Forget email.

You can now communicate and collaborate with co-workers, colleagues, and other people for free with several different apps. As much of the workforce is working from home now or maybe even a self-quarantine has been established, it’s easy to start feeling isolated. Here are our three suggestions for staying connected even from your kitchen table, er, “home office”.  And, don’t forget, if you use your computer (over your cellular phone) then you will need a webcam with microphone.

MICROSOFT TEAMS

If you have a Microsoft Office 365 account, then you have access to use a Business Teams for free! You can install this on your computer as well as your phones making it accessible and easy to use from anywhere. This is a fantastic resource that allows you to do a multitude of things across your business with all of your team: 

• Chat in Groups: Create one for each department as well as a General one for everyone. 

• Start a Live Virtual Meeting: Normal Tuesday meeting? Setup a virtual one and invite everyone through Teams for a video meeting. 

• Start a Private Chat: Only want to talk to Karen? Send her a direct chat message.

• You can also attach files from your computer, send photos, post a gif.

• It also has integrated apps that you can install like Trello or Asana.

ZOOM

Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise video communications, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, collaboration, chat, and webinars across mobile devices, desktops, telephones, and room systems. Zoom Rooms is the original software-based conference room solution used around the world in board, conference, huddle, and training rooms, as well as offices and classrooms. This is a great option for Medical Offices trying to get telemedicine started pretty quickly.

Zoom offers a full-featured Basic Plan for free with unlimited meetings; however, it’s online only with no options to dial in for the free version. Your Basic plan has a 40 minutes time limit on meetings with three or more total participants.

MARCO POLO

How about something fun on the personal side? Marco Polo is a call-and-response video messaging app made for your phones. This is great to group chat with all your cousins across the country. Send a video message and they watch it when they are available. Often referred to as the video walkie-talkie, it’s fun and super easy to use.  It does have silly filters to use and you can also sent likes and hearts as you watch others’ Polos.