- Bluejeans video conferencing has incredible, unique features that are geared towards larger businesses, school and other organizations.
- The lack of a free tier for personal use makes it impractical for most people.
- The 14-day free trial allows organizations to try it out risk-free before committing to one of the plans, which range in price from $9.99 to $99 per host per month.
No, we aren’t talking about your favorite pair of Levi’s or Wranglers, although the idea behind this company’s name was that their product is supposed to feel just as comfortable as your favorite pair of denim. We’re talking about the video conferencing platform owned by Verizon. Let us introduce you to another member of the video conferencing world, BlueJeans.
BlueJeans is headquartered in San Jose, California and was first launched in 2011 by Krish Ramakrishnan and Alagu Periyannan. In May of 2020, Verizon completed an acquisition of the platform and rebranded the company as, “BlueJeans by Verizon”. Join us as we discover what makes BlueJeans unique from the other video conferencing platforms.
ShutterstockWhat is BlueJeans?
BlueJeans is a cloud-based video conferencing platform that allows users to connect “face-to-face” from anywhere in the world, so long as you have an internet connection. BlueJeans is an alternative to other video conferencing platforms such as Zoom, Skype, or Google Meet. However, with BlueJeans, you can join a meeting right in your web browser – no download required.
BlueJeans’ video conferencing service is geared toward businesses, schools, and larger organizations. The software works for an informal family gathering, but it’s lack of a free plan makes it likely to lose out to the more budget-friendly options like Zoom.
ShutterstockFeatures
BlueJeans has all the in-meeting features that platforms like Zoom have such as: screen sharing, customized backgrounds, recording ability, and chat. BlueJeans, however, has added features that make this software a little more enticing to someone running a business or teaching a class.
Breakout Sessions
If you are hosting a large meeting or class, it can be difficult to make sure that each participant is engaged and has a chance to participate. With BlueJeans’ Breakout Sessions, you can organize your participants into smaller groups and give them the chance to participate in the session. You can add up to 75 breakout rooms from the main video conference and organize attendees into these groups randomly or manually.
Meeting hosts can jump in between the breakout groups as they wish and monitor each group’s progress and activities. When you are ready to conclude the breakout session and return to the main conference, the host just has to click “End Breakout Session” and each group is given a 10-second countdown to wrap up their activities.
Dolby Voice
BlueJeans has partnered with the world-renowned audio experts Dolby to provide their clients with the highest audio quality. Dolby provides BlueJeans’ video conferences with powerful noise suppression, spatial audio profiling, and dynamic level adjustments to ensure each participant’s audio is as clear as possible.
This feature blocks out background noise and focuses the audio directly on the participant’s voice. If you want background noise – for example, if you’re teaching a music lesson – you can easily switch off the background noise reduction feature.
ShutterstockTranscription, Closed Captioning, and Visually Impaired Accessibility
At the Enterprise plan level, meetings are equipped with the ability to turn on live closed captioning and includes a live transcription option that can be viewed while in the meeting or shared and accessed afterwards.
BlueJeans is also compatible with standard screen readers such as VoiceOver for iOS and OSX, TalkBack for Android, and NVDA (Non-Visual Desktop Access) for the Windows platform.
Smart Meetings
When a meeting is being recorded, each participant can tag a meeting highlight. This button is easily visible on the screen and when clicked, a 40-second clip will be saved to the BlueJeans cloud. Each meeting highlight can be supplemented with comments, reactions, and action items. Additionally, a transcription of the highlight will be saved alongside the clip. This highlight package can be shared with participants or people who missed the meeting after the meeting.
Security
BlueJeans comes enhanced with AES 256-bit encryption, a level of data protection that the U.S. government notes is strong enough to secure their highest classification of data.
In addition to this, BlueJeans’ has the ability to prevent what’s become known as “Zoombombing”, where an uninvited guest crashes the meeting with the intention of disrupting it. Hosts can lock the ongoing meeting at any point to prevent additional participants from joining the conference, even if they have the passcode.
ShutterstockPlans and Pricing
BlueJeans has different plan options to fit your organization’s needs. Whether you are hosting a small class or running a multinational enterprise, there’s a tier for you. All prices listed are in USD and are quoted at the annual billing rate per host.
Standard: BlueJeans Standard is available for $9.99/month. With Standard you can host up to 100 participants without any time limits on the length of meeting. This plan limits you to 5 hours of meeting recordings per host.
Pro: BlueJeans Pro costs $13.99/month and allows up to 150 meeting participants and 25 hours of meeting recordings per host. Pro also includes their Command Center Analytics and Workstream Collaboration with Slack and Microsoft Teams.
Enterprise: BlueJeans Enterprise is available for $16.66/month and permits up to 200 participants per meeting. The recording time is unlimited. This level comes with closed captioning and real-time transcription, as well as everything included in BlueJeans Pro.
Enterprise Plus: An extra option if you need a customized plan. You can contact the company directly to get a quote.
BlueJeans can also host webinars and large events. These plans begin at $86/month depending on the size of events.
The final plan option is BlueJeans Gateway for Microsoft Teams. This plan starts at $99/month per room. This plan allows you to bring the power of Microsoft Teams video meetings into your conference rooms.
Screenshot: BlueJeansBenefits and Drawbacks
There’s lots to love about the BlueJeans video conferencing platform., but it’s not without it’s weaknesses.
- No download required – participants can join from a web browser
- High quality audio clarity and noise reduction
- Breakout Sessions encourage participation and engagement
- Added accessibility with closed captioning and screen reader compatibility
- Smart Meetings can create a highlight package to recap important information
- High security level
- No free option for casual users
- New users’ unfamiliarity with the platform may create delays when first accessing
- All the extra features can be difficult to navigate
- Reported issues with connectivity occasionally
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I upgrade from the Standard to Pro or Enterprise plan?
Q: Is there a time limit on how many meetings I can host each month or how long each meeting can be?
Q: How do I change my billing plan from Monthly to Annual?
Q: How do I cancel my subscription?
Contact BlueJeans support if you have any additional questions.
ShutterstockGet Started
BlueJeans is a fantastic video conferencing option for businesses or larger organizations like schools or public institutions. Their audio capabilities are unmatched and the extra features allow you to increase productivity. The security features give you the peace of mind that any information shared on BlueJeans is kept private and secure – something that’s critical for large organizations.
You can try BlueJeans for free with a 14-day trial to see how this platform works for you and your business.
