Tech Profile: AnyMeeting

What is AnyMeeting, and how did you and your team get started in this field?

AnyMeeting is a completely free web conferencing and webinar service focused on the needs of small businesses. In 2009, I identified an opportunity to use a free, ad-supported business model to deliver a web conferencing and webinar service — something that no other provider was doing. To capitalize on this opportunity, my team and I launched AnyMeeting.com, which includes features like video conferencing, audio conferencing, screen sharing, webinar scheduling and more — all completely free.

How should the marketing/advertising industry utilize AnyMeeting to collaborate on projects and create the better end-results for long-distance clients?

AnyMeeting’s full-featured service is an ideal solution for collaboration with clients and colleagues who may be far away. AnyMeeting’s six-way video conferencing is great for face-to-face small, collaborative meetings, and you can share the project, presentation, web site or whatever you have on your screen. AnyMeeting can host up to 200 people, so it’s great for webinars, lectures and training seminars as well.

What trends and changes in the market led you to realize that AnyMeeting would fill a void? Describe the void.

We see strong growth for web conferencing in the small business community. In fact, according to AMI Research, spending on web conferencing solutions by small businesses is on the rise and expected to grow 26 percent annually through 2016. AnyMeeting offers a solution that is friendly to small businesses, so it’s wise for us as a company to focus on this market segment.

What makes AnyMeeting superior to other online meeting platforms like Skype or GoToMeeting?

It’s full-featured and there are no barriers to entry. AnyMeeting has all the features of an enterprise-level solution like GoToMeeting, and it’s free, so there’s no cost barrier. There is also no need to download and install anything or be an account holder to attend a meeting. Those you invite can enter the meeting immediately.

What are some creative ways companies can use webinars to add value for their clients?

Webinars provide companies with an opportunity to showcase their product or service to large groups of people. Webinars can also serve as a promotional tool for the company. Webinars can be recorded and shared with those not able to attend the live presentation. Companies can also conduct fee-based webinars, charging a fee for attending and/or viewing the recording, making it an additional source of revenue for the company.

How do you see web conferencing evolving in the next three to five years?

As collaboration platforms become more cost effective and the barriers to entry fade, web conferencing will continue to grow as a viable and affordable collaboration solution in the small business community.

Costin Tuculescu is the founder and CEO of AnyMeeting, a completely free web conferencing and webinar service, and a 12-year veteran of the web conferencing industry. Costin has a BS in Computer Science from UC Irvine, and is an avid technologist and software engineer.