Online conference solutions allow us to host and attend online meetings, watch demos, participate in webinars, In some cases – to also instantly share documents, web pages, whiteboards, audio and video files. Meeting and sharing online save a lot of time and travel costs. It is better, faster and cheaper, as well as comfortable and flexible way to arrange meetings.

Below is a selection of widely used websites for international calls and online conferences. Have a look and make your choice. Call your research partners around the world to share your burning summer ideas for research topics, as well as your  experience on writing articles and papers in hot and sunny days:

Websites for international calls

Calleasy has only one limitation: you can call to any country where the telephone call costs less than 5Eurocent/minute (around 50 countries worldwide). CallEasy reserves the right after a certain amount of calls to start charging the default rate. Free calls are available for users with Freedays.

Evaphone provides Internet telephone calls for free up to a certain limit. But the prices anyway are very low.  You can call anywhere only by just dialing the number. You can also participate in discussions of the EVAPHONE system on the message board and/or post your opinions and suggestions. Advertisers can place their promo videos, banners, and contextual advertisements.

FreeCall allows calling to regular phones over the internet. You need to install for free an application, plug a headset in your PC and start calling instantly.  Free calls are limited and only valid for landlines in destinations marked as free. You can also send free sms-es.

Flash2Voip is a video telephone based on Adobe Flash technology. Itallows calls in over 30 countries directly from your computer. You do not need to download-just dial the number-after registering yourself and your call partner -then call each others by entering corresponding username in dialing line. It is not free-there are limited number of 5 min demo calls for free.

Globe 7 is a value innovation and globally patented product developed by Northgate Technologies Ltd and Marketed by Axill Europe Limited. It is a tiny application integrated with Soft Phone, IM, Videos, Games, News and many more opt-in widgets for your complete entertainment, information and communication.

iCall uses internet to connect your computer with a telephone line. Calls are free for USA and Canada, up to 5 min for a call. There are iPhone and iPod Touch applications. iCall's free calling network now boasts over more than 3 million unique downloads.

Jaxtr is used by 10 million people in 220 countries. You need to first register before calling-then you receive a telephone number based on which you can call directly from your browser.

MediaRing Talk is a cutting-edge communications application that has been developed by one of the world’s pioneer in VoIP technology – MediaRing Limited. Through MediaRing’s extensive global IP network and strong technological capabilities, the service allows for call connections to over 240 countries with superb voice clarity at all times.  The soft phone dialer is easy to use and enriched with features such as multi-user voice conferencing and instant messaging. PC-to-PC calls to other MediaRing Talk users anywhere in the world are free, while making calls to fixed and mobile lines are charged at only a fraction of what traditional telecommunications service providers charge.

PokeTalk:You do not need a microphone and headphones to call-you could do that directly from your mobile. The limit is up to 50 conversations a month, up to 10 min each.

And: almost everyone knows Skype : the leading global internet communications company, the most used platform worldwide, providing free internet calls, including video calls, instant messaging, and sharing files. Skype-to-Skype voice and video calls are completely free.

Online conferences and content sharing solutions

Cisco Webex combines real-time desktop sharing with phone conferencing so everyone sees the same thing while you talk. It’s far more productive than emailing files and struggling to get everyone on the same page over the phone. It allows sharing rich multimedia content in real time, allowing up to 6 videos at the same time.  The platform is used by educational institutions because of real time collaboration using an interactive whiteboard, chat, and VOIP technology that allows audio and video sharing. In distance learning situations, while replacing the classroom with features, institutions have also looked for security features which are inherently strong in a Cisco powered collaboration environment. The downside is that Webex is not a free platform. Meetings can be attended from a mobile phone as well. Subscription is $49/month.

Connect Now is a web conferencing solution by which users can use to instantly communicate and collaborate using your own online meeting room. It is one of the Acrobat.com services – an efficient way to share ideas, discuss details, and complete work with others online. There are options for audio, video conferences, instant chat, personal online meeting room. Limitation is the acceptance of only 3 persons online at the same time. The Paid package Acrobat Premium Plus solution allows unlimited number of workspaces. Online workspaces support all file types, except audio and video.

Dimdimallows users to host and attend live meetings, demos and webinars using just a web browser. It also allows instantly sharing documents, web pages, whiteboards, audio, video - with no software to install. It synchronises live presentations, whiteboards and web pages while sharing voice and video on the internet. Dimdim is free for small meetings and starts at only $25 per month for unlimited use with more participants.

Free cnference offers toll-free conferences (only for North America), paid scheduled conferences and conferences on demand.In order for conference participants to reach the service, each one must call a telephone number which may be local (US) or long distance, depending on their location.

Yuuguu is easy software to use screen sharing, web conferencing, remote support, desktop remote control and messaging. Together with the minimum free package, there are 3 levels of paid packages: Teams, Plus, and Corporate,