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Amazon Chime is yet another videoconferencing tool

Out of the gate, Amazon Chime is built for video calling across desktop or mobile devices.

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Somehow, in 2017 it's still a chore to collect people for a conference call, much less one with video. Now Amazon is taking on Microsoft/Skype, Cisco and the rest with its new solution, Chime. Aimed squarely towards businesses, Chime comes out of the Amazon Web Services (AWS) side of things, running on the company's servers and promising "frustration-free meetings."

It's launching with support for apps on desktop or mobile or the web; and is designed with features like a visual roster of who is currently connected, single-click ability to join a call, plus screen sharing and file sharing. There's a free basic edition if all you need is the calls, messaging and chat features, while Plus and Pro versions adding the kinds of features IT managers probably dig (Active Directory configurations, email domains, unlimited VoIP support) can cost as much as $15 per user, and there's a 30-day free available for Pro.