Last week I was given access to GotoMeeting Version 4.0 which will be released next week. I have been using GotoMeeting for 3 years as part of their sponsorship of my podcast so would consider myself an expert user. I was blown away by what they have brought to the table with Version 4.
Since I have been using the application I have really wanted two additional features The first was native Mac Support and internal VOIP support to eliminate the need to use a third part phone service for conference calls during online meetings.
Well the folks at Citrix have hit a homerun. In GotoMeeting Version 4 the application has a native Mac edition. It is not some cheesy adaptation it looks and feels like a Mac program. The feature sets between PC and Mac are exactly the same which now allows Mac users to lead meetings and no longer just observe.
The second major feature introduced into the new version is native VOIP support. During the briefing I simply put on my headset choose VOIP for the connection and was able to participate in the meeting and chat about the new features as if I was on a land line.
Since that time I have tested the VOIP feature with 26 people in the online meeting. The reception was clear and the ability to mute noisy participants was very easy. The interface has been cleaned up and while the core tools remain the whole online meeting pipeline from start to finish with the VOIP support makes the user experience much more rewarding.
GotoMeeting Version 4 is an explosive leap forward. With raising gas prices and the economy slowing the need to save money the application continues to be well poised for business owners to save huge amounts of money on travel each month by no longer needing to leave ones desk.
While GotoMeeting is a sponsor here let me be clear this is a product I use daily. I completely endorse GotoMeeting and am quite passionate about the product. When a product simply works each and every time I use it there is nothing more one can really say.
The new version is not available till next week but you can get a free trial at www.gotomeeting.com/techpodcasts and it will update automatically when the new version is released.
Disclaimer: GotoMeeting is a Sponsor of Geek News Central Podcast while no promise of a favorable review has been promised. I am a big fan of the product.