvited attendees break into and disrupt meetings with hate-filled or pornographic content.

This has left many businesses rightfully concerned.

Depending on which web collaboration tools you subscribe to, there are different features you can enable to ensure that your meeting is as secure as you want it to be. End-to-end encryption, conference lock, waiting rooms, invite-only meetings, and meeting passcode enablement are among the features that assure higher levels of security for your virtual meetings.

Audio Conferencing

Momentum audio-conferencing accounts are protected by two passcodes (Host and Participant) which are tied to the number set. The probability of someone hacking into one of your calls by guessing those combinations is 1 in more than 10 million. In other words, highly secure.

On top of this, there are several features embedded in your existing service to assure that your calls have the highest possible level of security.

1. Conference Call Viewer or Integrated Web-Conference Tool – Using one of our web collaboration platforms or conference viewer tools, allows you to see the identity of each participant on your call, and even allows you to kick people out.
2. Conference Lock – Once all invited participants are present, you have the option of locking the conference to ensure that no uninvited guests can attend.
3. Scramble Your Participant Codes – You can also change your participant passcodes periodically using your online administration platform.

What about our web and video conferencing platforms?

At Momentum Conferencing, we offer a wide range of web collaboration tools including Global Meet 5, Unified Meeting 5, CISCO WebEx, and Adobe Connect Pro. Each product has been vetted for security and feature industry-standard 128 bit or better encryption. 

What about my larger events?

A lot of the ZOOM meeting issues have occurred because large-scale communications events have been interrupted by hackers or Zoombombed. When conducting large scale, company-wide events or mission-critical stakeholder communications, we recommend using event services platforms that offer added levels of authentication and security. 

Our Events Partner, The Streaming Network, recently published this article on securing virtual events that dives deeper into this topic here.

For any questions about the security of the service you are subscribed to or to get information about what services are available, please contact client services 1-888-551-5925 x2 or clientservices@momentumconferencing.com.

The post What you need to know about security with your Momentum Conferencing account appeared first on Momentum Conferencing and Collaboration.

Some of us have been doing it for a while – this video chat thing. Others, unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 crisis and the need to set up our businesses to work from home, have been thrust suddenly into having to get on video conferences out of necessity or through an understanding that connecting with coworkers is more engaging if we can all look each other in the eye.

One thing you probably can’t help but notice is that sometimes your face on a webcam is somewhat less than flattering. Whether you’re a video conferencing veteran or newbie, there are likely some best practices that you have not considered which can, literally, help put you in a better light.

With that in mind, and help from popular video platform Wistia, here are some tips and tricks that should help significantly improve your appearance when using a webcam.

RAISE YOUR WEBCAM

Ideally, you want the lens of your webcam to be level with your eye line (or even slightly above it). Chances are you’ve got a stack of books around, or even an old box. Place your laptop on top, make some adjustments, and you should be good to go!

GIVE YOURSELF SOME HEADROOM

Position yourself about an arm’s length away from the screen, and make sure you leave a bit of space between the top of your hair and the top of the frame. In the video production world, this space is called “headroom.”

ALWAYS FACE YOUR LIGHT SOURCE

If you have an obvious light source near you (like a window), be sure to always keep it in front of you, not behind you. When introducing yourself to a new client, it’s best if you don’t look like a mysterious shadow with no eyes. But seriously, light is a beautiful thing. Use it to your advantage.

If you don’t have a window, or if you’re conferencing at night, don’t just rely on overhead lights. If you happen to have an external monitor, place it right behind your laptop, and use it as a light source – a white background or zooming in on a white image will work best.

REMOVE CLUTTER FROM BEHIND

This one seems intuitive, but it’s easy to forget. Home offices can get messy, and sometimes you might leave a dirty plate or glass on a table behind you. Don’t distract your audience with clutter in the frame – a quick cleanup can do wonders.

AUDIO IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS VIDEO

Audio can be tricky, especially if you’re in a larger open space. Try your best to distance yourself from any background noise. Of course, the other issue many of us are currently having to deal with: family at home making noise within earshot. If you truly can’t escape the brouhaha, then plug in some headphones with a built-in microphone. With the mic closer to your mouth, your voice should cut through the noise more clearly.

LIGHTING TIPS:

NATURAL LIGHT

Natural light is soft and flattering. When positioned in front of you, such as in this image, it will limit shadows on your face and provide you with a good webcam image.

USING LIGHTS FROM YOUR HOME OFFICE

If you are going to use lights from your home office, ensure they are in front of you. If you only have one light that works, position it directly behind the webcam and focus it on your face.

IDEAL WEBCAM SET UP

By using a combination of natural light from the window and lights both on your left and right sides, you will have good coverage.

WEBCAM RECOMMENDATIONS

Finally, you may want to consider these webcams to crank up the production value of your next video conference a few more notches.

• Best High End – Logitech Brio
• Best Bang for your Buck – Logitech C922
• Best Webcam with a light built-in – Razer Kiyo

The post Webcam Tips to Assure You – Literally – Appear in the Best Light appeared first on Momentum Conferencing and Collaboration.

Yet, while many businesses across the country have moved to telecommuting, most of the transition has been on the fly without long-term planning or even a clear understanding of the necessary processes required to assure productivity.

So how do you set up a productive teleworking operation and what should it cost?

In many organizations, particularly in the tech space, working from home is already a normal part of business operations either part of the time or, increasingly, as a central tenet of work life. 

Making it work requires a little more effort to keep your team feeling connected.

In an office, those connections happen organically as coworkers come face-to-face throughout the day in all kinds of planned and unplanned interactions.

But with a little planning and forethought, you can build a strong sense of community, and create a productive team atmosphere.

One suggestion is to get everyone on your team to participate in daily or twice weekly video calls early in the day. Team video calls with coworkers and managers will be as important as ever for productivity and feeling connected. 

Central to this is licensing an all-in-one collaboration platform. Whether facilitating collaboration between team members or presenting to clients, an all-in-one audio, web and video conferencing solution that is reliable and secure, will have you covered for a range of business needs. 

The software should be easy to use and have a clean interface that makes it simple to enter, run, and participate in meetings.

Features should include HD video, screen sharing, and meeting recording. Leading systems can also be used as conference calling services, with meeting participants connecting by phone instead of a computer. It should also be able to host online meetings or calls with over 100 participants. 

While that’s a good start, there is a range of tools that you should consider to round out your work-from-home operations, including file sharing, project management, and group messaging tools. 

Below is by no means an exhaustive list, but hopefully a useful tool to keep you in the right direction as you round out a productive work-from-home structure.

Web and Video Conferencing

GlobalMeet

GlobalMeet is a versatile solution that covers traditional phones, Internet calling, and robust video collaboration tools utilizing mobile and desktop applications and multiple connection options.

• Pricing
  • Basic license – Free
  • Standard license – $16/user/month
  • Premium license – $32/user/month

Alternatives include Empower Web Conferencing, Adobe Connect, and Cisco WebEx.

Team Messaging

Slack

Slack offers many chat features, including persistent chat rooms (channels) organized by topic, private groups, and direct messaging. It even has an option to call team members from your mobile device.

• Pricing
  • Standard license (for small and medium-sized businesses) – $8 USD/user/month
  • Plus license (for larger businesses or those seeking advanced administration tools) – $15 USD/user/month

Alternatives include Skype for Business and Microsoft Teams.

Virtual Events

Engage Webinars

Engage Webinars was built on the backbone of enterprise webinar technology but packaged at a mid-market price point.

• Pricing
  • Standard – $399/month
  • Premium – $699/month
  • Professional – $899/month

Secure Cloud-Based File Sharing:

Google Drive

Google Drive is a file storage and synchronization service that allows users to store files on Google servers, synchronize files across devices, and share files.

• Pricing
  • 15 GB – Free
  • 100 GB – $2.79/user/month
  • 200 GB – $3.99/user/month
  • 2 TB – 13.99/user/month

Alternatives include OneDrive and Adobe Creative Cloud.

Employee Time Tracking

Harvest

Harvest is an easy-to-use time tracking app that integrates with iOS and Android, allowing managers to send reminders to team members to submit timesheets, track billable and non-billable hours across the company, analyze data, and send invoices from the app.

• Pricing
  • Pro – $12/user/month

Alternatives include Toggl, Everhour, ClickTime and Dashable.

Project Management

Basecamp

Basecamp is a web-based project management tool featuring to-do lists, milestone management, forum-like messaging, file sharing, and time tracking.

• Pricing
  • $99/month

Alternatives include Trello and Monday.

For best practices on creating your own business strategy, download our Business Continuity Plan (BCP) Blueprint.

The post What Are The Costs To Set Your Team Up To Work From Home? appeared first on Momentum Conferencing and Collaboration.