The worst thing about stress is that most of the people affected by it do not know that is it one of their biggest problems! Most people affected by stress do not even know that stress exists and the kind of damage that stress can do. Stress has a funny way of making itself look like it is something else, not stress. This is probably not clear, but I shall explain further.
We generally tend to think that a physical problem has physical causes. Like we may tend to think that a weak stomach or loose motions was caused by drinking water that was contaminated or food that was spoiled. It becomes hard to believe that a physical problem may be caused due to over working.
When we are sick and have ulcers, or a weak stomach or a headache we try to look for a physical cause for these illnesses. We may pinpoint the cause as something we ate the other night. We never pinpoint the cause as working intensively the whole of last month.
However, the truth is that working intensively without taking a break under unrealistic deadlines can indeed cause ulcers, headaches, weak stomachs and much much more This is stress! This is why stress is such a big problem! Because no one sees it.
To better appreciate the true nature of stress, take a look at question & answer below. It was asked in a popular health magazine and represents the confused state of most people.
Question I'm always hearing people talking about stress and how bad it is for you, but I don't really know what it is and if I'm affected by it. I have on occasional headache and some muscle tension sometimes, but I just thought it was a part of getting older. I'm 45. How can you tell if you really are a victim of stress.
Based on your description of headaches and muscle tension, you could very well be experiencing the effects of stress. Your headaches and tension could be the result of stress, but you should check with your doctor to be sure. In the meantime, there are various other indicators that someone could be suffering from stress, including rapid heartbeat, stiff neck and/or tight shoulders, rapid breathing, backache, nausea, sweating and sweaty palms. Stress also can cause frustration, irritation, and some people may become irritable and intolerant of even minor disturbances in their lives.
The truth is that there are more and more people suffering from stress now-a-days. Most people do not even know this. Every time they get sick, they go to a store and buy medicines. They never work on the real problem. The real problem for most people is stress
The average thinking is like Stressed Me No ... well maybe I don't sleep as well as I used to, I do drink a bit more than I should, the kids do say I'm always shouting, the wife and I don't talk any more, I have constant back ache and the doctor says my blood pressure's up.... but no, I'm not stressed.
It may seem obvious reading this that these are symptoms of stress but when we are living them, we usually cannot see it, we are simply trying to live with it!
Having understood that stress is a silent killer that does not show itself, let us try to understand stress better. How does stress do all that it does How come stress can make you sick without any reason whatsoever Understanding stress will give us the insight into really managing stress.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
To make money in the stock market
This article is a complete guide to the basics of making money in the stock market! If you are considering investing in the stock market, you MUST read this article! We have explained all the concepts and talked about all the "myths" that people have about the stock market!
Plain and simple a stock is a share in the ownership of a company. A stock represents a claim on the company's assets and earnings. As you acquire more stocks, your ownership stake in the company becomes greater. Note: Some times different words like shares, equity, stocks etc. are used. All these words mean the same thing.
Holding a company's stock means that you are one of the many owners shareholders of a company and, as such, you have a claim to everything the company owns. This means that technically you own a tiny little piece of all the furniture, every trademark, and every contract of the company. As an owner, you are entitled to your share of the company's earnings as well. These earnings will be given to you. These earnings are called dividends and are given to the shareholders from time to time. A stock is represented by a "stock certificate". This is a piece of paper that is proof of your ownership. However, now-a-days you could also have a demat account.
This means that there will be no stock certificates. Everything will be done though the computer electronically. Selling and buying stocks can be done just by a few clicks. Being a shareholder of a public company does not mean you have a say in the day-to-day running of the business. Instead, one vote per share to elect the board of directors of the company at annual meetings is all you can do. For instance, being a Microsoft shareholder doesn't mean you can call up Bill Gates and tell him how you think the company should be run. The management of the company is supposed to increase the value of the firm for shareholders. If this doesn't happen, the shareholders can vote to have the management removed.
In reality, individual investors like you and I don't own enough shares to have a material influence on the company. It's really the big boys like large institutional investors and billionaire entrepreneurs who make the decisions. For ordinary shareholders, not being able to manage the company isn't such a big deal. After all, the idea is that you don't want to have to work to make money, right The importance of being a shareholder is that you are entitled to a portion of the company’s profits and have a claim on assets. Profits are sometimes paid out in the form of dividends as mentioned earlier.
The more shares you own, the larger the portion of the profits you get. Your claim on assets is only relevant if a company goes bankrupt. In case of liquidation, you'll receive what's left after all the creditors have been paid. Another extremely important feature of stock is limited liability, which means that, as an owner of a stock, you are not personally liable if the company is not able to pay its debts. In other legal structures such as partnerships, if the partnership firm goes bankrupt the creditors can come after the partners personally and sell off their house, car, furniture, etc. To understand all this in more detail you could read our article. Owning stock means that, no matter what happens to the company, the maximum value you can lose is the value of your stocks. Even if a company of which you are a shareholder goes bankrupt, you can never lose your personal assets.
Why would the founders share the profits with thousands of people when they could keep profits to themselves This is the obvious question that comes up next. The next section is all about.
Plain and simple a stock is a share in the ownership of a company. A stock represents a claim on the company's assets and earnings. As you acquire more stocks, your ownership stake in the company becomes greater. Note: Some times different words like shares, equity, stocks etc. are used. All these words mean the same thing.
Holding a company's stock means that you are one of the many owners shareholders of a company and, as such, you have a claim to everything the company owns. This means that technically you own a tiny little piece of all the furniture, every trademark, and every contract of the company. As an owner, you are entitled to your share of the company's earnings as well. These earnings will be given to you. These earnings are called dividends and are given to the shareholders from time to time. A stock is represented by a "stock certificate". This is a piece of paper that is proof of your ownership. However, now-a-days you could also have a demat account.
This means that there will be no stock certificates. Everything will be done though the computer electronically. Selling and buying stocks can be done just by a few clicks. Being a shareholder of a public company does not mean you have a say in the day-to-day running of the business. Instead, one vote per share to elect the board of directors of the company at annual meetings is all you can do. For instance, being a Microsoft shareholder doesn't mean you can call up Bill Gates and tell him how you think the company should be run. The management of the company is supposed to increase the value of the firm for shareholders. If this doesn't happen, the shareholders can vote to have the management removed.
In reality, individual investors like you and I don't own enough shares to have a material influence on the company. It's really the big boys like large institutional investors and billionaire entrepreneurs who make the decisions. For ordinary shareholders, not being able to manage the company isn't such a big deal. After all, the idea is that you don't want to have to work to make money, right The importance of being a shareholder is that you are entitled to a portion of the company’s profits and have a claim on assets. Profits are sometimes paid out in the form of dividends as mentioned earlier.
The more shares you own, the larger the portion of the profits you get. Your claim on assets is only relevant if a company goes bankrupt. In case of liquidation, you'll receive what's left after all the creditors have been paid. Another extremely important feature of stock is limited liability, which means that, as an owner of a stock, you are not personally liable if the company is not able to pay its debts. In other legal structures such as partnerships, if the partnership firm goes bankrupt the creditors can come after the partners personally and sell off their house, car, furniture, etc. To understand all this in more detail you could read our article. Owning stock means that, no matter what happens to the company, the maximum value you can lose is the value of your stocks. Even if a company of which you are a shareholder goes bankrupt, you can never lose your personal assets.
Why would the founders share the profits with thousands of people when they could keep profits to themselves This is the obvious question that comes up next. The next section is all about.
To start a company
Here we have provided a huge guide that will give you an introduction to every aspect of starting a company. We have covered: screening business ideas, making a business plan, marketing, forming business objectives, making the right legal decisions etc. etc.
If you are interested only in the legal process involved in starting up a business like a Partnership Public or Private Limited Company or a Sole Proprietorship we have a separate article for the same called you pick up any book on being an entrepreneur, the first chapter will be about, Do you have what it takes to start a company
The point all these books are trying to make is, It is not easy to start a company! It is positively difficult to be an entrepreneur most people don’t want to take the risk to start a new company because they are afraid of things likePeople, who work past these initial fears and decide to go ahead and start a company, have to be prepared to really work for it. It is difficult to start a company and most people quit on the way. There will be many things that de-motivate you when you go about starting your company If you seriously want to start a company be ready to work very very hard for it Next we have explained how you can pick best possible business idea" for your new company.
If you are interested only in the legal process involved in starting up a business like a Partnership Public or Private Limited Company or a Sole Proprietorship we have a separate article for the same called you pick up any book on being an entrepreneur, the first chapter will be about, Do you have what it takes to start a company
The point all these books are trying to make is, It is not easy to start a company! It is positively difficult to be an entrepreneur most people don’t want to take the risk to start a new company because they are afraid of things likePeople, who work past these initial fears and decide to go ahead and start a company, have to be prepared to really work for it. It is difficult to start a company and most people quit on the way. There will be many things that de-motivate you when you go about starting your company If you seriously want to start a company be ready to work very very hard for it Next we have explained how you can pick best possible business idea" for your new company.
Inflation
Inflation is an economic concept. What the cause of inflation is, is not important to us from the point of view of this article What is important to us is the effect of effect of inflation is the prices of everything going up over the years.
A movie ticket was for a few paisa in my dad’s time. Now it is worth Rs.50. My dads first salary for the month w..as Rs.400 and over he years it has now become Rs.75,000. This is what inflation is, the price of everything goes up. .Because the price goes up, the salaries go up. If you really thing about it, inflation makes the worth of money reduce. What you could buy in my dad’s time for Rs.10, now a days you will not be able to buy for Rs.400 also. The worth of money has reduced! If this is still not clear consider this, when my father was a kid, he used to get 50paise pocket money. He used to use this money to go and watch a movie that time you could watch a movie for 50paiseNow, just for the sake of understanding assume that my dad decided in his childhood to save 50paise thinking, that one day when he becomes big, he will go for a movie. Many years pass. The year now is 2006. My dad goes to the theater and asks for a ticket. He offers the ticket-booth-guy at the theater 50paise and asks for a ticket. The ticket booth guy says, I am sorry sir, the ticket is worth Rs.50. You will not be able to even buy a with the 50paisethe moral of the story is that, the worth of the 50paise reduced dramatically. 50paise could buy a whole lot when my dad was a kid. Now, 50paise can buy nothing. This is inflation. This tells us two important things. Firstly Do not keep your money stagnant. If you just save money by putting it your safe it will loose value over time. If you have Rs.1000 in your safe today and you keep it there for 10years or so, it will be worth a lot less after 10 years. If you can buy something for Rs.1000 today, you will probably require Rs.1500 to buy it 10 years from now. So do not keep money locked up in your safe Always invest money.
If you can’t think where to invest your money, then put it in a bank. Let it grow by gaining interest. But whatever you do, do not just lock your money up in your safe and keep it stagnant. If you do this, you will be loosing money without even knowing it. The more money you keep stagnant the more money you will be loosing. Secondly: When investing, you have to make sure that the rate of return on your investment is higher than the rate of inflation.
the rate of inflation
As we said earlier, the price of everything goes up over time and this phenomenon is called inflation. The question is So, when you make an investment, make sure that your rate of return on the investment is higher than the rate of inflation in your country. In our county India, for the year 2005-2006 the rate of inflation was 4% Which is really low and amazingThis rate keeps changing every year. The finance minister generally gives the official statement on the inflation rate of the country for a particular year.
The rate of return is how much you make on an investment.Suppose you invest Rs.100 in the market and over a year, you make Rs.120, then you rate of return is 20%. If you invest Rs.100 in the market today and you make money at a 3% rate of return in one year you will have Rs.103. But now, since the rate of inflation is at 4% an item costing Rs.100 today will cost Rs.104 a year from now. So what you can buy with today’s Rs.100, you will only be able to buy with Rs.104 a year from now. But the Rs.100 that you invested has grown only at a 3% rate of return and so it is worth Rs.103. In effect, you are loosing money!So in conclusion, the rate of return on your investments, have to be higher than the rate of inflation. From the above paragraphs you can note how silently, inflation eats into your money. You would not even know about it an your money would sit loosing value for no fault of yours. But inflation is not the only thing you should be considering, there are other things too that eat into you money. The first thing is brokerage and the second thing is taxation.
A movie ticket was for a few paisa in my dad’s time. Now it is worth Rs.50. My dads first salary for the month w..as Rs.400 and over he years it has now become Rs.75,000. This is what inflation is, the price of everything goes up. .Because the price goes up, the salaries go up. If you really thing about it, inflation makes the worth of money reduce. What you could buy in my dad’s time for Rs.10, now a days you will not be able to buy for Rs.400 also. The worth of money has reduced! If this is still not clear consider this, when my father was a kid, he used to get 50paise pocket money. He used to use this money to go and watch a movie that time you could watch a movie for 50paiseNow, just for the sake of understanding assume that my dad decided in his childhood to save 50paise thinking, that one day when he becomes big, he will go for a movie. Many years pass. The year now is 2006. My dad goes to the theater and asks for a ticket. He offers the ticket-booth-guy at the theater 50paise and asks for a ticket. The ticket booth guy says, I am sorry sir, the ticket is worth Rs.50. You will not be able to even buy a with the 50paisethe moral of the story is that, the worth of the 50paise reduced dramatically. 50paise could buy a whole lot when my dad was a kid. Now, 50paise can buy nothing. This is inflation. This tells us two important things. Firstly Do not keep your money stagnant. If you just save money by putting it your safe it will loose value over time. If you have Rs.1000 in your safe today and you keep it there for 10years or so, it will be worth a lot less after 10 years. If you can buy something for Rs.1000 today, you will probably require Rs.1500 to buy it 10 years from now. So do not keep money locked up in your safe Always invest money.
If you can’t think where to invest your money, then put it in a bank. Let it grow by gaining interest. But whatever you do, do not just lock your money up in your safe and keep it stagnant. If you do this, you will be loosing money without even knowing it. The more money you keep stagnant the more money you will be loosing. Secondly: When investing, you have to make sure that the rate of return on your investment is higher than the rate of inflation.
the rate of inflation
As we said earlier, the price of everything goes up over time and this phenomenon is called inflation. The question is So, when you make an investment, make sure that your rate of return on the investment is higher than the rate of inflation in your country. In our county India, for the year 2005-2006 the rate of inflation was 4% Which is really low and amazingThis rate keeps changing every year. The finance minister generally gives the official statement on the inflation rate of the country for a particular year.
The rate of return is how much you make on an investment.Suppose you invest Rs.100 in the market and over a year, you make Rs.120, then you rate of return is 20%. If you invest Rs.100 in the market today and you make money at a 3% rate of return in one year you will have Rs.103. But now, since the rate of inflation is at 4% an item costing Rs.100 today will cost Rs.104 a year from now. So what you can buy with today’s Rs.100, you will only be able to buy with Rs.104 a year from now. But the Rs.100 that you invested has grown only at a 3% rate of return and so it is worth Rs.103. In effect, you are loosing money!So in conclusion, the rate of return on your investments, have to be higher than the rate of inflation. From the above paragraphs you can note how silently, inflation eats into your money. You would not even know about it an your money would sit loosing value for no fault of yours. But inflation is not the only thing you should be considering, there are other things too that eat into you money. The first thing is brokerage and the second thing is taxation.
History of Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal has inspired poets, painters and musicians to try and capture its elusive magic in word, color and song. It is one of the most flawless architectural creations of the world. Since the 17th century, travelers have crossed continents to come and see this ultimate memorial to love, and we have been unmoved by its incomparable beauty.
Taj Mahal stands in the city of Agra, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, on the banks of the Yamuna River. It was built in the memory of the beautiful Arjumand Bano Begum, who won the heart of a Mughal prince. She was married at 21 to Emperor Jahangir’s third son Prince Khurram and stayed loyally by his side through good times and bad: in the luxurious royal palaces of Agra as well as the transient tents of war camps.In AD 1628, Khurram became king after a bloody battle of succession: he took the name Shahjahan or “King of the World” and showered his beloved begum with the highest titles. She became Mumtaz Mahal, the exalted of the palace and Mumtaz-ul-Zamani, the exalted of the Age.
But Mumtaz Mahal was not destined to be queen for long. In 1631, Shahjahan went on an expedition to the south and, as always, Mumtaz Mahal accompanied him. But she died in childbirth at Burhanpur. She had borne Shahjahan fourteen children, of whom four sons and three daughters survived. When Mumtaz Mahal died, she was just 39 years old. Shahjahan was inconsolable and contemporary chronicles tell of the royal court mourning for two years. There was no music, no feasting, and no celebration of any kind.
Shahjahan, who was a passionate builder, now decided to erect a memorial to his queen in pristine marble that the world would never forget. The site selected for the tomb was a garden by the Yamuna River, unshadowed by any other structure. The garden had been laid by Raja Man Singh of Amber and now belonged to his grandson, Raja Jai Singh. By a royal fireman, Shahjahan gave Jai Singh four havelis in exchange for the garden. The site was also chosen because it was located on a bend in the river, and so could be seen from Shahjahan’s personal palace in Agra Fort, further upstream.Work on the mausoleum began in 1633 and 20,000 workers labored for 17 years to build it.
The most skilled architects, inlay craftsmen, calligraphers, stone-carvers and masons came from all across Indian and lands as distant as Persia and Turkey. The master mason was from Baghdad, an expert in building the double dome from Persia, and an inlay specialist from Delhi.Yemen sent agates, the corals came from Arabia, the garnets from Bundelkhand, onyx and amethyst from Persia. Mumtaz Mahal’s final resting-place was ornamented like a queen’s jewel-box.
Taj Mahal stands in the city of Agra, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, on the banks of the Yamuna River. It was built in the memory of the beautiful Arjumand Bano Begum, who won the heart of a Mughal prince. She was married at 21 to Emperor Jahangir’s third son Prince Khurram and stayed loyally by his side through good times and bad: in the luxurious royal palaces of Agra as well as the transient tents of war camps.In AD 1628, Khurram became king after a bloody battle of succession: he took the name Shahjahan or “King of the World” and showered his beloved begum with the highest titles. She became Mumtaz Mahal, the exalted of the palace and Mumtaz-ul-Zamani, the exalted of the Age.
But Mumtaz Mahal was not destined to be queen for long. In 1631, Shahjahan went on an expedition to the south and, as always, Mumtaz Mahal accompanied him. But she died in childbirth at Burhanpur. She had borne Shahjahan fourteen children, of whom four sons and three daughters survived. When Mumtaz Mahal died, she was just 39 years old. Shahjahan was inconsolable and contemporary chronicles tell of the royal court mourning for two years. There was no music, no feasting, and no celebration of any kind.
Shahjahan, who was a passionate builder, now decided to erect a memorial to his queen in pristine marble that the world would never forget. The site selected for the tomb was a garden by the Yamuna River, unshadowed by any other structure. The garden had been laid by Raja Man Singh of Amber and now belonged to his grandson, Raja Jai Singh. By a royal fireman, Shahjahan gave Jai Singh four havelis in exchange for the garden. The site was also chosen because it was located on a bend in the river, and so could be seen from Shahjahan’s personal palace in Agra Fort, further upstream.Work on the mausoleum began in 1633 and 20,000 workers labored for 17 years to build it.
The most skilled architects, inlay craftsmen, calligraphers, stone-carvers and masons came from all across Indian and lands as distant as Persia and Turkey. The master mason was from Baghdad, an expert in building the double dome from Persia, and an inlay specialist from Delhi.Yemen sent agates, the corals came from Arabia, the garnets from Bundelkhand, onyx and amethyst from Persia. Mumtaz Mahal’s final resting-place was ornamented like a queen’s jewel-box.
Eligibility for BA .LLB
BA.LLB- Bachelor of Laws is an integrated program in Law. BA.LLB is a five-year duration program. After completion of 10+2, students can give an entrance exam for the course of BA.LLB. These types of courses are available in most of universities in India.A degree in law provides plenty of career opportunities to a lawyer. In this field of law, social and financial crises amid the public are always marked.
A degree of law provides weapons to fight against all types of social inequalities and crimes. Under the imposed rules by law, the society is governed. Law is one of the vital and most basic communal institutions. There are always crises and injustice in the society if the people did just as they wished. No society could ever exist until its members distinguish that they have certain obligations towards one another. The law sets up the systems that describe human rights and obligations. The law punishes the people who break these rules. Law in various crimes and cases advises government. Mostly different government departments and police agencies see that laws are regulated amongst the people.
The courts of that region help to these agencies to carry on the laws. Skills Required for BA.LLB. The lawful process does not merely engage lawyers dramatically in the courtroom. Lawyers present their cases before the honorable judges with great efforts. Law is the base of the society and it is a vital weapon to bring some positive changes amongst the people. A lawyer must acquire outstanding communication and staging skills.
A lawyer cross-examines the observer to bring out reality before the court. Case analysis skills are the most important skills to become a successful lawyer. A high-level honesty goes along way making one a reputed lawyer. Selection of Students in BA.LLB program Students have to prepare for the entrance test and personal interview. The Law entrance test generally checks the Legal reasoning, Logical reasoning, Maths, English and General Knowledge of the students. Studies of Law are available mostly in all Universities of India. Some of the major Law Schools in India
A degree of law provides weapons to fight against all types of social inequalities and crimes. Under the imposed rules by law, the society is governed. Law is one of the vital and most basic communal institutions. There are always crises and injustice in the society if the people did just as they wished. No society could ever exist until its members distinguish that they have certain obligations towards one another. The law sets up the systems that describe human rights and obligations. The law punishes the people who break these rules. Law in various crimes and cases advises government. Mostly different government departments and police agencies see that laws are regulated amongst the people.
The courts of that region help to these agencies to carry on the laws. Skills Required for BA.LLB. The lawful process does not merely engage lawyers dramatically in the courtroom. Lawyers present their cases before the honorable judges with great efforts. Law is the base of the society and it is a vital weapon to bring some positive changes amongst the people. A lawyer must acquire outstanding communication and staging skills.
A lawyer cross-examines the observer to bring out reality before the court. Case analysis skills are the most important skills to become a successful lawyer. A high-level honesty goes along way making one a reputed lawyer. Selection of Students in BA.LLB program Students have to prepare for the entrance test and personal interview. The Law entrance test generally checks the Legal reasoning, Logical reasoning, Maths, English and General Knowledge of the students. Studies of Law are available mostly in all Universities of India. Some of the major Law Schools in India
Online Conferencing
Though it may seem rather impersonal at times, the Internet has been bringing people together in online chat rooms for years. Thanks to modern high-speed data connections, businesses now are making good use of Internet Web conferencing, an economical solution to the traditional business trip. Connecting people and sharing information- The key to Internet conferencing is "Voice over Internet Protocol, which digitally transmits spoken words over the Internet. When combined with streaming video feeds and data transfers, it replaces the traditional telephone conference call with a more versatile alternative.
Each participant needs a high-speed Internet connection, a browser to connect to the conferencing Web site, plus a standard Web camera and headset. As long as everyone is able to connect to the site, you can host business meetings with associates in all 50 states or hold a training seminar for employees in another country. A cost-saving solution- When used correctly, this technology lets many employees communicate effectively at the same time without extra travel expenses. Internet Web conferencing is especially ideal if you are trying to roll out a new software product to branch offices; a technician can take control of another participant's computer to demonstrate the features of the product on their own terminal.
Secure Internet Web conferencing- Because you will be transmitting sensitive material and discussing company business, it's important to ensure that any Internet Web conferencing takes place in a secure environment. The conference provider should offer 128-bit data encryption during your presentation. Each participant also should receive a password-protected email containing the access code to the conference on a secure mail server. These emails should only come from the conference host and must not be forwarded or shared with anyone else.
Imagine being able to hold meetings with people around the world at a moment's notice without having to leave your office. A web conferencing solution provides a central online meeting place for people to get together for meetings regardless of location. With a simple click of the mouse, you can present PowerPoint slides, run a software demonstration, or even hold brainstorming sessions using a whiteboard. Businesses can use a web conferencing solution for a variety of purposes: Marketing meetings - product announcements, brainstorming sessions. Sales presentations - demonstrations, new product releases. Training and human resources employee orientation, customer training. Financial and investor relations shareholder meetings, briefs. Creative presentations - weddings, fashion shows, live surgery
Probably the greatest downside to a web conferencing solution is the lack of face-to-face interaction and the relationship building it brings. Collaborative applications like interactive polls and Q&A sessions help bridge the gap, but the fact remains that the interaction is all virtual. On the other hand, a web conferencing solution helps slash the hefty travel and time costs associated with face-to-face meetings. Microsoft icon Bill Gates recently remarked that web conferencing stands to save his company over $40 million in travel costs alone in 2005. Although they may not be as large, other budget-conscious companies could certainly cut travel expenses using web conferencing.
This Buyer Zone Buyer's Guide will take a look at the functionality of a web conferencing solution, the services provided, costs, and how to purchase and install web conferencing, so you can get your company up and running in a flash. o hold web meetings, you need three key items: a computer with an Internet connection, a web conferencing solution, and a phone line to hear the presenter. That's it. While participants of web meetings can get away with a dial-up Internet connection, it's recommended that the presenter have high-speed Internet access like DSL, T1, or cable modem.
To set up web meetings, you simply use the web conferencing software to reserve a "room" for a specific date and time. The software then lets you send invitations to attendees to join the conference at the appointed hour. Web meetings can range in size from 2 to 500 or more people. Generally, meetings up to 125 people can be scheduled on demand; advance notice is usually required if you want more concurrent seats. In the invitation, attendees receive a link to download the requisite software, which takes only a few minutes with a high-speed connection. The invitation also includes a phone number to call into the meeting for the audio portion and a unique conference ID for the attendee claim their the access port open for the conference.
Other types of online web conferencing- As you add more features, online web conferencing morphs into other types of conferencing. Here's a quick rundown of the different flavors available: A webinar is just like a web conference except that the audio is streamed over the Internet instead of carried on a separate phone line; it is used for structured events like training sessions. Web cast services include video to allow you to see the speaker, but have with limited interactive options. On the high end, web video conferencing provides television-news like meetings, relying on dedicated high-speed data connections and hardware to support this high-quality interaction. Many web based conferencing solutions are rich in applications that can make your meeting a dynamic, interactive experience. Here is an overview of commonly available features of web based conferencing:
For the presenter: Application sharing - Share any applications you have on your computer desktop directly with your participants. You can pass the controls over to a conference attendee to run a part of the meeting, make changes, and even group edit documents. As the moderator, you can take back the controls from a participant at any time with the click of a button. While application sharing is a powerful feature, you need to be very careful with it, as it gives the person full access to your computer and your company's network, bypassing your company's firewalls, which can put your infrastructure at risk.
Slide presentations - Upload a PowerPoint presentation and share slides at your pace. This feature guarantees that no participant can skip through the presentation ahead of you. White boarding - Draw diagrams and write notes live on screen to support brainstorming sessions. Screen sharing - Show anything that appears on your computer desktop such as a single chart or diagram. You can even isolate part of your screen with a cropping tool so that your audience can only view what you want them to see. Web touring - Display Web pages as you click your way through them. This can be significantly easier than verbal instructions such as "click on the third link from the top in the left hand side" to guide a person through a site. File transfer - Send files to everyone at the conference at one time. For the audience: Live chat - Attendees talk amongst themselves and with the moderator through live person-to-person chat or group discussion.
Q&A - Moderator takes questions from attendees throughout broadcast but particularly at the end of the meeting. Presenters have the option to reply solely to the person asking the question or to everyone in attendance. This interactive tool allows participants to play a more integral part in the conference. Polling - Moderator gets instant feedback on presentations by providing a set of questions with multiple-choice answers. You can view the results during the meeting and discuss the results, or analyze the data afterwards. Help request - Attendees can quietly alert you that they don't understand something or need help with an application without disrupting the flow of your meeting. Web-based audio - Broadcasts the audio portion of your conference via streaming audio, instead of a separate conference call.
This way, participants with a PC sound card and speakers can listen without additional audio conference calling charges. Usually referred to as a webinar. Web camera - By adding a web cam at the presenter's location, attendees can see view the presenter during the meeting. This can help them associate a face with the voice guiding them through the web conferencing service. Don't expect too much, though - the video may have a few seconds' delay and won't allow you to show much more than your headshot and the background of your work area. This is sometimes referred to as a web cast.
Monitoring Most web conferencing service providers have a participant window for you to view a roster of attendees as well as their web and audio status. You can also monitor who is entering your conference and bounce people you don't want at the meeting - a competitor or someone that didn't pay for access to a fee-based course, for example. Backup systems: Redundancy, or "conference continuation", allows the hosted web conferencing solution to seamlessly move to a second server should the first server fail unexpectedly. If the moderator loses the connection to the conference, the attendees are alerted to stand by while the connection is fixed. All meeting materials are stored so critical data is not lost.
While this addresses the potential downtime associated with problems with the web conferencing service provider, this does not cover the potential downtime due to computer, network or Internet connectivity problems experienced by the participants. While most providers guarantee nearly 100% uptime for their programs, they have little control over attendees' connections or hardware. Security - Almost all web conferencing service solutions include encryption to protect your information. For some, Secure Socket Layers high-level security technology that protects and secures confidential data - is a critical security measure for any web conference. Some companies charge extra for it while others will bundle it as part of a package. For others, security is less critical - there's no need to pay extra to protect public meetings or simple sales calls.
Recording - Online archiving allows you to replay part or all of the actual meeting. Stored on the meeting host's PC, it gives you a reliable point of reference to consider potential improvements for future conferences. Since it's proprietary information, only the moderator determines who gets access once the conference ends. Reporting - Get conference activity such as full text chat transcripts or data from survey and quiz results. You can also find out when participants logged in and out and receive customized reports of how each attendee answered a particular question.
The web conferencing arena consists of providers that develop the product and host the conferences on their own servers, as well as resellers who offer technology and services from one or more providers. In general, a developer may offer better support since they developed the technology, but they may be more expensive. In contrast, resellers might offer web conferencing solutions at a more attractive price since they don't have overhead costs, but they might not have answers to all of your questions or the resources to provide adequate training.
Whether you choose to work with a provider or reseller, your decision might come down to which vendor offers you the products and services that best suit your business. In addition, the company you work with should be financially stable - you don't want to select a vendor whose future is in question because they may not be around the next time you need them.
Understand your needs before locking into any sort of commitment with a web conferencing vendor. If there's a web conferencing feature you rely on the most - say PowerPoint presentations - find out which vendor offers the best functionality for that feature. These features may look the same on paper but can be quite different in actual use. This is why it's so important to take advantage of the free trial offers that many vendors offer.
It's also important to recognize what support you'll need for web conferencing. If you select an ASP vendor, ask if they can accommodate the number of people you intend to invite. If you intend to install a licensed software solution, find out what resources you will need in house - such as specific IT staff - should problems come up Find out what each company offers in terms of customer service. When narrowing your options, make sure to get all proposals in writing, including all pricing and capacity details. Also check that there aren't any hidden fees. If you plan to use the product only sparingly, confirm that the contract shows all previously discussed price quotes for web and audio minutes.
Each participant needs a high-speed Internet connection, a browser to connect to the conferencing Web site, plus a standard Web camera and headset. As long as everyone is able to connect to the site, you can host business meetings with associates in all 50 states or hold a training seminar for employees in another country. A cost-saving solution- When used correctly, this technology lets many employees communicate effectively at the same time without extra travel expenses. Internet Web conferencing is especially ideal if you are trying to roll out a new software product to branch offices; a technician can take control of another participant's computer to demonstrate the features of the product on their own terminal.
Secure Internet Web conferencing- Because you will be transmitting sensitive material and discussing company business, it's important to ensure that any Internet Web conferencing takes place in a secure environment. The conference provider should offer 128-bit data encryption during your presentation. Each participant also should receive a password-protected email containing the access code to the conference on a secure mail server. These emails should only come from the conference host and must not be forwarded or shared with anyone else.
Imagine being able to hold meetings with people around the world at a moment's notice without having to leave your office. A web conferencing solution provides a central online meeting place for people to get together for meetings regardless of location. With a simple click of the mouse, you can present PowerPoint slides, run a software demonstration, or even hold brainstorming sessions using a whiteboard. Businesses can use a web conferencing solution for a variety of purposes: Marketing meetings - product announcements, brainstorming sessions. Sales presentations - demonstrations, new product releases. Training and human resources employee orientation, customer training. Financial and investor relations shareholder meetings, briefs. Creative presentations - weddings, fashion shows, live surgery
Probably the greatest downside to a web conferencing solution is the lack of face-to-face interaction and the relationship building it brings. Collaborative applications like interactive polls and Q&A sessions help bridge the gap, but the fact remains that the interaction is all virtual. On the other hand, a web conferencing solution helps slash the hefty travel and time costs associated with face-to-face meetings. Microsoft icon Bill Gates recently remarked that web conferencing stands to save his company over $40 million in travel costs alone in 2005. Although they may not be as large, other budget-conscious companies could certainly cut travel expenses using web conferencing.
This Buyer Zone Buyer's Guide will take a look at the functionality of a web conferencing solution, the services provided, costs, and how to purchase and install web conferencing, so you can get your company up and running in a flash. o hold web meetings, you need three key items: a computer with an Internet connection, a web conferencing solution, and a phone line to hear the presenter. That's it. While participants of web meetings can get away with a dial-up Internet connection, it's recommended that the presenter have high-speed Internet access like DSL, T1, or cable modem.
To set up web meetings, you simply use the web conferencing software to reserve a "room" for a specific date and time. The software then lets you send invitations to attendees to join the conference at the appointed hour. Web meetings can range in size from 2 to 500 or more people. Generally, meetings up to 125 people can be scheduled on demand; advance notice is usually required if you want more concurrent seats. In the invitation, attendees receive a link to download the requisite software, which takes only a few minutes with a high-speed connection. The invitation also includes a phone number to call into the meeting for the audio portion and a unique conference ID for the attendee claim their the access port open for the conference.
Other types of online web conferencing- As you add more features, online web conferencing morphs into other types of conferencing. Here's a quick rundown of the different flavors available: A webinar is just like a web conference except that the audio is streamed over the Internet instead of carried on a separate phone line; it is used for structured events like training sessions. Web cast services include video to allow you to see the speaker, but have with limited interactive options. On the high end, web video conferencing provides television-news like meetings, relying on dedicated high-speed data connections and hardware to support this high-quality interaction. Many web based conferencing solutions are rich in applications that can make your meeting a dynamic, interactive experience. Here is an overview of commonly available features of web based conferencing:
For the presenter: Application sharing - Share any applications you have on your computer desktop directly with your participants. You can pass the controls over to a conference attendee to run a part of the meeting, make changes, and even group edit documents. As the moderator, you can take back the controls from a participant at any time with the click of a button. While application sharing is a powerful feature, you need to be very careful with it, as it gives the person full access to your computer and your company's network, bypassing your company's firewalls, which can put your infrastructure at risk.
Slide presentations - Upload a PowerPoint presentation and share slides at your pace. This feature guarantees that no participant can skip through the presentation ahead of you. White boarding - Draw diagrams and write notes live on screen to support brainstorming sessions. Screen sharing - Show anything that appears on your computer desktop such as a single chart or diagram. You can even isolate part of your screen with a cropping tool so that your audience can only view what you want them to see. Web touring - Display Web pages as you click your way through them. This can be significantly easier than verbal instructions such as "click on the third link from the top in the left hand side" to guide a person through a site. File transfer - Send files to everyone at the conference at one time. For the audience: Live chat - Attendees talk amongst themselves and with the moderator through live person-to-person chat or group discussion.
Q&A - Moderator takes questions from attendees throughout broadcast but particularly at the end of the meeting. Presenters have the option to reply solely to the person asking the question or to everyone in attendance. This interactive tool allows participants to play a more integral part in the conference. Polling - Moderator gets instant feedback on presentations by providing a set of questions with multiple-choice answers. You can view the results during the meeting and discuss the results, or analyze the data afterwards. Help request - Attendees can quietly alert you that they don't understand something or need help with an application without disrupting the flow of your meeting. Web-based audio - Broadcasts the audio portion of your conference via streaming audio, instead of a separate conference call.
This way, participants with a PC sound card and speakers can listen without additional audio conference calling charges. Usually referred to as a webinar. Web camera - By adding a web cam at the presenter's location, attendees can see view the presenter during the meeting. This can help them associate a face with the voice guiding them through the web conferencing service. Don't expect too much, though - the video may have a few seconds' delay and won't allow you to show much more than your headshot and the background of your work area. This is sometimes referred to as a web cast.
Monitoring Most web conferencing service providers have a participant window for you to view a roster of attendees as well as their web and audio status. You can also monitor who is entering your conference and bounce people you don't want at the meeting - a competitor or someone that didn't pay for access to a fee-based course, for example. Backup systems: Redundancy, or "conference continuation", allows the hosted web conferencing solution to seamlessly move to a second server should the first server fail unexpectedly. If the moderator loses the connection to the conference, the attendees are alerted to stand by while the connection is fixed. All meeting materials are stored so critical data is not lost.
While this addresses the potential downtime associated with problems with the web conferencing service provider, this does not cover the potential downtime due to computer, network or Internet connectivity problems experienced by the participants. While most providers guarantee nearly 100% uptime for their programs, they have little control over attendees' connections or hardware. Security - Almost all web conferencing service solutions include encryption to protect your information. For some, Secure Socket Layers high-level security technology that protects and secures confidential data - is a critical security measure for any web conference. Some companies charge extra for it while others will bundle it as part of a package. For others, security is less critical - there's no need to pay extra to protect public meetings or simple sales calls.
Recording - Online archiving allows you to replay part or all of the actual meeting. Stored on the meeting host's PC, it gives you a reliable point of reference to consider potential improvements for future conferences. Since it's proprietary information, only the moderator determines who gets access once the conference ends. Reporting - Get conference activity such as full text chat transcripts or data from survey and quiz results. You can also find out when participants logged in and out and receive customized reports of how each attendee answered a particular question.
The web conferencing arena consists of providers that develop the product and host the conferences on their own servers, as well as resellers who offer technology and services from one or more providers. In general, a developer may offer better support since they developed the technology, but they may be more expensive. In contrast, resellers might offer web conferencing solutions at a more attractive price since they don't have overhead costs, but they might not have answers to all of your questions or the resources to provide adequate training.
Whether you choose to work with a provider or reseller, your decision might come down to which vendor offers you the products and services that best suit your business. In addition, the company you work with should be financially stable - you don't want to select a vendor whose future is in question because they may not be around the next time you need them.
Understand your needs before locking into any sort of commitment with a web conferencing vendor. If there's a web conferencing feature you rely on the most - say PowerPoint presentations - find out which vendor offers the best functionality for that feature. These features may look the same on paper but can be quite different in actual use. This is why it's so important to take advantage of the free trial offers that many vendors offer.
It's also important to recognize what support you'll need for web conferencing. If you select an ASP vendor, ask if they can accommodate the number of people you intend to invite. If you intend to install a licensed software solution, find out what resources you will need in house - such as specific IT staff - should problems come up Find out what each company offers in terms of customer service. When narrowing your options, make sure to get all proposals in writing, including all pricing and capacity details. Also check that there aren't any hidden fees. If you plan to use the product only sparingly, confirm that the contract shows all previously discussed price quotes for web and audio minutes.
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