Zoom Alternative for Collaboration

As todays workforces have become more remote the desire to have a fixed cost, all-inclusive collaboration tool has gained significant momentum. Having audio, web, and video conferencing at the disposal of your teams is important to keep them connected with each other and their constituents. Zoom has become a popular name in the industry by snapping up market share with their platform that offers handy features and is easy to implement. However, its not without it’s limitations and we would argue there are some other areas where it falls a little short. What we’d like to discuss is an alternative for this service that addresses some of these items. 

Hoot Meetings

The service we’re talking about in this case is Hoot Meetings. Maybe you’ve not heard of this solution because it is relatively new to the market, but it’s based on existing technology from Intrado who has been the industry for years providing many facets of the collaboration services. This is a video first solution with a seamless user experience that requires no downloads to keep you connected securely. It is specifically designed for collaboration using an intuitive interface that can bring together disparate technologies through app integration and interoperability from any end point. 

Why It’s Better

For starters it isn’t limited in it’s scope to just a meeting environment. It can leverage Intrado technology and integrate with partners to create an immersive true Unified Communications solution. This platform is designed with security in mind from the backend technology to the in-meeting controls. A layered approach gives Hoot the ability to encompass an audio conferencing solution with global reach at a fixed price so you can ensure everyone is heard. This avoids the “not included” or “additional charges may apply” scenario that can lead to extra costs. Hoot is built on the most current technology where other providers are updating old technology which can have it’s challenges. Using Hoot eliminates the need to go through an external proxy or rely on DNS which also eliminates the need for partner assistance and/or costs to make the connection via SIP. 

But what about the cost? 

What we’ve found is that providers like Zoom tend to offer a way to use their service for free or at heavy discounts only to change the pricing structure when users need a specific features that are important for how they use the service. Those extra costs can add up and become an impediment to making the best use of this collaborative technology. However, with Hoot it is made very clear what is included and what is not. This way we can identify the specific needs of users and tailor a solution with an appropriate pricing package instead of a one-size-fits-all approach. 

To sum it up 

While Hoot is clearly an alternative to Zoom It can even be used to augment your existing solution for times where Zoom doesn’t or can’t fit specific needs. There is an entire suite of Hoot services on the way which are being built using the robust suite of technologies that Intrado offers. Because it is built on proprietary technology in tandem with partners like Cisco and Microsoft it can implemented in a variety of ways depending on the need instead of an “out of the box,” “click to buy” solution. For better security, a more intuitive user interface, added features, improved interoperability, and a robust suite of services to enhance the UC experience Hoot can be a great fit! Contact Us today to learn more.