Online Meeting Software: Dimdim Review
Even if you travel often for work, that doesn’t mean that every single meeting you attend has to be done in person. And yet so many businesses have employees scattered all over the place – which is why online meeting software is so popular with many companies today.
The world of online meeting software has changed quite a bit over the years. It used to be there were only a couple of companies providing the capability, and now there are enough to warrant a (sort of confusing) Wikipedia chart.
One of the newer online meeting software companies is Dimdim – and if you can get past wondering where on earth they got the name, you’ll find a product that gets consistently good reviews. Dimdim has been around since 2006 and is already up to its 5th version, and offers many features that longtime provider GoToMeeting lacks.
One of the pluses of Dimdim is that it’s not a software you download – rather, it’s web-based. This means you can more easily share the browser on whatever computer you’re on, even if you’re using a colleague’s machine. Dimdim also features a combination of audio, video, and screen-sharing (a trifecta that’s not as common as you’d think among online meeting software companies).
A system that tries to do everything, however, sometimes falls short in some categories. Dimdim’s VoIP quality isn’t spectacular (you can skip it and call into the conference number instead), and the video often lags behind real-time. But unless you’re trying to coordinate dance moves or song lyrics, those might be minor worries for you.
Other drawbacks users have noted include issues with reliability and security, neither of which is as beefed up as other providers in this market.
- Cost: Free (basic version); Dimdim Pro starts at $99/year; Dimdim Enterprise starts at $1998/year
- Capacity: 20 attendees maximum in basic (free) version; 100 attendees maximum with Dimdim Pro
- Compatible With: Windows Vista & XP, Mac OS X, Linux
- Audio Options: VoIP is included (there’s also an option for a separate conference number to call into)
- Video Options: Video from webcam supported, can have multiple people on video
- Desktop Sharing Options: Full desktop sharing and co-browsing, organizer can let another attendee control the screen
- Recording Options: Record meetings (quality is criticized, and only meeting organizer is recorded)
- Technical Support: Support available via email and online tutorials
- Encryption: encryption security includes unique URLs, user authentication