With the Covid-19 pandemic turning out to be a marathon—not a sprint—it continues to put a damper on our best-laid holiday plans. This year, you can forget about office parties, shopping binges, lively family reunions, and get-togethers with friends, kith and kin. The most recent health advisories enjoin Filipinos to stay safe by having no more than twenty people in their Christmas gatherings, if any. Limit your outings, they say, and remind us to make Noche Buena strictly for immediate family and household members.
However, after months of being quarantined and socially distanced, we miss the warmth of friends and co-workers, the fun and laughter, and the camaraderie. Indeed, creating memories is what makes our Christmas merry and bright.
BRIA Homes, a leading real estate developer in the country, understands where we’re coming from and encourages us to celebrate the holidays from the comfort and safety of our homes. To BRIA’s residents and homeowners, they suggest to stick close to their stylish, well-designed, and affordable houses and lots and simply reach out to loved ones this holiday season through the following digital video conferencing apps:
Zoom
One of the best video conferencing software that people now commonly use for video meetings, online schooling, video conferences, and other virtual get-togethers, Zoom has an interface that is easy to use and understand. One of its best features is its screen sharing and the ability to change your background, allowing for fun and creative group calls despite being held at home.
Anyone can download and use Zoom’s free video conferencing basic plan. The free version allows users to host group calls with up to 100 participants for up to a maximum of 40 minutes. However, one-on-one calls are unlimited. These features can be upgraded by availing of Zoom’s higher pricing plans. Exceptions to call time limits are also made for those who have official business or educational accounts.
Zoom is available as an app for your desktop computer, laptops, and mobile devices.
Skype
For years now, Skype has been the standard in online messaging and video conferencing solution because of its simple and easy-to-use interface. Skype supports video and audio conference calls for up to 100 people. You can also upgrade to Skype for business for more number of participants.
It also allows for instant messaging, making it a great all-in-one app for staying connected with loved ones. Skype can also be used to contact landline numbers at low rates or even send SMS text messages. Overall, Skype is a highly reliable and versatile tool for communication in the modern age.
Skype is available as an app for your desktop computer, laptop, and mobile devices.
Google Meet / Hangouts
For those who need a simple video conferencing app, Google Meet is an excellent choice.
Google Meets is Google’s video conferencing solution that is instantly accessible for anyone with a Google account. It automatically connect to your Google calendar for easier time management. It also allows users to host group calls with up to 100 participants for a maximum of 60 minutes. Users with business and educational accounts can take advantage of more advanced features such as an increased number of participants.
Google Meets is available to use from your internet browser of choice or as a free app on your mobile device.
Facebook Messenger
As one of the most popular social media platforms of all time, Facebook continuously innovates on its technology to meet the needs of its users.
Perhaps Facebook Messenger’s greatest advantage is that video calls can be accessed for free by all users. Facebook Rooms can host up to 50 people in a video call—with no time limit. This makes Messenger an easy alternative to other popular video conferencing platforms, especially since all people with existing Facebook accounts can readily use the free video meeting app.
Facebook Messenger can be accessed via your internet browser of choice or as a free app on your mobile device.
Discord
Discord is a great app for maintaining the fun online communities you want to stay connected with.
The app allows for one-on-one voice and video calls with other users but it’s best used by creating group servers for families and like-minded friends to take part in. Each server can contain individual messaging channels that can be separated by topic. These channels can also have their own unique privacy settings so that only certain members of the server can access them.
Currently, Discord supports group video calls with up to 25 participants without a time limit. The Discord app likewise allows you to individually adjust the volume of each participant’s audio output and adapt the call to your specific needs.
Discord is available as an app for your desktop computer, laptop, and mobile devices.
“We have technology to thank for providing us these video conferencing solutions solutions to many of our current communication concerns,” says Red Rosales, President of BRIA Homes. “We at BRIA gently remind our valued residents and homeowners to take full advantage of these so that their holiday celebrations may remain joyful and jubilant while adhering to all safety protocols.”
BRIA Homes is a subsidiary of GOLDEN MV Holdings, Inc., one of the largest real estate companies in the country. BRIA Homes is primed to bring quality and affordable house and lot packages and condominium units closer to ordinary Filipino families. This is the goal that drives every single employee in the company, for which the ultimate fulfillment is seeing a client happily moving into BRIA’s homes.
To know more, visit their website at www.bria.com.ph, like and follow “Bria Homes, Inc.” on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, Spotify, Viber Community, Telegram Channel, Kakao Talk, LINE and WhatsApp, or call 0939-887-9637.
