Best video calling apps for all those forced to work from home

As the coronavirus continues to spread state governments are shutting down all places which allow public gatherings and that includes offices.

As 125 people have infected and several others are under observation and quarantine. To control the spread, several companies asked their employees to work from home temporarily.

If you are working from home, it is important to stay connected with your colleagues and video calling is a good tool to help you communicate without having to go out. In an unprecedented move, the eight countries of SAARC recently held a web-summit to work on a strategy to contain coronavirus.

Best video calling apps to use during coronavirus

These are the apps that will help you stay connected to your friends as well as colleagues.

Zoom

Zoom is a popular video conferencing software and supports up to 1,000 participants and limits group sessions to 100. To help users during the coronavirus outbreak, Zoom removed time limits from the free accounts in the affected regions. It is also allowing schools to hold classes.

Platforms – Windows, Mac, Android and iOS.

Microsoft Teams

Teams, a popular productivity tool from Microsoft has a host of features that help you work together with your team. Due to the coronavirus, the app saw a surge in use and Microsoft announced that the premium version of Teams will be available for free for the next six months.

Platforms – Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS.

Cisco WebEx

WebEx offered by Cisco is available in free and paid tiers. It offers HD video calling and various collaboration tools such as screen sharing and personal rooms to help you connect with your team. The free tier allows you to hold meetings in HD with up to 100 participants.

Platforms – Windows, Mac, Android and iOS.

Google Hangouts Meet

Google Hangouts Meet allows teams to easily collaborate while working from home. It is a part of Google’s G Suite and supports up to 50 participants with a fairly good video quality. Google announced that Education customers globally will get access to advanced features of Google Hangouts Meet for free till July 1.

Platforms – Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS.

Skype

While most features of Skype for Business have been moved to Microsoft Teams, Skype is still useful for small teams to connect easily. It allows group calls of up to 50 persons at once.

Platform – Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS.

Others

Apart from these, you can also use FaceTime, Google Duo, WhatsApp video calls and Facebook for quick video calls.

See also:

Coronavirus in India — a visual guide to how the Covid-19 infection is spreading in the country

Tips to work from home during the coronavirus outbreak

The impact of coronavirus carnage on Radhakishan Damani’s portfolio