2. Features Needed
● Skype, Voxer, Facebook, and Google Drive
require internet connection.
● SMS, GroupMe, and Voxer require a cell
phone plan.
● GroupMe, Skype, Facebook, and Google
Drive require an email account.
3. Criteria and Concerns
● Depending on the tool, every member must
be able to view all messages/participate at
the same time.
● Also, every member must be willing to use
that tool.
● Tools should be convenient for group
conversating.
4. GroupMe
Pros
● It’s on every Platform.
Either a smartphone or
via SMS on any phone
● Syncs your phone’s
address book
● No internet required
and sends messages
without using up your
carrier’s text limits
Cons
● Has common Bug
and performance
improvement
issues with updates
● Only supported by
some international
carriers
● Delays in
messages occur
frequently
5. Skype
Pros
● Easy to register and use
● Skype has a chat feature
for instant messages,
and a video feature to
communicate by voice
and visual
● Multiple users can chat
and video-conference
Cons
● Requires an internet
connection
● The voice feature
requires a microphone.
The video feature
requires a webcam/built-
in microphone (which
older computers, laptops,
etc. do not have)
● Poor internet connection
can result in low quality
videos and disconnection
6. SMS
Pros
● Able to communicate with
someone without the
interruption of making a
phone call
● Recipients will get the SMS
right away and a record will
automatically be save in the
cell phone
● No internet connection is
required to send or receive
SMS
Cons
● Sending and receiving is
not free. Must pay about
15 cents per SMS or
about $20 for unlimited
messaging, depending on
the carrier
● SMS messages are
designed to be short and
limited to about 160
characters
● It is easy to
misunderstand the “SMS
language”
7. Voxer
Pros
● Being able to send voice
record messages without
requiring both parties to be
online at the same time
● Ability to send the message to
the group for up to 25 people
● Ability to come back to the
past messages and to re-
listen to them an infinite
number of times
Cons
● Requires internet
connection
● Because all of the
messages are being
stored as records,
someone can get access
to the private messages
● Bad internet connection
can sometimes cut
recordings off
8. Facebook
Pros
● Messaging platform allows
people to communicate through a
variety of means, including email,
text, and through Facebook
mobile app
● Facebook Chat enables voice
and video calling. Voice/video
calling abilities are provided free
and can be used to contact
people all over the world.
● News feed makes getting news
and updates to important people
quick and easy. Any update is
automatically visible in any
“friend’s” news feed
Cons
● Has been notorious for
privacy/security issues. Very
easy to create fake profiles
and provide false
information
● Difficult to separate the
social aspect from the
business aspect
● Difficult to permanently
delete information
9. Google Drive
Pros
● Don’t need to have a Gmail
account, can sign in using any
email address
● All group members don’t need
to be on at the same time in
order to communicate
● Able to write group papers
and create PowerPoint
presentations together
Cons
● There is no calendar
feature, so members are
unable to schedule tasks
● No thread communication
available, can only
message one member at
a time
● Must have internet or Wi-
Fi connection in order to
communicate
10. Winners
● GroupMe, for group
conversations/notifications.
● SMS, for personal, one-on-one
communication.
● Google Drive, for Document and PowerPoint
sharing.
11. Sources
• https://groupme.com/
• Kovach, Steve. "7 Reasons Why GroupMe Is The Best
Group Messaging App Right Now." The Business
Insider. Business Insider Inc., 10 Mar. 2011. Web. 04
Oct. 2013. <http://www.businessinsider.com/why-
groupme-is-the-best-group-messaging-app-right-now-
2011-3?op=1>.