Videoconferencing applications like Skype have taken off in recent years, but once new service, Watchittoo, has a new twist. This startup is banking that on people who want to embed videoconferencing into their Web sites.Watchitoo allows up to 25 people to have a meeting with sound and video right in the browser without having to install any software. Users can post any media, audio, HD video (including YouTube clips), PDF, Microsoft Word, and other documents, and PowerPoint presentations to try to replicate the experience of truly being together in a meeting. You can also see the status updates of the people in the conference, including their Facebook and Twitter posts, useful for monitoring the backchannel reaction to the presentation.
If you run your own company, you can tailor your conference’s appearance to your liking, such as by using your company logo or color scheme for the app. You can also have just about any element in your conference and mix and match to your heart’s content.
Watchitoo touts their product for business meetings, lectures, and other presentations. If you’re looking to cut costs, one of the big ones would be meetings. You have to pay rent on office space, furniture, and fly in people who may be in different regions, states, provinces, or even in different countries. You could have a simple conference call, but sometimes you really want people to feel like they’re actually with each other, which is difficult to do over the phone. Watchittoo could save a lot of money and the environment while still allowing people to connect.
It’s free for up to five people in one meeting room, with pricing plans going up to $450/month and $4050/year for up to 30 meeting rooms. The company can also quote you for custom jobs.
If you still have regular meetings and want to add a whimsical touch, check out the Lego Conference Table. Microsoft has also recent bought Skype, another service that does videoconferencing.
