Web Conferencing Comparison

This chart compares the functions of the web conferencing tools available to the GW community.

Note: Zoom Workplace is the primary communication platform for phones, web conferencing, and more.

Web Conferencing Storage Guidelines

	Blackboard Collaborate	WebEx Retiring 2027	Zoom	MS Teams	Google Meet
Quick Links to Launch Software	Blackboard Collaborate	Webex	Zoom	MS Teams	Google Meet
Common Use Cases
	Teaching Sessions, Share Lectures, Classroom Breakout Sessions	Teaching Sessions, Team meetings, Live webinars and other Many-to-Many needs	Teaching Sessions, Team meetings, Live webinars and other Many-to-Many needs	Team meetings, Team chat, Casual Audio-Video Chat	Casual Audio-Video Chat
Teaching Sessions
Training or teaching with break-out sessions
Training or teaching with in-session polling, quizzes, exercises, or tests
Casual, on-the-fly Instant Messaging
Casual, on-the-fly audio chat
Casual, on-the-fly video chat
Scheduled Meetings
Meeting where all participants might need to speak
Invite guests lectures who do not have a GW account
Meeting or discussion where one or more participants needs (or prefers) to attend by phone
Webinars or Events requiring registration
Key Benefits
	Included in the Blackboard classroom environment Students must be enrolled in class in order to attend Attendance tracking can be done automatically and saved in Grade Center	Different Types: Meeting, Training, and Event Mobile and Desktop Applications More participants available with base account	Different Types: Meeting and Webinar Mobile and Desktop applications Included in the Blackboard classroom environment Intuitive to use	Different Types: Meeting, Training Mobile and Desktop applications Attendance reports and class insights show how students engage with the class Fully integrated with Microsoft 365 platform	Integrated with Google Suite Easy tool for casual interactions
Available to
	Anyone who is teaching or enrolled to take a course in Blackboard	Staff, Faculty, Student, Wage, Affiliate	Staff, Faculty, Student, Wage, Affiliate	Staff, Faculty, Student, Wage, Affiliates	Staff, Faculty, Student, Wage, Alumni, Affiliates, Organizations
Access/Setup
Google Calendar Scheduling Add-on
Dial-in (toll number) option
Limitations
Max. # of meeting participants	250 Regular Scale Session / 500 Large Scale	1000 Meetings / 3000 Live Events (max 2 concurrent at 3000, 1000 otherwise)	300 for Zoom Accounts or 1000 for Zoom Plus Accounts	300 Users in a Meeting / 20 Users in Private Chat	250
Max. # of webinar participants	NA	3000 two concurrent Licenses, 1000 otherwise.	300 for Zoom Accounts or 1000 for Zoom Plus Accounts	NA	NA
Number of participants viewable on screen per page	5	25	49	49	49
Key Features
Record Session
Automatic Transcriptions of Record Session
Chat
Share File
Share Screen
Share iPhone or iPad Screen
Polling
Whiteboard
Breakout Groups
Reactions
Q&A		Available in Events only
Real Time Closed Captions		Available upon request
Blur Video Background / Virtual Background
Live Captioning	Available upon request DSS	Available upon request	Available upon request
Personal Room
Desktop Application option
Mobile Application option
Security
Lobby / Waiting Room
Meeting can be locked	Only course members can join a session unless professor gives a guest link to an outside person

Web Conferencing Comparison

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Classroom Support

Phone

Walk-In