Online Meetings Through Social Networks

Google+ and its hangouts feature

Hangouts is a feature that’s part of the Google+ services and allows you to create virtual meeting places called hangouts. Hangouts has several nifty tools that allow you to communicate simultaneously. For instance, there’s the chat feature that allows group chatting to occur concurrently. You can share your desktop screen with the other members of the hangout and that allows them to view exactly what you are viewing on your own screen, allowing you to easily make presentations without the need for any additional tools. The hangouts are also integrated with Google Docs, the online cloud storage feature available to all Google app users. You can initiate a document within the hangout, if needed, right from the options available near the chat window.

Facebook with its video calling services

Facebook has been touted as the number one time waster for productive environments, but that could all change with the introduction of video calling feature. Facebook Video Calling is the result of the collaboration of Facebook with Skype‘s excellent video calling and conferencing software. The video calling option has been integrated with the chat window directly, and allows you to make a video call with anyone who is on Facebook, and has set up a video camera and a microphone. If the call recipient has not yet set them up, Facebook prompts them to do so after notifying them of your invite for the video call.

Apart from the above-mentioned online apps, Calliflower is another online app that comes to mind. It allows for conference calling and document sharing, and supports not just the PC platform but is also compatible with the iPhone.