Screen Sharing Software

Screen Sharing Software Overview

Collaboration apps come stocked with a variety of features, many of which aren't as advertised as others. Some are downright forgotten for the variety of users. This is a detriment for some businesses, as they can really be a boon for your projects.

There may not be a single more effective feature in any collaboration software than screen sharing, and it's still very much under-appreciated, but it's not that people don't know what it is.

However, it's underutilized. This guide will highlight how important and powerful it can be to use screen sharing software more regularly.

What Is Screen Sharing?

So, let's sort out some of the non-technical aspects first. Whether you call it screen sharing or desktop sharing, it basically tells you what it does without you having to think about it. It's good because it allows you instant collaboration anywhere in the world. Screen sharing tools can be standalone applications, or they can be featured as part of a more comprehensive web conferencing software application.

Two or more users connect to a live feed of what's happening on a computer screen, allowing for everyone to understand what's going on without having to physically be in the same place.

This can get a little more in-depth with a remote desktop. This is pretty similar, though remote desktop allows for another user to take control over someone else's desktop. Generally reserved for people with decent IT experience, it's usually a feature that screen sharing apps have, though not all of them do.

Screen sharing happens to be one of the simplest ways for a team to communicate and work together. It also adds an active element to an otherwise fixed meeting. This way you don't have to just stare at a webcam, or hear someone talk through the use of a phone.

If you use screen sharing and remote desktop, your organization has the ability to make meetings more lively and much more productive. It also has a way of keeping team members more engaged.

Benefits of Screen Sharing

At this point, it's natural for people to consider the true efficacy of screen sharing. Some may say that it's not super intuitive, or it may not even work a lot of the time. It's true that some of the programs were not great back when screen sharing first became popular.

However, this simply isn't true anymore. You don't need to be super tech-savvy to get it to work. Even the free download of Skype is generally enough to get the job done, or a myriad of other products that exist on the market. So, you don't really have much of a reason to not give it a try, as you probably won't even have to spend money on the effort.

So, what's the point of using desktop sharing for your meetings? There could be a number of reasons, contingent on the nature of your business. For example, software salespeople could use it to demo a product to a prospective customer. This negates the need for travel, setup, and awkward introductions.

You'll even find that you won't have to cancel meetings due to not everyone being on time, as it requires much, much less.

Outside of that circumstance, here are some other reasons how screen sharing can come in handy:

1. Bolster Online Meetings: Screen sharing is a more fun and interactive way to have a meeting. It also requires a lot less. Instead of having to email copies of documents or hoping that everyone follows along to another list of slides, the given user could just share the screen and have people follow along with the use of screen sharing. Participants can just look at the screen. No need to fumble with finding files, hoping they open, and praying that they're getting the right information.

2. Product Demonstrations the Right Way: As stated above, product salesmen love screen sharing because they can show off the features of a given product. They don't have to hope that customers ask the right questions, they can actually demo in real-time. It allows for them to truly highlight the most important features expertly.

3. Remote Training and Guidance: Screen sharing can be absolutely instrumental in training. It's kind of like the example above. Instead of having your trainees suffer through boilerplate and drab presentations and YouTube videos, you can uniquely tailor your training program and change it up as you see fit. Say, for instance - you have a client or employee that's struggling to understand how a feature of a certain piece of software or product works, you can explain to them in real-time. This can potentially eliminate them having confusion going forward. You can show them where they went wrong and what they should be doing in the future.

4. Get Control Remotely: Some solutions are more advanced than others, such as those that have a remote desktop. Remote desktop functionality allows a user to maintain control of another's machine and get done what needs to be done. This is especially good for IT teams using machines of those who aren't as technologically inclined. This is noteworthy for teams where an IT team may be in another place than an employee. For instance, it's impressive for employees who may be working from home who need remote support.

5. Remote Work Abilities and Collaboration: Remote work and screen sharing go hand in hand. This makes collaboration a cinch. Should they need to log into their work machine from anywhere in the world as well as collaborate with team members as if they were in the same room. By using them both, there may not even be a need for them ever to be in the office. It has the ability to make them infinitely more productive.

Common Examples in the Real World

IT professionals know plenty about both remote desktop control and screen sharing, as they've been around for quite some time. However, it hasn't really been that easy to use, as they would also attest.

These days, it's very easy, with most Google products allowing for some level of remote desktop control.

Some products have even implemented an emergency help button, which allows users who are confused to get instantaneous help. Pressing the button establishes a live stream of an agent who will walk through the steps. They may not be able to see them, but they can see what's going on with the screen or app. From there, they can correct the issue.

This takes out further confusion and frustration, as the agent won't need to use a phone to walk them through the steps. They just do it for you.

The Future of Screen Sharing

Screen sharing software currently is in a good place, but it certainly has the potential to be better in the next coming years. Both augmented reality and virtual reality are becoming more utilized in the business world, but they can be used more and should slide in nicely into screen sharing solutions.

Augmented reality goggles can be a more than suitable replacement for desktop screens in screen sharing. If they have the ability to stream live video to an organization's location, they can see what the wearer sees. From there, it works like standard screen sharing, allowing the room to get the information they need without future issues that plague standard businesses.

Of course, this doesn't particularly require AR goggles, as any common webcam can do just that, Instead, imagine if they could input information directly on the feed, as well as upload industry-specific diagrams. This means that if there's something that looks broken, or inefficient on the screen, they can highlight that exact problem and diagnose what's wrong with it.

The possibilities here are endless, especially for those who may be factory workers or engineers who depend on schematics. They can just be pulled right up on the screen.

This may be a little more involved than standard screen sharing, as it's as close to the real world as you can get. But, it should be said that we're nearly there as far as technology is concerned.

Powerful Screen Sharing Today

While it's always fun to project what's next in technology, we can still be excited as to where it is today. It's a simple and powerful tool that is used just about everywhere. Your organization probably uses Slack today, and you're more than able to use screen sharing with it.

If you're a software sales company looking to make more sales or a call center who is looking to give great customer support, screen sharing can be integral to your success and productivity.