Review Summary: Microsoft Live Meeting misses the mark. It’s another cumbersome proprietary meeting solution. If you’re looking for an affordable online meeting solution that works across all platforms check out our recommended online meeting services.
Pros: Microsoft Outlook integration, built-in VOIP, provide downloadable handouts, recording functions
Cons: complicated user interface, no free trial for the standard version, complicated pricing structure, more expensive than GoToMeeting, monthly fee does not include sales tax, Activation can take several business days, no Mac Support
| Pricing | 5-User = $22.90/mo (plus sales tax) 10-User = $45.80/mo (plus sales tax) 25-User = $114.50/mo (plus sales tax) 50-User = $229.00 (plus sales tax) 100-User = $458.00 (plus sales tax) |
| Free Trial | No (standard version) Yes (professional version) – 30 day trial requires Windows Live ID and a lot of personal information. You are manually approved by their sales team for the trial. |
| Meeting Capacity | 5-100 users, pricing varies based on users |
| Desktop Sharing | Yes |
| Desktop Recording | Yes |
| VOIP Integration | Yes |
| Control Granting | Yes |
| Video Conferencing | Yes |
| Private Chat | Yes |
| Annotation Tools | Yes |
What We Like About Microsoft Live Meeting:
Microsoft Outlook integration – it’s no surprise that Live Meeting plays well with Outlook and other Microsoft applications.
Downloadable handouts – Sharing a document or spreadsheet with meeting attendees is easy.
Recording functions – Even if you miss the live meeting you can catch up by watching the recorded version.
What We Don’t Like About Microsoft Live Meeting:
Complicated pricing structure – Unlike GoToMeeting which offers flat rate pricing for up to 15 users, Microsoft has a complicated pricing structure that ranges from $22.90 (plus tax) – $459/mo (plus tax). To get 15 users on Microsoft Live Meeting you would have to purchase the 25 user license at $114.50/mo (plus tax). GoToMeeting does not charge sales tax.
Delayed activation – After you’ve paid for the service you can expect to wait several days for the service to be manually activated by their account team. Here’s the confirmation message we received after signing-up:
“Microsoft Online will notify you when your service is activated. Activation can take several business days. When your Office Live Meeting conference center is available, your technical contact will receive an e-mail with instructions on what to do next.
For more information, visit www.microsoft.com/online . If you have any questions, please contact support. To view your subscription details, please click Finish and go to the Manage Subscriptions page.”
Not compatible with Mac – Your Mac friends won’t be attending Microsoft Live Meetings anytime soon.
User interface is complicated – Microsoft offers extensive training for Live Meeting… and you’re going to need it. The beauty of GoToMeeting is that you can use them without reading a boring user manual.
Our Conclusion About Microsoft Live Meeting
Microsoft still hasn’t bridged the gap between PC applications and the web.
Additional Resources
Before committing to an online meeting service, make sure you read the reviews for our top picks. You can also compare our top picks side by side. It’s worth noting, that most of the vendors we review on this site offer free trials.
