8×8 has unveiled a free version of its video conferencing solution in a bid to get businesses collaborating instantaneously without restrictions.
The company has launched a free, standalone version of 8×8 Video Meetings. The solution sports an intuitive interface to remove friction and allows users to schedule and start meetings easily.
The new 8×8 solution requires no registration, no downloading of plugins or software applications for most users and has no time limits.
Unlike other free offerings in the market, this is not a limited time free trial. Users of the free standalone version of 8×8 Video Meetings have unlimited access to full-functionality HD video and audio and multi-user screen file sharing capabilities at no charge. No registrations are required, and all users simply start or join a meeting with the click of a button on any device.
A great opportunity
“We see a great opportunity to use 8×8 Meetings for candidate interviews,” said Dean Gilbert, IT Manager at Servoca PLC, a leading provider of staffing solutions and outsourced services across the UK.
“It’s simply a more efficient and productive way to run interviews and fits into our overall strategy of using 8×8 for meetings”
The free standalone version of 8×8 Video Meetings is optimised for use with Google Chrome, Firefox, and other WebRTC-enabled browsers, or via 8×8 Video Meetings desktop apps, mobile apps and calendar plug-ins for any OS and device. The solution can also be easily paired with video conferencing enabled rooms and huddle spaces through 8×8 Meeting Rooms.
Eduardo Cocozza, Senior Director of Collaboration and Video Communications, Product Marketing at 8×8, said in an exclusive interview with UC Today that the product started with the customer in mind.
“Our technologies are based on WebRTC. That’s real-time streaming, allowing people to participate in visual and content sharing. The major benefits of this is speed as it is cloud native,” he said
Cocozza added that there is no need for the user to download plugins or applications. “This reduces the fear that if you are running late for a meeting you don’t have to waste time downloading something in order to join a meeting”.
One button to start
He added that users can start a meeting with one button.
“You can type in the name of the meeting you want to start, this generates a URL which can be sent as a link to someone you want to have a meeting with or directly into a meeting invitation on your calendar”
Cocozza added that users who choose to register for the free service have a scalable upgrade path to 8×8 Express or 8×8 X Series solutions because all of these offerings are based on the same unified cloud technology and communications platform.
Users that register, have access to additional benefits, such as calendar integrations, personalised meeting spaces, custom domains for a team, meetings history, meetings recordings, free virtual team meeting room access and admin features that allow for the creation and management of teams.
“We believe this is a great branding as well because our customers get to know our products after using it and there is a seamless migration to other products for them, so they can grow with us,” added Cocozza.
The free version of 8×8 Video Meetings is available now.
