Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Cross-Platform Videoconferencing With Blue Jeans Network

Videoconferencing has become an integral part of business communication. Increasing Internet speeds and accessibility have led to the existence of a plethora of software video clients and platforms, most of which may not be incompatible with each other.

Add dedicated videoconferencing systems into the mix, and you’re left with a headache trying to bring all these different devices and platforms together.

Blue Jeans Network

We have a solution for you: Blue Jeans Network. Blue Jeans is a platform- and device-independent cloud-based video collaboration service. In other words, with Blue Jeans Network, you can bring different devices and video clients together for videoconferencing, fuss-free. No more worries about compatibility issues.

Using Blue Jeans Network

First, you have to register an account with Blue Jeans. You can also connect via your Facebook or LinkedIn account. Creating the account is a quick process, and you should be done and ready to go within 10 minutes.

Signing Up For Blue Jeans

Once registered, you’ll see your Meetings page. This is where you schedule or initiate ad-hoc meetings. All you need in order to invite participants (collaborators) are their e-mail addresses.

Since Blue Jeans is a cloud-based service, collaborators don’t need any software installed on their end. They will receive a URL that opens the meeting in their default web browser.

Scheduling A Meeting In Blue Jeans

From here on, it’s as simple as choosing the device and video platform they wish to use to connect to the meeting.

During the meeting, collaborators have control over the viewing layout, zooming, as well as the ability to share content and video.

Blue Jeans Conference

Blue Jeans Network Support

One of Blue Jeans’s most notable features is its support for multiple types of devices and different video clients. Blue Jeans supports all major web browsers on Mac OS, Windows and Linux, as well as iOS and Android devices.

Blue Jeans can integrate with any H.323 or SIP room conferencing systems, thereby overcoming the incompatibilities inherent to these systems. It also supports a number of software video clients, namely:

  • Skype
  • Google Video Chat
  • Cisco Jabber
  • LifeSize Softphone
  • Avaya Scorpia
  • Polycom RealPresence

Blue Jeans also integrates with Microsoft’s Lync service, connecting Lync users with other client users, as well as fellow Lync users from different organisations. Last but not least, Blue Jeans also supports Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) audio, so users can call in to meetings when video is not an option.

Blue Jeans Compatibility

Aside from this cross-platform support, other notable features of Blue Jeans include support for up to 25 endpoints per meeting, the ability to share HD content and videos, enterprise-readiness and enterprise-grade security. Blue Jeans’s enterprise-readiness takes the form of support for single sign-on (SSO) as well as integration with Google Calendar and Outlook for scheduling.

Conclusion

All in all, Blue Jeans Network is an essential service for businesses that rely on videoconferencing. Its ability to unify various devices and video clients reduces setup time, minimizes potential technical glitches and, as a result, increases videoconferencing productivity.

The pricing for Blue Jeans Network will depend on your needs and the size of the deployment. They offer site-wide pricing that range from $50 per user all the way down to $10 per user, depending on how many user accounts your business requires. Also available are per-host and per-minute plans.

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