LogMeIn launched a major update to its Android app for join.me, the company’s online meeting and collaboration tool.
The updated app gives Android users the ability to collaborate on the go for free by sharing documents, apps, Web pages, maps or virtually anything on their smartphone or tablet.
“The workforce isn’t just choosing to work remotely – they’re choosing to work where and when they want. And when they need to work, they’re not always in front of a computer,” Steve Schult, director of products, join.me, told eWEEK. “We need to work on whatever device they have, and in a way the user is familiar with. That need was the driving force for our latest update.”
Because it works as part of the overall join.me service, attendees can join the screen sharing session from any PC, Mac, iOS, or Android device.
“If our customers are on the go, they still want to host and participate in meetings as much as possible,” Schult said. “We’ve taken that need and built robust presenting capability on Android devices, so our users can demo their own apps, show someone a map, share a document, or show whatever else is on their screen. Also we’ve built the app keeping Android’s material design in mind, so users will be familiar with the look and feel right away.”
The updated app also offers customers of the premium version, join.me Pro new features, such as starting a meeting using a unique personal link; pass, request or reclaim presenter control, and the ability to record meetings.
Users can also lock or unlock meetings to allow others to join with or without requesting access, or start a conference call from an Android phone with one tap that automatically dials the conference call number and access code.
“We built join.me just over five years ago knowing there was a better way for people to meet online, and our user experience is a core reason customers switch to our product,” Schult said. “Users are no longer as patient to wait for a meeting to start, and download requirements for viewing are becoming a thing of the past across all products. With more demands for time being placed on professionals, they don’t have time for IT to install something on their computer or try to make a complicated room system work.”
The Android app is available for free on devices running version 5.0 and above operating systems (Lollipop and Marshmallow) and works with both join.me’s free version, as well as join.me Pro.
Additionally, optional upgrades are available through in-app purchases, and Android users with compatible devices can update the existing app or download the app for free on the Google Play or Amazon store.
“Our philosophy for building products is to leverage the native experience and capabilities of that device, because users expect to intuitively pick up an app and use all of the traditional capabilities of the device,” Schult said.