The idea of building an interactive online meeting platform might have not crossed your mind if the pandemic didn’t make us realize the importance of it. From Zoom meetings to conducting classes in Microsoft Teams, the online live video conferencing apps witnessed the biggest surge in demand during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The number of new users turned from thousands to millions on platforms like Zoom. Since every meeting from business to conducting classes is now held on online platforms, have you ever wondered about the technical work behind it?

A common question of how these live online meeting platforms are working so smoothly may arise in our minds. And, even if you want to make an online meeting application there are certain things one should know. So, let’s have a look at how these live online meeting applications are developed and what are the most important features in platforms like these. Once you know the requirements for building a platform like Zoom, you will be able to build mobile apps, desktop apps, anything you like.

Introduction to Online Meeting Platforms

Online meeting platforms are applications that are developed to connect with anyone globally through both audio and video mode. A live online interactive platform like Zoom enables everyone to video chat, connect with audio, and also send text messages and share files in the meetings. If you are giving a presentation or teaching a class, you also have the option to share a screen and record the meeting so that those who were unavailable can watch it later. There’s an option to create a meeting and then you can send the link to whoever you want to be present in the meeting. There are several features that a video conferencing platform like Zoom has but let’s look at what are the basic and mandatory features to create such a platform.

Features for your Video Conferencing App

The following features are mandatory if you are to build a live online interactive video conferencing platform.

• Creating a New Meeting: Your users should have the option to create a new meeting instantly and share the link with other fellow participants.
• Schedule a Meeting: Your users should be given the liberty to set a meeting any time they want. This way they can create a meeting beforehand and save the dates for later.
• Joining a Meeting: When a link or invite code is shared for a meeting, the participants should get the option to join the meeting on their screen.
• Meeting List: This is a very important and convenient feature for the users especially those who conduct or participate in regular office meetings. They can see the list of upcoming meetings on a dashboard which helps them during remote working.
• Contact List: This feature helps you to add, edit, and manage contact lists. So, whenever you create a new meeting and send invites you can also send the other participants a reminder.
• Invite Participants: If you have created a meeting, you have to invite other participants to join. So, a user should be able to do that through the mail, giving a web link, meeting code, or meeting ID.
• Screen Sharing: It is an essential feature for online meetings. For example, a user is giving a business presentation so he or she should be able to present her screen to the audience to show the presentation or plan. When a teacher is teaching in the class, he or she might have to show any diagrams or mathematical problems and explain them to the class. So, the option of screen sharing is vital.
• Recording: An user should be able to record the entire meeting and store it elsewhere for future purposes.
• Stop Video: Since the platform has an option for both audio and video chat, the users should have the liberty to turn the video on and off accordingly.
• Mute/Unmute: There is an option for mute/unmute in every online video conferencing app. The user can mute themselves when they aren’t speaking which prevents background noise.

What does it take to create a Video Conferencing App?

The features are something that will make your platform workable and it is for the users to enjoy. But, what about all the work backstage? Here are some important points about building the app which you shouldn’t miss.

• Back-end Development: One of the most important stages of building the video conferencing app is the back-end development where one has to take care of the server portion and the proper functioning of the platform. Many apps these days use ready-made BaaS solutions, but for a video conferencing platform it is suggested to build everything from scratch. You cannot compromise with the quality of the app as privacy and data breach are two big factors.
• UI/UX Design: The UI should be very simple for the users to understand the first time. Don’t make it too complex because the users will get distracted and they might not feel comfortable using the platform. So, you have to place every feature in such a manner that the users have every option in front of their eyes but it is not complex at the same time.
• iOS/Android App: For developing the app, you have to use third-party software in the case of both iOS and Android. So, you have to do a bit of research given using which software will be easier and better to develop the app. Xornor Technologies offers one of the best services for developing an interactive live online meeting platform. So, you can check out their website and take a step forward towards building your app.