There are several tools which can be easily and successfully utilized in an online setting to both collaborate and communicate. Most of these online communication tools for business are only utilized in real-time settings. This is why they heavily depend on various media such as auditory and visual, can be faced with numerous accessibility barriers and might have complex interfaces.
Communication tools include any tool (offline or online) that helps you understand others and be understood. Team or interoffice communication tools include familiar tools like mail, email, and phones, as well as apps and software for web conferencing, screen sharing, sharing files, group messaging, and collaborative work management. These are the same stats that have bought so many different types of communication tools and apps in action. From in-person meetings, group discussions, file sharing, and online video conferencing, there are tons of productive business tools out there that make team collaboration easier than ever. Communication tools include any tool (offline or online) that helps you understand others and be understood. Team or interoffice communication tools include familiar tools like mail, email, and phones, as well as apps and software for web conferencing, screen sharing, sharing files, group messaging, and collaborative work management.
Best Online Communication Tool
- Free for up to 100 Participants
- Fluent Group Video/Audio/IM Chat
- Screen Sharing and Annotation
- Whiteboard and Collaboration
- Record and Playback
The different types of online communication tools are as listed below:
Video conferencing
Video conferencing services have developed to become one of the top types of online communication tools. Businesses benefit from video conferencing through meetings. This is because meetings allow for the discussion of business progress and the collaboration of ideas. Video conferencing software such as ezTalks Cloud Meeting allows for arrangement of meetings regardless of the physical location of a member thus good for emergency cases. This means that video conferencing guarantees a speedy redress of business concerns and increased productivity. Effective online communication tools for business like video conferencing has the following benefits:
●It enables immediate meetings and short notice meetings.
●It facilitates collaboration without an individual having to leave their office.
●It is very cost-effective.
●It allows for multi-point meetings based on various time zones.
●It allows for real-time concessions.
●It facilitates non-verbal communication.
Video conferencing software such as ezTalks Cloud Meeting only needs the user to have a camera and a microphone so as to communicate online.
Chats
Chats can be described as online text conversations that happen in real-time. The 3 ways of conducting chats include the following:
●Internet relay chat – Users of IRC employ an external program (a client) in order to create a connection with an IRC server. This means that the accessibility of an IRC mainly relies on the client’s accessibility. This tool is mostly used by a technical audience.
●Instant messenger – This is a downloadable messaging program that people use to communicate. Examples of messenger include AOL Instant Messenger and MSN Messenger. Instant messaging has become a more reliable online communication tools for students, especially with the latest generation. Instant messenger software usually requires users to create a nickname and an account. Communicators are heavily used to facilitate private chats, this is in different forms like phone services, file and video exchange and of course messaging.
●Web-based chat – These are online chats which are accessed via a normal browser. A good example is the chat feature that Gmail has put in place. Usually, a portion of the screen or even the entire screen refreshes on a regular basis. Web-based chats are very accessible today because the output is HTML.
Whiteboards
Interactive whiteboards are among the most recent types of online communication tools. Whiteboards are popular online communication tools in education. They are beneficial as they allow users to write, draw and even collaborate with the help of an interface which simulates an actual physical whiteboard.
Whiteboards require users to have a mouse in order to add some content. Most, if not all the content in an electronic whiteboard is created in real-time and graphical. Whiteboards have become the top online communication tools in education because of their features aid in learning.
Forums
There are several ways by which online forums are referred to as, these are discussion groups, discussion boards, bulletin boards and just forums. They can be described as places where all users are allowed to post either comments or post questions. Other users of the forums are permitted to post replies to posts so as to create a kind of online discussion. The posts from the discussion are properly stored to be chronologically sorted out in a bid to form threads.
These online forums are all keyboard accessible. Avatars, emoticons and images all require alt text that is appropriate. Forums as online communication tools utilize inaccessible CAPTCHAs for registration, these function to keep out spammers and bots. Forums are insightful online communication tools in education as they contain a lot of valuable information.
Voice over IP
Voice over IP also known as VoIP is a term that is used in reference to a voice conversation which is conducted over an internet connection rather than over the traditional phone line. Various large organizations utilize VoIP in place of the conventional phone line. It should be noted that it is very possible to make Voice over IP calls over a computer but with either handsets or a USB headset. VoIP calls are purely audio-based. Some good example of VoIP as an online communication tools for business are Skype, ezTalks, Whats App, etc.
Electronic mail or email is among the old online communication tools. It allows users to transfer photographs, send files and receive news from any part of the world. This online communication tool is broadly utilized for public communication, particularly in mailing lists.
Communication Tools Definition
The list above is not exhaustive as there are other basic online communication tools such as websites, newsletters, web 2.0 and even social networks.
The internet has availed a good number of new mainstream communication tools that has revolutionized things. This is because the different types of online communication tools have greatly reduced the time spent in creating and delivering messages.
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While businesses move to virtual spaces, they now not tied to physical locations and meetings that are face to face. Also, those people who depend on meeting at a specific location are now adapting to use resources that are more of freelance and virtual teams. Many virtual team tools have come up to assist world businesses to be able to handle their virtual teams, thus saving time and also money.
Incorporate your messages with virtual team communication tools to maximize the communication of your team around meetings. The tools' main aim is to simplify communication in business by making means to share files, comment on posts of team members, collaborative meetings and ensure that content and also conversations are organized.
1 Google Hangouts
This virtual team communication tool offers services of video calling which is like Skype video conference call. Unlike Skype, Hangouts does not charge anything for Google video calls for groups. There are also some few apps that are incorporated which makes it possible for members to watch videos on YouTube, work on a document (Google) or make drawings with Cacoo together. Team members can also share documents by combining Google Hangouts together with Google Drive.
Hangouts while live allows team members to concurrently watch a channel on YouTube to create an archive of the members' Hangouts. Though, do not forget to privatize the videos if it’s not a problem to share the meetings with team members.
2 ezTalks Cloud Meeting
This is without a doubt one of the best collaboration tools for virtual teams. It does almost the impossible by assisting members to connect from everywhere around the world. It gives plans and services that are very useful to meet the requirements of virtual teams. The virtual team can choose a plan that will serve their needs perfectly.
Features:
•Works great with Windows, iOS, Android, and MAC.
• Support up to 100 members to collaborate during the same time without any charges for forty minutes.
• Empowers five hundred members to collaborate concurrently with no time limit.
• Combine audio conferencing and video conferencing (HD) and also web conferencing.
• Supports content and desktop sharing via screen, interactive whiteboard sharing, recording, annotation and playback.
• Supports remote control, reporting and user management.
ezTalks Cloud Meeting is among the most popular virtual team collaboration tools. Its services are not charged for the starter plan. Your virtual team can connect with up to 100 members at a time and also gets services that are uninterruptedly resulting in the capability of being more productive.
3 Slack
This is a brilliant virtual team collaboration tools for a virtual team that are willing to keep in touch all the time. It can increase the productivity of the team by setting notifications and making channels (slack). With it, teams will achieve a better and comprehensive of the whole tasks or projects.
Communication Tools Aac
Features:
• Set up notifications and reminders.
• A virtual team can chat and communicate.
• It can incorporate with Dropbox and Google Drive to the relocation of files.
• Considering it contains chatting features, it also comes with shortcuts which assist increase your team`s productivity.
4 Skype
Eye contact is always important during any conversation. During earlier times, you spent a lot of time and resources in order to get or organize business meetings or when you wants to meet with a friend. However, now you can use Skype and have video conversations if you have an internet connection. Various conversations, messaging instantly, transferring of files, previous conversations, and other feature make Skype popular around the world.
Your virtual team members just need to install the app and register accounts with free of charge. They can enjoy the features that come with Skype. They do not have to invest heavily and will enjoy SMS and calling services all around the world. In business communication, giving Skype ID is as common as giving one`s phone number to a client and as a businessperson, this virtual team tool is good for your virtual team.
5 WebEx Meeting Center
This ensures the virtual team is productive as well as collaborative at anytime and anyplace using any gadget or video system with WebEx. This virtual team tool assists your virtual team with corporate video, fast decision making, sharing of content and videos, and it also saves money and time.
Features:
• Simple to connect with any other video system.
• Make faster the processes of your business and enhance productivity.
• Collaborate in one conference video and audio.
• Share screen, apps and also documents.
• Allow you to gather flow of work which is the best for the members.
6 Dropbox
Sharing and exchange of files is something that is popular in most businesses which is accompanied by quite a number of obstacles, like cashing of hard drives and other technical reasons. Dropbox, Inc comes with a solution to these problems. A file holding service that is cloud-based has been created.
This enables your virtual team to create special folders on a number of computers and sync them with the Dropbox service (online). Members only require reliable Internet and install the app. Members can also share files with other people by just handing them a special link which makes business easier.
7 TeamViewer
This virtual team tool supports online meetings, transferring files among team members, making this product unique. Team members can enjoy remote reboot function and cursor functions, resolution of the screen, scaling of adjustments and settings for video and audio. A number of functions bring presence effect to participants if managing a virtual team.
8 Scoro
This is among the simplest and easy virtual team collaboration tools to use, it has the feature that can assist with billing and collaboration to project planning. This tool provides a lot features which help virtual teams manage all their finances and projects, tasks, project and client base.
Features:
• It has reminders and notifications.
• Management of tasks and projects.
• Automatic invoice and billing (monthly) template.
• Tracking of time and billing.
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