I published a post about different things one can do with your webcam, called it Webcam Tricks which got good response from the readers.

When I look at the article now I see one important missing, which is “Multi-user Video Conference using Webcams” while there are a lot of options available out there only few are worth our time and effort. I’ve done the research so that you don’t have to..

Following options lets you hold multi-user chat with family and friends..

First on the list is ooVoo..

ooVoo is a windows based software. It comes in two versions, 1) Free and 2) Paid. The free version is good enough for regular multi-user video conference. It supports upto 3-way live video chats, unlimited video messages and up to 1 minute of video message recording and some fun video effects.

The paid version of this software which costs, $10 a month, offers 6-way live video chats, Hi-res video, unlimited recording of video calls, upto 1,000 minutes of video storage, etc..

The second option on the list is, TokBox. TokBox is a web based flash application which lets you host conference chats and invite as many participants as you like. This is a kind of a video social network which lets you invite and add existing network users as friends.

For me this service is love at first sight for all the smart features it offers. Simply create a meeting and shoot the meeting URL directly to twitter for your friends to join or just copy the URL and e-mail it to friends you like to invite and they will all be on the Video chat within no time. Here is my personalized profile URL: http://toxbox.com/syedabbas

Another option of calling multiple contacts for Video conferencing is MeBeam. The service seems pretty simple. It does not require download or purchase of any software, all you are required to do is add "MeBeam" to your contact list on skype and you are ready to go. Using MeBeam you can invite upto 16 users for a video chat.

I haven’t tried the service yet so instead of writing much about it I am just going to link you guys to the official blog, here.

These are the best available options I’ve found so far which cost nothing to have a multi-user video conference.

However, if you are looking for professional services for more options and features to hold office-like meetings you might want to try out services like – Webex.com or DimDIm.com