For a long time, I’ve relied on GoToMeeting for offering remote assistance to Dynamics GP clients and conducting online presentations for limited audiences. Although pricier than Microsoft’s solution, GoToMeeting has consistently met my requirements exceptionally well. I can confidently say it’s significantly better than Live Meeting and WebEx.
Despite its strengths, I encounter occasional issues with GoToMeeting. This morning, a scheduled session with a new client hit a snag. We joined the conference call, but he couldn’t open the meeting link I sent. This sometimes happens due to browser problems or issues downloading the GoToMeeting app.
I suggested navigating directly to the GoToMeeting website, but that failed too. His browser couldn’t establish a connection, even when using the IP address. Clearly, this wasn’t GoToMeeting’s fault but likely an issue with his network, firewall, or proxy server. This underscores the need for backup options.
A while back, a colleague introduced me to Mikogo, a free alternative. While it seemed decent during my brief trial, I stuck with GoToMeeting. However, this morning’s situation had me searching for an immediate solution.
Thankfully, I remembered Mikogo. Within minutes, I downloaded it, created a free account, started a meeting, and connected with my client who could then share his desktop. Mikogo truly saved the day.
Impressed by its performance, I decided to explore its features and share my findings.
The Mikogo client application, at around 9.5 MB, downloads quickly and installs easily. Meeting attendees can download a separate “Connection Program” (5 MB) that runs without installation. Alternatively, they can join via the “Join a Session” webpage using the HTML Viewer option, directly in their browser. This worked flawlessly on my iPhone, offering good speed and refresh rate.
Mikogo features a clean and simple control panel.
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A notable feature is the ability to create and save session “profiles.” These define specific options like hiding the taskbar, disabling file transfer view, or recording. This is useful for simplifying support sessions.
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Like GoToMeeting, Mikogo uses a 9-digit Session ID for easy sharing. It allows creating instant or scheduled sessions and offers chat and whiteboard features.
Mikogo lets you choose visible applications during presentations. Unlike GoToMeeting’s single-app limitation, Mikogo allows selecting multiple applications.
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You can hide specific applications, the desktop wallpaper, or even desktop icons. Another advantage is the ability for both presenter and attendee to view each other’s control panels, unlike GoToMeeting. This is invaluable when guiding someone through control options. This multi-application display is well-implemented and very useful. Like GoToMeeting, Mikogo supports multiple monitors.
File Transfer is a significant advantage Mikogo has over GoToMeeting. While not always necessary, it’s incredibly helpful for exchanging files during a session, avoiding email or FTP.
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Mikogo’s unique “URL Push” feature allows sending a URL to attendees, which can automatically open in their browser. While achievable through chat in GoToMeeting, this simplifies the process.
Like GoToMeeting, Mikogo enables bidirectional text copy-paste between presenter and attendees.
Mikogo handles screen scaling and resizing well, addressing resolution differences. Its zoom/magnify feature is helpful for high-resolution displays. While not as crisp as GoToMeeting when scaling down, it surpasses other services I’ve used. Mikogo even allows adjusting picture quality via Session Profiles for better performance.
Regarding drawbacks, I’ve noticed two minor ones compared to GoToMeeting.
First, Mikogo’s screen refresh rate seems slower. GoToMeeting appears faster in updating cursor position and overall display. While acceptable, the difference was noticeable coming from GoToMeeting. This was tested on my local network, so real-world performance may vary depending on internet speeds.
Second, Mikogo doesn’t display conference calling options by default. While it offers international audio conferencing (configurable for display), they aren’t immediately visible like in GoToMeeting. More importantly, Mikogo currently lacks a Voice Over IP audio conferencing option. This would require using alternatives like Skype for international sessions.
Update: Mikogo is introducing native VoIP conferencing, with beta testing expected soon.
Overall, Mikogo is an impressive and powerful web conferencing and desktop sharing solution, easily rivaling GoToMeeting. I’d pick it over Microsoft Live Meeting without hesitation.
Let’s discuss pricing. While previously free, Mikogo adopted a “freemium” model. Personal use remains free, but business or commercial use requires a subscription.
They offer various “single-user” subscriptions based on participant limits. The “Basic” plan, priced at $13 per month, allows up to 3 participants. The “Pro” plan, at $19 per month, allows up to 15.
Considering its features, $13 per month for the Basic plan is compelling.
“Multi-user” plans are available for organizations, though cost-effectiveness needs evaluation.
In contrast, GoToMeeting costs $49 per user monthly or $468 annually, a significant $312 difference compared to Mikogo’s Basic plan.
This price difference is substantial and makes Mikogo a serious contender when my GoToMeeting renewal comes up.
While my extensive use of Mikogo is limited to one instance, I haven’t encountered any major issues. If you’re looking for web conferencing or desktop sharing, Mikogo is worth exploring.
_Steve Endow is a Dynamics GP Certified Trainer and Dynamics GP Certified IT Professional in Los Angeles. He is also the owner of Precipio Services, which provides Dynamics GP integrations, customizations, and automation solutions.