Whereby is a video chat/conferencing tool that does not require any downloads.
Current known uses in the sector
Whereby can be used in Citizenship Preparation, Community Connections, Employment-related, Information and Orientation, Library Settlement Partnership, Settlement Workers in Schools, Pre-Arrival as a way to communicate in real time with Newcomers and colleagues.
VDO.Ninja is a video chat/conferencing tool used in your browser, no downloads needed.
Current known uses in the sector
VDO.Ninja can be used in Citizenship Preparation, Community Connections, Employment-related, Information and Orientation, Library Settlement Partnership, Settlement Workers in Schools, Pre-Arrival as a way to communicate in real time with Newcomers and colleagues.
Video overview
Pricing
VDO.Ninja is free.
Ease of use & Accessibility
VDO.Ninja is easy to use. No information about accessibility is available.
Mobile friendly
VDO.Ninja is accessible in mobile web browsers.
Privacy/security features (including data security and message encryption)
Jitsi is a free, secure, and open source video conferencing with collaboration functionality, video directly in browse. No downloads required.
Current known uses in the sector
Jitsi can be used in Citizenship Preparation, Community Connections, Employment-related, Information and Orientation, Library Settlement Partnership, Settlement Workers in Schools, Pre-Arrival as a way to communicate in real time with Newcomers and colleagues.
Skype is a free web-based communication tool which allows people to video conference, make calls, and instant message.
Current known uses in the sector
Skype can be used in Citizenship Preparation, Community Connections, Employment-related, Information and Orientation, Library Settlement Partnership, Settlement Workers in Schools, Pre-Arrival as a tool to engage with Newcomers visually, brainstorm ideas, capture Newcomer feedback, ideas, insights, suggestions, comprehension, etc.
Video overview
Pricing
Skype is free. However, if you want to get a phone number with the country code in which you live, you have to pay a little amount of money.
Ease of use & Accessibility
Skype is fairly simple. You can easily see sign up, download Skype, use Skype online, and help icons.
Skype offers voiceover, narrated screen reader, High-contrast settings, magnifier, and speech recognition to convert speech to texts to support people with hearing or seeing disabilities.
Mobile friendly
Skype is available for iOS and Android devices.
Privacy/security features (including data security and message encryption)
Skype uses cookies to get some personal information about users. It benefits from the cookies to improve itself, recognize people’s preferences, and tailor Skype web content for individuals. You can disable cookies if you do not want Skype to use your information.
All Skype-to-Skype voice, video, file transfers and instant messages are encrypted. If you make a call from Skype to mobile and landline phones, the part of your call that takes place over the PSTN (the ordinary phone network) is not encrypted. Voice messages are encrypted when they’re delivered to you. However, after you have listened to a voice message, it is transferred from Skype servers to your local machine, where it is stored as an unencrypted file.
Google Meet is voice, instant messaging, video chat/conferencing platform.
Current known uses in the sector
Google Meet can be used in Citizenship Preparation, Community Connections, Employment-related, Information and Orientation, Library Settlement Partnership, Settlement Workers in Schools, Pre-Arrival as a way to communicate in real time with Newcomers and colleagues.
Video overview
Pricing
Google Meet is free.
Ease of use & Accessibility
Google Meet is easy to use and allows you to have video meetings right in your web browser instead of having to download any software. Find out about accessibility features here.
Mobile friendly
Google Meet is available as an Android and iOS app.
Privacy/security features (including data security and message encryption)
Slack is a workplace communication tool, where participants can message each other, create channels/discussion groups, and share tools and files. Slack also integrates with other apps/add-ins and other workplace tools.
You can integrate other apps and services into Slack, making it a versatile team communication tool. Using Slack can increase communication and collaboration, facilitate project management, and allow you to learn how to use a tool that is popular in many workplaces today.
Current known uses in the sector
Public community groups and discussions on specific topics for larger projects.
Used as the messaging component for online conferences.
Internal team meeting, project management, and discussion tool.
Mainly an internally focused tool, Slack can be used to coordinate with Newcomers and communities as well. Slack allows for public and private channels, restricting access to internally focused channels and discussions, while allowing for external partners/clients to share and discuss. In that way, Slack can be used in Citizenship Preparation, Community Connections, Employment-related, Information and Orientation, Library Settlement Partnership, Settlement Workers in Schools, Pre-Arrival as a tool to engage with internal colleagues, external partners & stakeholders, as well as Newcomers.
Slack is relatively easy to use, but there is a learning curve to make full use of it. The above videos as well as time and practice, make it easy to use after the initial orientation. Here is a good example of a Slack workspace guidelines and orientation guide, from Refugee613’s DMSI project.
Slack has a mobile/smartphone app where participants can access full functionality, including using Slack for audio calls with other users.
Privacy/security features, including data security and message encryption
Slack has a mixed rating on Common Sense Media (which typically rates for safe use of technology with children). However, Slack indicates that it uses strong security protocols, including that it can be can be configured for HIPAA compliance, including electronically protected health information (e-PHI), which is an extremely high security setting.
It is useful and important to note on the pricing page the security features increase and are enhanced with higher priced versions of the tool.
Discord is a community-building tool where you can connect over voice, video, and text chat. Discord uses text channels to chat over text, and voice channels where you can use over voice and video.
Current known uses in the sector
Discord can be used in Citizenship Preparation, Community Connections, Employment-related, Information and Orientation, Library Settlement Partnership, Settlement Workers in Schools, Pre-Arrival as a way to communicate with Newcomers and colleagues.
You can use Discord through your web browser, computer software, or Android and iOS apps.
Privacy/security features (including data security and message encryption)
Discord has robust Safety policies. You can find information about privacy and security features here, including data policies and data/message encryption settings.