With the rising demand for remote working changing companies around the globe, team collaboration tools like Slack, Cisco Webex, and Zoom are growing increasingly popular.
These all-in-one tools provide an easy-to-use environment for team members that need to stay connected in the virtual world. With the right collaborative tool, you can enhance the productivity and performance of your teams via everything from video conferencing to instant messaging.
The trouble is, when every available tool offers its own range of unique benefits, it’s often difficult to decide which service you should invest in.
For instance, how do you choose between Microsoft Teams and GoToMeeting, when both tools can offer an exceptional opportunity for keeping employees connected and informed?
Let’s take a closer look.
GoToMeeting Features
GoToMeeting is the cloud-hosted web conferencing solution provided by GoTo. Designed to offer access to everything from seamless meeting solutions to instant messaging, GoToMeeting offers a user-friendly interface that help companies to transition into a new way of work quickly and seamlessly. GoToMeeting also allows users to join from any device too.
This software benefits from everything from unique integrations with third-party tools like Slack, Podio, and Microsoft Office. What’s more, companies can also tap into things like toll-free multi-national numbers for external calling too.
Some of the main features include:
- Virtual whiteboarding
- Meeting scheduling and calendar
- One-click video and recording
- Desktop and app sharing
- One-click meetings
- Built-in audio options
- Personal meeting rooms
- HD video conferencing
- Call Me meeting join
- Download-free functionality
With GoToMeeting, businesses can collaborate with their teams however they choose, viewing up to 25 high-definition video feeds per session, and accessing virtual whiteboards for more context. There’s also access to tools specifically designed for huddle rooms and larger conferences too.
Microsoft Teams Features
Microsoft Teams has rapidly emerged as the most popular team collaboration tool for many businesses today. Perhaps one of the leading things that really makes Microsoft’s Teams service stand out is the fact that it comes so deeply integrated with the Microsoft Office environment that many businesses already rely on.
With Microsoft Teams, you can take full advantage of your Microsoft ecosystem, creating and launching meetings from your Exchange or Outlook calendar, and sharing documents in seconds. Additionally, Microsoft is committed to constantly improving its Teams environment, with everything from firstline worker support to background blur technology for video meetings.
Some of the main features include:
- Complete Microsoft Office integrations
- High definition video conferencing
- Audio and in-line transcription
- Screen and file sharing
- Instant messaging for one-on-one and group conversations
- Complete enterprise security
- Access from any device
- Reliable conversational search
- Various bots and integration options
- Business phone solutions and recording
Microsoft Teams also offers a host of third-party integrations with other leading tools, including Cisco Webex. What’s more, if you want to build an enhanced physical environment with Microsoft, there are tons of fantastic hardware options to choose from too.
Microsoft Teams vs GoToMeeting: Telephony
Both Microsoft Teams and GoToMeeting want to ensure that their users can access external calling features, as well as internal collaboration. As more businesses search for single pane of glass environments where they can handle their entire communication stack, the integration of collaboration features and business phone is essential.
GoToMeeting has plenty of audio support available with things like toll-free numbers available for more than 50 countries. If you decide to add toll-free calling onto your package, you pay only for what you use, which helps to cut costs for smaller businesses.
Alternatively, Microsoft Teams delivers business voice either through a Microsoft subscription to phone services or direct routing. Although the Microsoft voice environment is lacking in a few areas, direct routing allows businesses to bring their own carrier and crucial functionality into the Microsoft Teams environment.
Microsoft Teams vs GoToMeeting: Experience
Both Microsoft and GoToMeeting understand that if the experience provided by a collaboration tool isn’t good, then adoption will suffer. That’s why both of these solutions are constantly working to deliver a more immersive and reliable environment for their users.
GoToMeeting provides a simple cloud-hosted solution for collaboration and communication that’s packed full of user-friendly features. You can launch calls without downloading any software and deliver customised URLs to participants that you want to join your meeting. There’s even the option to call individuals to allow them to join a meeting. What’s more, drawing and virtual whiteboard tools help to add more context to conversations.
Microsoft Teams, on the other hand, provides an excellent and easily accessible experience to businesses that are already familiar with the Microsoft landscape. If you already use things like Microsoft Office to keep your team productive, then adding Teams into the mix will be a natural next step for your organisation.
Microsoft makes it easy to unlock everything from high-quality video conferencing to instant messaging and file sharing for your team.
Microsoft Teams vs. GoToMeeting: Integrations
Microsoft often stands out in the collaboration environment because of it’s in-depth integrations with the Microsoft Office environment. However, Teams doesn’t just integrate with existing Microsoft tools. You can also find integrations between Microsoft and a range of other leading applications, including Zoom, and even Cisco hardware.
At the same time, GoToMeeting also strives to deliver the extensibility that businesses need with incredible integrations with a range of critical tools. You can link GoToMeeting with things like Chrome, Google Calendar, and Zapier.
Microsoft Teams vs. GoToMeeting: Which is Right for You?
There’s no one-size-fits-all strategy to choosing the perfect meeting and collaboration tool. Both Microsoft and GoToMeeting offer excellent functionality and performance in their own ways.
Microsoft Teams is likely to be the go-to choice for companies that want amazing internal collaboration tools to support their teams. If you already have features of the Microsoft environment in your business, such as Microsoft Word or Excel, then you’re going to love the unique experiences that Teams can offer.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for an easy way to expand your connections with external contractors, and collaborate more creatively with internal teams, GoToMeeting may be a great choice. Features like Call Me to join meeting options, toll-free numbers, and virtual whiteboards make GoToMeeting a unique collaboration tool.
Which one will you be using? Let us know in the comments.
