Do You Turn on Your Camera During an Online Meeting?

It is hard to remember a time when Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams were not the most popular video apps for employees, students, and teachers alike. Although they were once used almost exclusively by the tech-savvy, they are now most popular with most of the general population.

There was a time when we didn’t have a choice to show our face or not because in-person was the primary option for all meeting types. The current digital climate offers a level of convenience and a competitive market for virtual calls.

The team at Grand Canyon Univerity sourced PC Mag, TechRadar, and Forbes for search terms, and used Google Trends to compile the online search interest for 34 video conferencing software and compared data across 50 states.

Microsoft Teams is the leading virtual meeting platform in the nation, winning out of 10 of the 50 states. Close behind are Google Meet and Zoom, which tied for second with five states each. 

It’s no surprise that highly populated states such as New York, California, Illinois, and Texas all used one of the top three virtual meeting conferences. These states host the headquarters for many successful businesses in the country and are considered the home state of many working Americans and college students.

TeamViewer Meeting and Webex by Cisco followed the three most popular video conferencing companies, each winning in four states. According to GCU, TeamViewer Meeting had the highest search interest in Delaware, North Dakota, Rhode Island, and South Dakota. Webex by Cisco was used most in Alaska, Hawaii, Mississippi, and North Carolina.

There are many video conferencing software available — some are more popular than others, depending on which state your employer or school resides in. Two platforms were the most popular in only one state:

Lifesize, mostly known for offering 4K video to users, was only the most popular in Maine, while RemotePC Meeting was the most notable in New Jersey. 

Eleven other platforms appeared on the map as the most popular in two or more states. Some lesser-known platforms include Gatheround, Toasty, and Whereby, each with a significant following in parts of the U.S.

Due to the global pandemic, working from home has become prevalent worldwide. No matter which platform you use to connect with your team, we can all agree that video conferencing software has made connecting with our peers easier and does not show any signs of going away soon.