Web-based conferencing comes of age

As more people telecommute, having a reliable way to connect via desktop video conferencing takes on greater importance. And for employees working in the office, Web-based meetings are a less expensive and less time consuming alternative to business travel.

Web-based conferencing services aren't new, but they have been getting better, easier to use and less expensive. The options range from one-on-one desktop screen sharing to group video chats to large-scale presentations such as Webinars or "virtual conferences."

We looked at eight desktop conferencing services, a mix of market leaders and newcomers, including Adobe Connect, Cisco Webex, Citrix GotoMeeting, InterCall Unifed Meeting (in beta with v5), LogMeIn Join.Me Pro, Microsoft Lync 2013 (in beta, and part of Office 365), Skype Premium (now owned by Microsoft), and Vyew.com Professional.