2020 has been a virtual year, both figuratively and literally. Literally because never have our lives been as driven by video conferencing apps as In this year. And enterprises were no stranger to video conferencing apps. With organizations adopting the work from home (WFH) dynamic, remote collaboration apps became our only means to do a team huddle and pantry to have a chat with our colleagues. Research indicated that CIOs of about 45% companies planned to increase budgets to purchase collaboration platforms to support WFH. As shown in figure 1, businesses are already allocating higher budgets to web conferencing and collaboration tools, showing WFH Is here to stay. It Is said that at least 41% of the work-force will continue working remotely In the post-pandemic world.
Video tools are becoming more and more prevalent now. Whether we are “zoom”Ing In or “Meet”Ing on Google or connecting on “Teams”, these apps are a part of our professional lives. Although, as much as these apps are helping us stay productive, malfunctions In them can become a reason for unproductivity. Hence, choosing the right app and carefully monitoring experience should be a top priority for all CIOs who are Investing In remote collaboration tools. So out of so many apps In the market, what app delivers the best experience in 2020? It’s Google Meet.
 

Figure 2 – Responsiveness vs Conferencing Experience

How do you measure the experience of conferencing apps?

We conducted detailed research on the state of conferencing experience using our Application Experience solution and came up with a comprehensive guide on the most recommended Virtual Conferencing as a Service (VCaaS) App for identified industries. Through the use of Application Quality Index (AQI), our proprietary index for measuring user experience, we scrutinized theperformance of different video conferencing tools like Google Meet, Teams, Webex, GoToMeeting, Bluejeans, and Zoom.

As shown in figure 3, the key components measured to identify the AQI is the responsiveness experience that includes running tests on Time to Launch App and Time to Join Meeting and the conferencing experience are the video bitrate, blur, sharpness, blockiness, freeze time index, and freeze event index. By monitoring AQI under different conditions, CIOs can keep a tab on the experience of VCaaS apps and pro-actively solve Issues that could later cause loss of productivity.

Figure 3 – Illustration only, additional factors may exist

Figure 3 – Illustration only, additional factors may exist

Is Google Meet the best app for my business then?

Answering which app is the best app for your enterprise is not that simple. As the needs differ in every industry, it is fundamental to benchmark apps In various conditions to choose the right VcaaS tool for your own company. Once chosen, you need to continuously monitor experience to ensure that productivity levels are high.

Our research showed that Teams was the most versatile app among all available VCaaS tools.

Figure 4 – Illustration of conferencing experience in different network conditions

State of Conferencing Experience

Figure 4 – Illustration of conferencing experience in different network conditions

State of Conferencing Experience

Figure 4 Shows how each conferencing tool performs under different network conditions. Some tools tested are highly dependent on the performance of the network’s upload and download speeds. However, some apps are resilient to network fluctuations. For instance, Teams has obtained high indexes across network conditions, exhibiting the platform’s ability to maintain quality of experience without relying on the network performance. 
 
We have identified distinct factors that affect and determine the quality of the conferencing experience. There are two technical reasons elaborated in our study- the protocols used for communication and the location of the conference backend. We have categorized the conferencing tools as either a UDP-based or TCP-based app. Read more about how we analyzed the backend protocols and location of the conference, contributing to the rankings of the identified VcaaS tools. 
With the consensus that Google Meets is the best application for online collaboration due to its impeccable responsive rate and Teams exhibiting a consistent performance on conferencing experience, it still boils down to what features do each organization prioritizes. Whether it’s HD Video features, low-latency, or the quick join process, the choice in online platforms will be the backbone of every enterprise in the long haul. 
Virtual communication and online collaboration should be as easy as 1-2-3 in every organization. Every second translates to revenue so there’s no time for latencies and subpar video quality. Let’s talk about how you can keep your platform at the top of every employee and companies’ most preferred conferencing tool. 
 
Partner with us and we’ll help you discover the best insights you can get for your tool’s success. Schedule a call and take a free trial by clicking here.
 
 

Written By

Anmol Chaturvedi