The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a significant number of technology companies, software providers, and service organisations to offer free access, extended trials, and discounted products to support businesses, educators, healthcare workers, and the general public during periods of remote work and social distancing. The following information, drawn exclusively from the provided source data, outlines the specific free offers, eligibility requirements, and durations available during this period. It is important to note that the source material primarily covers B2B software, educational tools, and communication platforms, rather than consumer product samples such as beauty or baby care items.
Communication and Collaboration Tools
A major focus of free offers has been on enabling remote work and online learning through video conferencing, scheduling, and communication platforms.
Cisco Webex expanded its free Webex offer in all countries where it is available. The enhanced free version includes unlimited usage with no time restrictions, support for up to 100 participants, and toll dial-in in addition to existing VoIP capabilities. Furthermore, Cisco is providing free 90-day licenses to businesses that are not current Webex customers during this time of need.
Calendly, an online appointment scheduling software, is offering free Zoom and GoToMeeting integrations to help remote workers stay connected through June. They are also providing free premium plan access to teams working directly on COVID-19 pandemic research, response, or mitigation.
CircleLoop, a cloud-based phone system for business, pledged free remote phone service to all UK schools, charities, and healthcare providers for the next three months. This offer is available to any existing or new customers who need to facilitate remote, mobile, or flexible working at short notice.
StarLeaf offers a free version of its service available worldwide and across all devices, allowing users to meet with anyone on video. They are also offering free trials of their fully featured service.
Support.com is offering free tech support to help people working or studying remotely. This includes tech support for any device, any issue at any time, available to anyone who needs it. Remote support is accessible via phone, chat, or video-based “virtual house” call, with individuals able to schedule a callback.
Software and Productivity Tools
Numerous software companies have provided free access or extended trials of their products to aid with remote work, creative projects, and business continuity.
Adobe is offering free at-home access to its Creative Cloud tools to students through May 31, in response to many schools moving to online learning. They are also offering free 90-day access to its web conferencing tool, Adobe Connect, for both current subscribers and non-customers, through July 1.
Affinity Designer is offering a 90-day free trial of all the Mac and Windows versions of the whole Affinity suite to support the creative community. They are also offering a 50% discount for users who would prefer to buy and keep the apps, including iPad versions.
Kapwing, a product that enables young people and teachers to create videos and multimedia collages, is giving Kapwing Pro for free to any educator affected by emergency closures.
Krisp, a virtual microphone that removes background noises on calls, is offering several things for the next six months (until September 17): all users get 120 minutes/week of free noise cancellation; all students, teachers, hospital and government workers get unlimited Krisp for free; and Krisp Pro and Teams get a 30% price cut.
TechSmith is offering organizations and academic institutions free access and expanded usage of TechSmith Snagit (screen recording tool) and TechSmith Video Review (asynchronous collaboration platform) through the end of June 2020.
Mailchimp is offering free standard service to eligible groups (local governments, schools, healthcare providers, nonprofits) that are sending critical public health information about COVID-19 through June 30. Mailchimp is also giving away free service for up to three months to their small business customers who need financial support.
Microsoft is offering a free 6-month Office 365 E1 Trial, including Microsoft Teams, in response to the increased need for employees to work from home. This offer is intended for any customer managed by a Microsoft account rep and for organizations that haven’t activated any other Office 365 E1 trials in the past.
1Password is removing the 30-day trial period on 1Password Business and offering the first six months free so companies can start keeping their teams secure.
Meero is providing free large file transfers to make working from home easier. It is increasing the storage capacity and validity duration of files shared via MeeroDrop, with up to 10 Gigabytes and three months of validity, features typically only available in the advanced version.
Clarity Wave is an employee engagement software that helps businesses ensure employees stay focused and engaged while working remotely.
Cybersecurity and IT Services
To support the shift to remote work and protect critical infrastructure, several cybersecurity and IT firms have made their services available for free.
Kaspersky is offering free availability of its core endpoint security products for medical organizations to help them stay protected from cyberthreats. The full list of B2B products available for free for six months includes Kaspersky Endpoint Security Cloud Plus, Kaspersky Security for Microsoft Office 365, Kaspersky Endpoint Security for Business Advanced, and Kaspersky Hybrid Cloud Security.
Tigunia, a software and information technology consulting firm, is offering any company the ability to enable every employee to work from home for free for six months.
Educational and Learning Resources
Educational platforms and course providers have offered free access to support online learning.
Labster is helping to bring learning online quickly by offering a 90-day free trial of all the Mac and Windows versions of the whole Affinity suite for high school or higher ed organizations.
Ahrefs has made Tim Soulo’s $799 “Blogging for Business” course free.
Moz has made Moz Academy courses available for free.
Data and Connectivity
Mobile network providers have offered additional data and services to support increased connectivity needs.
T-Mobile (and Metro by T-Mobile) customers with legacy plans are receiving unlimited smartphone data for the next 60 days (excluding roaming), an additional 20GB of smartphone mobile hotspot for each voice line, extra free data up to 5GB per month through May 13, and free international calling to many severely impacted countries.
Other Notable Offers
Thoughtexchange, a cloud-based SaaS platform for crowdsourcing technology, is offering free and unlimited access to leaders in any organization to ask mission-critical questions relevant to the COVID-19 outbreak. There are no strings attached and no limits on participant numbers or the amount of questions able to be asked. Free access is open indefinitely.
Ubersuggest, a keyword tool by Neil Patel, has expanded its free version, though the specifics of the expansion are not detailed in the source material.
Tealbook, an enterprise software company that connects buyers and suppliers, is offering free trials and supplier reports to help combat COVID-19 shortages.
Jottful is offering free marketing services.
Conclusion
The provided source material details a wide array of free software, service, and educational offers specifically designed to address challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. These offers are primarily focused on supporting remote work, online education, business continuity, and cybersecurity for medical and educational institutions. The free access periods, eligibility criteria, and specific features vary significantly by provider, with durations ranging from 90 days to six months or indefinite access. Consumers and businesses seeking these resources should verify the current status of each offer directly with the respective providers, as many of these initiatives were tied to specific timeframes during the pandemic.