GoTo Meeting Review  

GoTo Meeting Review- Facts, Company Profile, Product Description, Benefits, Drawbacks, Customer Comments, and Personal Review  

Facts & Company Profile 

GoTo Meeting ® is a web conferencing product created by Citrix Online ® which is a division of Citrix Systems, Inc. ®.  The company is based out of Santa Barbara, California and also makes the products GoToMyPC ® and GoToAssist ®.  It was founded in 1989 and the CEO is Mark Templeton.  Its services for this product are promoted through the website, http://www.gotomeeting.com. 

***For more information on our top picks for web conferencing, click on Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro® Review or Central Desktop ® Review.*** 

Product Description 

Allows you to schedule a meeting where you can control whether you want VOIP or phone conferencing or both for audio.  The audio service comes at no extra cost to you from GoTo Meeting ®, but you can still choose to use another audio service.  You can show slideshows, presentations and collaborate with co-workers through this medium.  It made mainly for impromptu meetings that are needed.   

The program is sold in two formats: Personal and Corporate.  It has a flat free pricing model called All You Can Meet ® which allows people to get unlimited meetings at one flat fee.  The entire security system is protected by 128 bit AES encryption.   

Benefits 

• Flat fee pricing model that offers a low price point.  Audio conferencing is included in the cost. 
• Recognized name supported by large television advertising campaign. 
• Designed for informal meetings and customers impressed with tools and desktop sharing is very good. 

Drawbacks 

• Challenges working with Linux. 
• Basic security protection creates a higher risk of security hacks. 
• Some customers have discussed difficulty setting up the software and inconsistent performance. 
• Requirement of login and email addresses can intimidate some external customers. 
• Not the best medium for larger more formal meetings.   

Customer Comments 

Here, are some snippets of customer comments about this product: 

“I tried to conduct several meetings, and had problems every time.”  Cnet Actual User Review 

“This software failed us at a critical time…We had a lot of pissed off clients…”  Cnet Actual User Review 

“I need to be able to support clients on their remote computers….Many clients freak out on the Gotomeetings  request for login name and email address…”  Connect Users Forum Comment 

“I have been frustrated by GotoMeeting's lack of support for Linux as well.”  Actual User Forum Comment 

Personal Review 

GoToMeeting ® is an established name in web conferencing thanks to its parent company’s large marketing campaign.  It has a large supporting cast that favors its services although it also has a large group of detractors that point out some of its inadequacies as a conference call option.  I am somewhere in the middle as I see its value in providing a low cost option that is effective at giving high performance in areas like desktop sharing.   

However, I am also concerned about issues of inconsistent performance and anything that will negatively impact external customers.  In addition, the company’s website suggests it is the best in a number of areas without any specific evidence to back these claims up.  This always makes me suspicious and I view this claims as similar to won burger chain saying they have the best burgers over the other.  Therefore, after looking at all the facts, my recommendation is to consider other alternatives first and if they do not meet your needs, consider GoToMeeting ®.  If you would like to visit the company’s website, you can use the following link: www.gotomeeting.com. 

***For more information on our top picks for web conferencing, click on Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro® Review or Central Desktop ® Review.***