Comparison of Connect app and other video endpoints

The Connect apps are developed directly by Pexip and use Pexip's client APIs to integrate with the Pexip Infinity platform. This means that there are some differences in the experience of joining and participating in a Pexip Infinity conference via a Connect app, when compared with Skype for Business clients and other types of software and hardware endpoints.

The table below summarizes these behavioral differences.

Feature Connect app Skype for Business and other video clients
Joining a Host+Guest conference that has a Host PIN but no Guest PIN *

Whether or not a Host has already joined, participants have the option to enter the Host PIN (to join as a Host), or simply select "Join" (to join as a Guest).

If they choose to join as a Guest:

  • If a Host has not yet joined, they are taken to the "Waiting for Host" screen.

    While waiting for a Host to join, a keypad option is available on their toolbar which they can use to enter the Host PIN and join as a Host.

  • if a Host has already joined, they are taken straight into the conference.
  • If a Host has not already joined, participants are taken to the "Waiting for Host" screen, where they have the opportunity to enter the Host PIN.
  • If a Host has already joined, participants automatically join as a Guest, unless they have included the Host PIN as part of the dial string.
Joining a Host+Guest conference that has a Host PIN and Guest PIN *

All clients have the same behavior: participants are asked to enter the conference PIN and if they enter the Host PIN, they join the conference. If they enter the Guest PIN and a Host has already joined then they are taken straight into the conference, otherwise they are taken to the "Waiting for Host" screen.

Conference PINs with a trailing # When entering PINs, any trailing # is optional. Participants hear the "please enter the # key" prompts, and must enter the # after the PIN.
Joining a VMR via a Virtual Reception Participants must dial into the Virtual Reception first, and then at the prompt enter the numeric alias of the target Virtual Meeting Room.

Participants using other clients can join a VMR via a Virtual Reception in a single step. They do this by dialing <reception_alias>**<destination_alias>@<domain>.

H.323 devices can also use the dial format <reception_alias>#<destination_alias>@<domain>.

For more information, see Including the numeric alias of the VMR in the Virtual Reception dial string.

Viewing roster Participants can view the roster. The roster is not available.
Appearing in the Connect app roster Other Connect app participants appear in the roster only after they have successfully joined the conference.

Participants using other clients appear in the roster while they are waiting to join the conference, for example while they are being held at the PIN entry screen or waiting for a Host* to join. At this point, they do not have a role assigned.

A Host using a Connect app (including Hosts who have joined in presentation and control-only mode) can let these participants into the conference without them having to enter a PIN. For instructions, see Changing a participant's role from Guest to Host (and vice versa).

Conference control Host participants can control the conference (add, mute, and disconnect participants; change a participant's role; lock and unlock the conference).

Participants do not have access to conference control, apart from a limited set of controls available to endpoints that support DTMF.

For more information, see Using a DTMF keypad to control a conference.

Chat Participants using the Connect app and Skype for Business clients can send and receive chat messages, but other video clients cannot.

* At least one Host must join with media (video and/or audio) before Guests are able to join. Alternatively, Connect app users who have joined as a Host in presentation and control-only mode (and who therefore do not act as a trigger for starting the conference) can elect to Start the meeting.