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.