CentralDesktop adds web-conferencing to its collaboration software

By Vivek Puri | September 12th, 2006 at 01:01 pm ET         

CentralDesktop (CD) has added Central Desktop Live, an integrated web conferencing tool that would allow its users to schedule and host real-time web meetings directly within CentralDesktop. CD’s other tools provide facility for discussions, Notes, Tasks, Milestones, Databases, Calendar, Files, Image Gallery, and User management. CD is co-founded by Isaac Garcia and Arnulf Hsu and is located in Pasadena, CA.

I signed up for CentralDesktop and gave the conferencing tool a try. To setup a conference you are required to install an Activex plugin. For each conference CentralDesktop provides a URL and conference number (US) that can be shared among other participants. At maximum 10 people can attend a conference. Other users can be invited by getting contact info from Microsoft Outlook or standard email. CD Live events are integrated with user’s CD Calendar. During the meeting you have options to transfer control to another user, change presenter, and annotate. Also you can host CD Live conference only on Internet Explorer, just like IBM Lotus Sametime. Overall CD has integrated the conferencing module really well into its existing product range.

However, having a US based conference number (problem not unique to CD Live) means that teams spread out across different countries will have to look for alternatives like Skype or Gizmo Project or Yahoo conferencing. As compared to leading conferencing tools like WebEx, Sametime, Gotomeeting, and startups like Instacoll, the conferencing tool gives Web1.0 era looks. One big concern with CD Live is that you cannot pick and choose certain programs for sharing nor can you share certain part of screen. By default your entire screen is setup for sharing. CD Live is also missing on smart features like chat, poll, conference recording, and encryption.

From the price perspective, Central Desktop is charging $35/month for the service with Max Number of Concurrent Web Meetings being 1 and Max Number of Attendees allowed per Meeting is 10. As compared to this, GotoMeeting costs $39/month (yearly plan) with more features and better quality than CD Live. I think CD Live needs to improve upon and give a better ROI. I am personally interested in having all-in-one web-based toolset where I can create docs, upload files, schedule conferencing, blog, and manage my work. Central Desktop has a long way to reach there but they are moving towards that goal. Still, this is a commendable effort by Central Desktop to enable conferencing in web-based Project/Team Management software.

Links:
CentralDesktop
CentralDesktop Blog

Tags: StartupSquad, Central+Desktop, Office2.0, SaaS, web+conferencing