Technology has always been known for its capacity to cut down distances. The telephone is a wonderful invention, without which we could not even dream of keeping in touch with our friends or loved ones regularly. One call and you can speak to anyone at any odd hour. But that this is just the beginning. The transitions in telephone technology are rapid and the uses even more so. One recent example is Web conferencing, which has greatly improved many people’s desire to communicate, especially in a business setting.

Web Conferencing-Bridging Distances

The World Wide Web enables easy access to any part of the world through the use of a few simplistic tools. A Web conference between a small or large number of people, all of whom live in different places around the world, can be set up with minimal time and expense. Each person logs on to a certain website or activates a certain Web-based application, and it’s as if they’re all in the same place at the same time. Actually, they are: They’re virtually together.

Another implied gift of this mode of communication is the capacity to organize large-scale sessions without worrying about the space restrictions. You can make the most important decisions ever in your company without everyone being physically present in the same room. A meeting can be supervised and managed using Web conferencing. The obvious advantages over conventional telephonic discussions include the facility to view the proceedings via audio and video interfaces and the much-sought benefit of visual presentations during the meeting.

The methods of conferencing can be many, including peer-to-peer direct conferencing, remote server hosting, and shared remote hosting. You control the requirements and the resources.

This method of communication knows no bounds. You are no longer restricted geographically when organizing a meeting or pursuing an immediate decision. In traditional settings, you have to wait a long time for all the required personnel to gather in one place. Web conferencing is a great help in these situations. Even delegates sitting halfway across the world can be part of the vital discussions by accessing the discussion without spending time and money on travel.

Smaller businesses, especially, can benefit from Web conferencing because their budgets are so much smaller than the ones that larger corporations have. Time and space constraints are taken care off, and still the best advice is available when it is needed.

Web conferencing is your gateway to the worldwide market. You no longer need to stick to your physical walls or even think in those terms. Having associations with firms and people of similar interest is now very possible, not to mention cheaper than you might think.

Web conferencing is blessed with its obvious advantages and it does not require an extensive marketing campaign to sell itself. A one-time use can speak volumes. Businesses and institutions of every shape and size can at any time, harness the benefits of this technological advancement.

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Question

I run a growing advertising company in the UK and I’m looking for some cheap ways of sharing ideas with other offices around the country, and also now that we are getting more national clients we need to be able to show them our progress without having to travel all the time. We’ve tried conference calls but if the client can’t see it then it is a waste of time. E-mail is okay, but it will sometimes be days before we get a response and then it’s only an “I’ll get to this as soon as I can” e-mail. Help!

-Outgrowing the UK

Answer

Well you may or may not be happy to know that yours is a common predicament. In an effort to shift with the industry many companies find themselves taking on clients that are out of their immediate area and working with people from other companies. This can put a strain on budgets and can really extend lead times while lowering production numbers. A growing company can’t afford to waste time or money. As a solution to this problem many companies are utilizing web conferencing services offered through various conference call service providers. These services cover a wide field of options. From a simple text based web applications to a full conferencing interface complete with video and voice communication. A web conference is comparable to a conference call, but with the addition of the ability to share visuals with multiple parties. You get immediate input on your designs and can find out if your client thinks the work you’re doing is stunning or whether it’s a dud. The type of software provided by the conference call service provider should match your needs. Don’t get sucked into bells and whistles you don’t need or will not use. In your line of work though the use of video could prove invaluable to landing a major sale or even ensuring that you are a company’s first choice.

When it comes to business, any new technology will ultimately be judged on how well it contributes to improving productivity and profit. If you are selling goods or services, online web conferencing can improve your bottom line by boosting sales and lowering costs. Here are five reasons why this is so:

1. It allows you to meet with more prospective clients

If you have to physically travel to a client’s office or location, there is only so much that you can do within any given period. Let’s face it, travel is exhausting and expensive not only in terms of the direct costs that you make when you travel, but also in the way that your productivity is affected every time you have to pack up and leave your office.

You can meet with more clients online than you could ever do by trying to visit them all physically. Web conferencing is one of the best ways to get this work done.

2. Online Conferencing allows your prospects to put a face with the voice over the phone

A lot of selling is done on the telephone, and some people are very effective with a simple telephone. If you are able to sell on the phone, think of what you could achieve if your prospects and clients could see you by simply opening their browser and entering a few mouse clicks and keystrokes! People prefer to deal with people, rather than faceless voices. Video conferencing allows you to project your warmth and sincerity and will enhance whatever selling skills you already possess.

3. Conferencing allows you to get together with more decision makers

Many purchasing decisions require the input of more than one person, and web conferencing allows you to get all the decision makers together in one meeting. For example, suppose John in New York wants you to also meet with Lisa in London, you can do so very easily. Instead of trying to arrange a face-to-face meeting, you simply have to get all parties together in a web meeting.

Easily arranged online conferencing means that you will be able to shorten the time necessary to close complex transactions involving the input of several parties.

4. Online conferencing enables you to sell more “add-on” products to your existing clients by giving you the ability to be in a meeting with them at any time and within minutes.

The more time you spend with any prospect, the more opportunity you have to build your rapport and to explain in detail what you have to offer. Someone who contacts you for a simple service, upon getting to know you well online, will probably go on to purchase your other offerings. If that prospect is limited to a short phone call, the chances of selling them something else is far less than it is with them seeing you.

5. Web conferencing allows you to offer better after-sales service

Customers are not only interested in what you are selling today, but on what kind of service you will be able to offer them tomorrow. Web conferencing opens up great service opportunities. For example, your technicians can “visit” your clients online. Some conferencing applications even allow a person in one office to remotely “take over” and operate a computer in another office.

When your prospective clients and customers understand that you have the capacity to remain in touch with them and help them online, they will have one more reason to want to buy from you.

Once you try your hand at it, you will probably be able to add a few more points to this list by devising new ways to improve sales with online web and video conferencing.

The time is right for video and web conferencing to take off. While online conferencing is still seen as a technological novelty by some people, more and more businesses of all sizes are finding it be the solution to doing business and communicating with prospects, clients, employees and branch offices in an era of rising transport costs. Let’s take a look at some of the factors that are bringing web and video conferencing to a very wide audience.

1. Bandwidth speeds are increasing while prices for broadband web access are falling. Video and web conferencing are more effective when users have broadband access to the Internet. Prices for various broadband connections to the Internet (DSL, Cable, T1s) are falling and more and more homes and businesses are now connected by broadband rather than dial-up connections. Broadband penetration in the US among home users has reached 60% and, especially crucial for online conferencing, in the workplace broadband usage has passed 85%.

2. Web cameras are more powerful and less costly
Video conferencing is aided by good images. Just as high speed connections to the Internet are needed to view the videos, improved cameras providing clear images are also important. The least expensive web cameras today cost as little as $10 and even sophisticated tripod-mounted cameras are reasonably priced, placing video conferencing within the reach of millions of users.

3. The price of oil and transportation is rising, and business travel is more costly. Rising energy prices means that businesses have to scrutinize their travel plans more closely. Video and web conferencing make it possible to hold meetings with staff in other cities without making expensive car or airplane journeys. In addition, some companies are also using web and video conferencing to meet new clients and provide service to existing clients. Improved video conferencing capabilities, combined with rising travel costs is a sure formula for online conferencing growth in the years ahead.

4. Businesses are improving productivity with online conferencing. The gains provided by online conferencing are more than just the money saved by not buying gasoline for a car or spending it on airfares. When you sit in your own office and hold an online conference with associates in distant cities, you can get back to your other work within seconds of the close of the online conference. The lost time out of office, associated with business trips, is an important “opportunity cost” that can be reduced by the creative use of web and video conferences.

5. The cost of web and video conferencing has come down greatly in the past year. Web and video conference services are now less costly than they were a few years ago and it is possible for a business to get a much higher return on their investment in online conferences. Monthly costs for some conferencing services are so low that even families and individuals can connect in informal web conferences. At the same time, for a reasonable price, businesses can even purchase their own internal video/web conferencing system and not depend on web conference services provided by an outside provider.

6. Schools and universities are holding online classes, exposing a whole new generation to the world of online conferencing. The surest way of spreading any new technology is to get young people “hooked” on it. And that is exactly what schools and universities are doing with web and video conferencing. By holding more online classes and conferences, young people are becoming comfortable with this way of communicating. As today’s students enter the business and professional world, they are certain to bring with them a taste for the convenience of online conferencing.

Add up all these factors and it is easy to see why web and video conferencing are approaching the level of mass acceptance. If you are not taking advantage of online conferencing today, there is a good chance that you will be tomorrow.

In the mid 1990s a few individuals and companies, seeing the potential of the relatively unknown Internet, took advantage of this new medium and got a head start on everyone else. Similarly, today a few innovative companies have enthusiastically embraced web and video conferencing and are reporting great benefits from this under-used application.

Who is making use of web and video conferencing, and how are they using it? Here is a look at some of the enterprises and institutions that are being transformed by the intelligent use of this up-and-coming technology.

Ever conscious of rising costs, schools and universities are using web/video conferencing to conduct administrative meetings with staff and also for setting up online courses and tutoring for students. Web and video conferencing “made all the difference in turning a scheduling conflict into a magical lifetime memory for our student,” says Jon Fredricks of Midland Lutheran College.

While clergy are not usually pictured as techno-geeks, churches and other religious institutions have been quick to see the advantages of video conferencing applications and now use it to enable shut-in members of their congregations “attend” worship services without leaving their homes.

Sales organizations are using video and/or web conferencing to conduct sales meetings as well as to meet and demonstrate their products with prospects. Taking this further, sales coaches and trainers have whole-heartedly embraced online conferencing as a way to develop new methods of training, and save money at the same time.

Video and web conferencing “enabled us to develop a powerful new consulting/training business model in which we blend live classroom training with a continuous program of interactive videoconference training events, accessible by participants from virtually any location” reports Tim McMahon of McMahon WorldWide Sales Performance.

“The ability to offer this kind of programming has become a significant source of competitive advantage for us in the sales training marketplace,” added McMahon.

As might be expected, software and Internet companies who are already tech-savy, have been quick to make use of online conferencing. They are using these applications to demonstrate their products and services to clients, and to provide a new, previously undreamed of level of support.

“The technology allows us to access dentists’ workstations in two clicks…. It’s like working without walls and dentists have really been blown away by the personal touch that’s possible with this technology,” reports Rich Hirschinger, of www.DDS.com, a supplier of software for dentists.

Similarly, avant-garde media companies are using the latest web/video conferencing applications to present videos and conduct business meetings bringing together their offices located many miles apart.

Large organizations with many branches such as securities companies and banks have also seen online conferencing as a way to hold staff meetings, meet with clients and conduct training sessions without having to pay high travel costs.

But it is not only large institutions that are using these applications, professionals such as psychiatrists, psychologists and insurance agents are using online video conferencing to have intimate, one-on-one meetings with their patients, clients and prospects.

These are just a few examples of how various companies and institutions are getting the benefits provided by web and video conferencing. This list is sure to grow in the years ahead.

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Broadband Internet connections are changing the way people go to work. Imagine not having to sit in a traffic jam, and just getting up in the morning and starting to work from your computer at home. This is not science fiction. If you already have a fast Internet connection, all you need to do is add a web cam and some conferencing software and you can enjoy the benefits of telecommuting.

If you are not sure how you can benefit by telecommuting and using web conferencing, consider these points:

1. You can save time and money by avoiding physical commuting

It is not getting any easier to get through road traffic or the congestion in public transport, whether you travel by bus, train or plane. And it is not getting any cheaper to commute. Should you opt to telecommute and do your work at home, or in any place of your convenience, then you will save a lot of time and probably a lot of money as well.

2. You can be a full participant at work

Web conferencing gives you much more than mere telephone calls or simple email. You can “attend” meetings and even make PowerPoint presentations right from your home or satellite office. Many web conferencing systems also allow online application sharing, which will enable you to work on a wide variety of documents that are actually residing on computers in a distant main office. You can work in collaboration with your colleagues who are miles away.

3. Should you get ill or injured, web conferencing will let you get back to work sooner

You don’t need a full recovery to start working if you are able to do it from your own home. Work in your pajamas or work from your bedside, nobody will mind. If you have a good conferencing system you can participate in the work of your office without showing up physically. The next time you are ill, you may be able to gain valuable time by starting your work at home.

4. It will make maternity leaves easier to handle

Similar to incapacitation by illness is the case of someone who needs to take time off due to pregnancy. Telecommuting with web conferencing is an ideal win-win solution for the employer and the employee.

5. You can work in informal, comfortable attire

When you are working from your home there is no need to impress anyone with your clothing. Dress as you like and concentrate on getting the job done right.

6. Telecommuting can work for a wide range of professions

The first telecommuter that I ever met was a software programmer who used to “commute” to work in another county by a then-very-rare fast Internet connection. Now, you don’t need to be a software engineer to get in on telecommuting.

Trainers can train other employees while working at home. Sales reps can meet their prospects online. Teachers can even give classes to students in remote locations thanks to web and video conferencing. And yes, programmers can continue to work from the comfort of their homes.

Other professionals such as psychologists, psychiatrists, insurance agents and lawyers could also take advantage of the possibilities offered by telecommuting.

So, if you would like to eliminate the troubles of physical commuting, consider the benefits offered by telecommuting and shop around for a conferencing system that will allow you to work from home or the place that is most convenient for you.

From: “Paypal Security”
Subject: New Security Requirements
Date: Tue, 26 Jul 2005 19:20:51 -0800

Dear valued PayPal® member,

Due to recent fraudulent transactions, we have issued the following security requirements.

It has come to our (attion)**Spelling Mistake**, that 98% of all fraudulent transactions are caused by members using stolen credit cards to purchase or sell non existant items. Thus we require our members to add a (Debit/Check card)**Ding Ding Ding are your Alarm Bells going off Yet???** to their billing records as part of our continuing commitment to protect your account and to reduce the instance of fraud on our website. Your Debit/Check card will only be used to identify you. **YEAH RIGHT!!!** If you could please take 5-10 minutes out of your online experience and renew your records you will not run into any future problems with the PayPal® service. However, failure to confirm your records will result in your account suspension.**All Paypal Accounts Earn Good Money For Paypal, Why Suspend Them?**

We are requesting this information to verify and protect your identity. Federal regulations require all financial institutions to obtain, verify, and record identification from all persons opening new accounts or obtaining ongoing payment services. This is in order to prevent the use of the U.S. banking system in terrorist and other illegal activity. For these reasons, PayPal® will utilize services provided by various credit reporting agencies to verify the information you submit to us. **Did Paypal Forget Their Rock Solid Verification System?**

Once you have updated your account records your pending PayPal® account transactions will not be interrupted and will continue as normal.

To update your billing records please login to your account by clicking here.**DING DING DING, ALARMS, BELLS, WHISTLES**

Thank you for your time,
PayPal® Billing Department.

The click here address is (but dont click it!) :-
http://paypal-secure-signin.com/cgi/webscr.html?cmd=_login-run
Notice the http:// should be a secure https://

Whois Information for the website:_
::Name Servers::
ns6844.paypal-secure-signin.com
ns9386.paypal-secure-signin.com

::Dates & Status::
Created Date 2005-07-23 11:07:18 EDT
Updated Date 2005-07-23 11:07:18 EDT
Valid Date 2006-07-23 11:07:18 EDT
Status ACTIVE

Moral of this Story:- NEVER CLICK FROM AN EMAIL TO A SUPPOSEDLY SECURE SITE
Chances are it is not!

By the way if you did click that link it looks like a very good replica of Paypal, but ask yourself these questions:

# 1. Why is the color of the address bar still the same, Paypals secure bar is not a white background, but more a beige color, which incidentally matches a graphic bar on their website.

# 2. The Email address box on paypal is ALWAYS filled in with my email when I arrive at Paypals site, this copy website’s box is not showing any email at all.

# 3.The Whole page is Different.

# 4. In the Status Bar at the bottom of the screen there should be a Padlock for a secure website such as Paypal. If you look at Paypals login screens status bar it also says www.paypal.com then the padlock is shown.

Well, I hope this helps you to be more alert when checking your emails.

Have A Safe And Secure Day!!!

Steve Scully is a responsible business owner,communcations advisor and entrepreneur based in the UK.

Currently online to help people to understand the new technology of voice over internet protocol or voip, and the use of web conferencing software.
web conferencing blog at http://www.hotconferenceuk.com/alerts

It is Sunday evening and you are preparing again to go on a business trip. Monday morning the alarm goes off at 4:00 am, you drag your body and your briefcase to your car, drive to the airport, wait in a long line, get on a plane, get off a plane, and find your way to your client’s office. When you finally get home Monday night, you have spent more time traveling than meeting and you have dozens of emails and several important phone calls to return.

According to leading web conferencing service providers, the typical sales cycle can be cut two to three weeks with web conferencing. Providing a virtual conference room environment, web conferencing eliminates the need to travel, linking geographically disperse workgroups and telecommuters. The return on investment for web conferencing can be measured not only in dollars and cents, but also in personnel efficiency, knowledge distribution and increased sales opportunities.

The ability to virtually link workgroups and project teams enables real-time collaboration, a task that once required lengthy email threads or face-to-face meetings.

Web conferencing enables businesses to:

• Reduce operating costs

• Minimize unnecessary travel

• Close sales and negotiate contracts faster

• Enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of communication

• Deliver clear, concise and consistent training

• Encourage real-time collaboration between distant and local co-workers

• Engage in greater levels of communication with clients and business partners

Since its inception, web conferencing usage has expanded to a number of business applications such as daily sales and marketing efforts, interaction with co-workers and customers, corporate presentations and training initiatives. Financial corporations use web conferencing for internal meetings, customer briefings, employee training, client consultations and investment workshops. Healthcare and pharmaceutical companies use Web conferencing for product promotion and marketing, sales presentations and demonstrations, and product training and development. Educational institutions use web conferencing for project teams and student workshops. And, government agencies rely on web conferencing for training and inter-agency communication.

Most organizations use outsourced web conferencing. Why? Because of the quickly changing technology, businesses opt not to invest in what could soon be obsolete. In addition, on a day-to-day basis, it is more cost effective to have web conferencing outsourced. Additional reasons include:

• Leading edge functionality provides greater levels of security, moderator control, and participant options.

• Your people can now focus on your core business, not support systems.

• The external company makes the investment in new features so that your fixed costs are reduced and your overall expenditures are lowered.

• With no capital expense, new technology can be implemented with minimal impact to the bottom line.

When beginning the search for a web conferencing solution, start with setting your objectives and determining the features you require. Here are a few basic questions that should be answered:

• How many participants do you anticipate attending your online meetings or events?

• Will the number of participants remain consistent from meeting to meeting or will the number change?

• How many meetings will be conducted each week, month, quarter? Will usage fluctuate depending on the time of the year?

• What type of content will be presented (Power Point slides, software applications, web-based applications, documents, or spreadsheets)?
  Hot Tip! Since its inception, web conferencing usage has expanded to a number of business applications such as daily sales and marketing efforts, interaction with co-workers and customers, corporate presentations and training initiatives. Financial corporations use web conferencing for internal meetings, customer briefings, employee training, client consultations and investment workshops.

• What degree of interactivity do you require (Q&A, polling/voting, application sharing, text chatting, live video, file sharing, etc.)?

• Do you want your own software or a hosted solution?

• How much technical support or event management support do you require?

• What is your monthly budget?

• Are there any special security requirements?

Once you have determined your requirements, screen a number of vendors. Visit their web site, review live demos, and seek client testimonials. Here are few suggestions for choosing a vendor:

Select a pricing model. Determine whether you want to pay-per-use (you pay only for the time you and your attendees spend in web conferences) or pay-per-seat (you pay a flat monthly fee for a certain number of “seats”). Pay-per-use pricing is the better conservative choice for most companies learning to how to use web conferencing for their business. You avoid set up charges and you don’t have to monitor the number of concurrent users in order to avoid overage charges. You can always start with a pay-per-use plan and switch to a pay-per-seat plan once there is a clear, long-term financial advantage.

Get the features you need. Some web conferencing solutions only support online presentations while others offer full-featured packages that include polling, chatting, application-sharing, white boarding and group web surfing. Make sure that the product meets your needs.

Check into customer support levels. Is training and ongoing support available? What hours? Is there an extra fee? Is there a telephone number available so that you can contact a support person or is only email support offered? What are their support hours? Call each vendor’s customer service number and see if you get a live person vs. a menu or voice mail. You don’t want to be in a situation where an attendee has technical problems joining a critical meeting and not be able to contact a live person immediately.

Consider security requirements. Depending on the audience and the information being sharing, security may be a concern. Most solutions are secure enough and do not store meeting data any place except on the presenter’s PC. Participants only see a graphical representation of the data through a standard web browser. Some services provide pass code authorization, basic encryption, and the ability to lock and unlock the meeting.

So, the next time Sunday night comes around and you are faced with another week of travel, email trails, difficulty in scheduling training and long lead times in closing sales and negotiating contracts, do yourself a favor and look into web conferencing for your business.

About The Author

Denise Bridgens has more than 20 years experience in product marketing and product management for communications and is the founder of Argo Navis IT. Argo Navis IT is a value added reseller of Premiere Conferencing services and is their exclusive Minority Women Business Enterprise partner. Premiere Conferencing has consistently led the industry in developing the most advanced conferencing solutions, fulfilling today’s business-critical communications needs and delivering the highest levels of security and reliability. Argo Navis IT is headquartered in Morristown, NJ and is opening an office in a HUB zone shortly. The company contributes 10% of profits annually to battered women’s shelters. To learn more about Argo Navis IT, visit their web site at www.argonavisit.com

I recently graduated from college, and instead of taking a corporate programming job, my friend and I started our own web development company. Everything was going great…we were both working from home and enjoying small successes. However, we soon realized that text messaging could only go so far, especially when we hired several employees. Text messaging was slow, and was “noisy” when several people were in a chatroom. We quickly needed a solution.

Fortunately, we discovered web-based conferencing. Web-based conferencing has several flavors, including peer-to-peer direct conferencing, remote server hosting, and shared remote hosting. They all have their own benefits and disadvantages, which will be explained. First, general web-based conferencing has several advantages over call conferencing, which is done on phone lines. Web based conferencing includes audio and video, and displaying presentations such as powerpoint, making it far superior to call conferences.

However, web-based conferencing does have several drawbacks. If users in your internet meeting dont have sufficient bandwidth, the call conference can become laggy for all participants. Fortunately, broadband penetration is growing by leaps and bounds throughout each country yearly. Throughout the coming years, this issue will slowly disappear, as less and less dial-up accounts are used, especially in business settings.

As stated, web-based conferencing does come in several flavors. The cheapest is peer-to-peer direct conferencing, in which one computer acts as the host and others connect to that computer. This is a great solution for a business in which the main office has an excellent internet connection that can be utilized. However, direct hosting usually does not support as many features such as powerpoint sharing among clients, that remote hosting can offer. The big disadvantage of remote hosting is the cost, which can be hundreds of dollars a month in membership fees.

Whichever conferencing solution you find will surely increase productivity for your online meetings. Web-based conferencing is a huge improvement over chatrooms, due to audio, video, and slide sharing. It has greatly helped my business, where all programmers work from home, and can surely help for you as well.

Dan Goggins is an entrepreneur who is interested in real estate, computer programming, and family life. You can read about his experiences and advice about Video Conferencing.

Web Conferencing is, very simply, a meeting, conference or seminar that is held over the World Wide Web. Web conferencing can refer to audio, video or text-based conversations and are conducted in real-time.

Web conferencing is an incredibly useful resource for anyone who trades within a global market place. It literally allows you to be in two places at once - sitting at home or in your office whilst conducting a meeting with someone one the other side of the world.

In its simplest form web conferencing can take the form of free downloads such as Microsoft NetMeeting or Yahoo Messenger. Subscribers can participate in text-based ‘chats’, inviting others into their conversations and being able to communication in real-time. Add a simple digital camera to this equation and you have the beginnings of an elementary web conferencing application.

At the other end of the scale, the most sophisticated applications allow seminars and presentations to be made to hundreds of delegates at the same time. Meetings can be fully interactive, allowing question and answer sessions, the sharing of files and documents and slide show presentations to be broadcast.

What Can I Do With Web Conferencing?

How you choose to use web conferencing will very much depend upon your line of work. A webinar (an online seminar) is less interactive than a web meeting, but is a very effective means of presenting sales pitches, performance reviews and delivering staff training.

A web meeting on the other hand, can be fully interactive not only in terms of audio and video but also by allowing the sharing of documents and files and viewing them online.

What is Online Collaboration?

Online collaboration is an excellent resource for project management, especially when team members are located in different geographical locations. Online collaboration provides an advanced level of document management and file sharing. Documents and files can be viewed, modified and updated online and in real time.

What Are The Benefits Of Web Conferencing?

The main benefits of web conferencing are to be found in terms of time and money savings. The need for travel is greatly reduced, and therefore so are the associated costs of travel - tickets, accommodation, subsistence, to name but a few. Employees spend less time waiting for flights, travel or just generally being away from their desk and therefore have more time to spend productively.

Enhanced communication is another benefit of web conferencing. Where colleagues could perhaps only meet face to face a few times a year, for example, web conferencing allows them to meet on a daily basis, if required. With people talking more, work gets done more efficiently and more accurately.

How Much Does It Cost?

The cost of web conferencing depends on how sophisticated an application you need. Low-level, one-to-one systems can be set up these days for virtually nothing. The most advanced systems, unsurprisingly, can run into thousands of dollars. Careful research, however, and thoughtful analysis of what you need from a web conferencing system can allow you to budget accordingly and match a system to your needs. The chances are, if you are spending money on travel then you will recoup the cost of your web conferencing software over time.

Diane Parker is a web content writer who specializes in internet related topics. Her conferencing articles include: web conferencing software, choosing a web conferencing tool and internet conferencing.

The Need To Communicate

The need for businesses to communicate both internally and with each other has always been great. Successful transactions cannot be completed without communication - so much relies upon it; decent customer service; placing orders; winning new business.

As global markets have emerged with multinational organizations and twenty-four hour trading the need to find a reliable and cost effective method of communicating on a worldwide level has grown too. Logistical problems such as different time zones, busy schedules and a need to quite literally be in at least two places at once has commanded a software application that can tackle these difficulties.

First there was teleconferencing where two or more participants could engage in verbal communication over the telephone. Certainly an effective means of conversing but, as we all know, dealing with a person face to face is far more preferable. Body language conveys so much more than just a voice alone.

Trace it back, and you will find the roots of web conferencing in localized intranet systems. Document sharing and collaborative working was developed from this and the software for these systems was developed further still.

The development of the internet and its capabilities - greater bandwidth capacities, for example - made web conferencing a viable method of communication and developers forged ahead with refining their systems.

The expansion of the internet saw not only big players trading in the global markets but small and medium organizations also found themselves trading with partners across the globe. The need for effective methods of communication had to address the needs of all potential users, from multi-nationals to home-workers.

Web conferencing applications have now reached a sophisticated level. Going beyond the brief of providing a virtual meeting place, some applications now provide fully interactive capabilities, document and file sharing and the ability to communicate with not just one, but hundreds of participants at the same time.

Where Does The Future Lie?

Of course, refinement of web conferencing applications is ongoing. As a relatively new phenomenon, there is plenty scope for developers to enhance and improve their software packages. The needs of businesses are constantly changing and the shift in trend towards home rather than office-based employment will place a higher demand still for virtual meeting facilities.

It is hard to predict the future of web conferencing. There are so many avenues this exciting technology could explore. The popularity of mobile technology - cell phones, laptops and hand-held computers, for example - provide the software developers with new challenges. An increasingly mobile workforce demands software that will work for them rather than them having to work round the technology.

The web conferencing market place is become increasingly competitive and providers will have to stay ahead of the game in order to survive. As it increases in popularity as a means of communication, users will become more demanding in terms of the sophistication of the software they are using. With so many routes web conferencing technology can take it will be interesting to see the diverse range of software solutions on hand to solve the communication problems of the global business community of the future.

Diane Parker is a web content writer who specializes in internet related topics. Her conferencing articles include: web conferencing software, choosing a web conferencing tool and internet conferencing.

You may already have recognized the need for web conferencing within your organization. You have heard all about the many benefits and have decided it is the way forward for your company. Now all you have to do is decide which type of web conferencing would best suit your company’s needs.

A quick investigation into the types of web conferencing available will result in a myriad of information. For the uninitiated, unraveling what is available can be confusing and time-consuming.

Below you will find a quick guide to the types of web conferencing currently out there. Each organization will have its own individual requirements and it is important to be clear about what you hope to gain from web conferencing. For example, is it a fully interactive virtual meeting place that your organization needs, or do you require a document sharing system that will allow employees in different geographical locations to work together on projects? Once you understand how you want web conferencing to work for you, analyzing the types of web conferencing and how they could work for your organization will become much easier.

Web Meeting

With growths in international business and a growing trend towards home working, the need for a virtual meeting place is increasing. A web meeting is just what it says - a meeting that takes place over the Internet. This facility has the capabilities to hold real-time conversations and share documents. Web meetings can be fully interactive, allowing participants to converse in real time and for information to be exchanged between delegates.

Web meeting set-ups vary in terms of sophistication and a very rudimentary system can be set up using just a digital camera and a broadband connection.

The Webcast

As the name would suggest, a webcast is a type of broadcast similar in nature to a television broadcast except, of course, a webcast takes place over the Internet. The broadcasting nature of this facility means that there is little opportunity for the presenter and delegates to interact with each other and therefore its function is primarily as a presenting tool. The other main feature of a webcast is that it can be broadcast simultaneously to hundreds of recipients.

If your requirement is for a presenting tool that also offers the interactive features of a web meeting, then you should consider a webinar.

The Webinar

As the name suggests, the webinar is a facility that allows you to conduct a seminar over the web. Allowing a greater level of interaction than the webcast, a webinar enables the presenter to conduct question and answer-type sessions with delegates. However, you should remember that a webinar does not afford the same degree of interaction as a web meeting.

Other Uses For Web Conferencing

Online Presenting

Web conferencing can also be used for conduction online presentations. Online presenting is ideal for sales pitches, performance reporting or providing training for other members of your organization. Add on features include slide shows, web based conversing and audio/video streaming.

Online Collaboration

This is by far the most commonly used type of web conferencing and is the ideal solution for organizations who have multi-location sites yet require collaboration between their employees on projects and documents. Online collaboration has file sharing capabilities that updates changes and alterations to documents in real-time to avoid errors.

Diane Parker is a web content writer who specializes in internet related topics. Her conferencing articles include: web conferencing software, choosing a web conferencing tool and internet conferencing.

It is worth bearing in mind that, when you are deciding which web conferencing application to utilize, none of the applications currently available will do everything well.

Each system has its own strengths and weaknesses and it is therefore important for you to identify what you hope to gain from your web conferencing application. The first step you should take is to draw up a list of essential features - decide what the most important aspects of web conferencing are to you and what you hope to gain from your system.

By identifying what is most important to you, you can narrow down your field of selection to those vendors who are supplying a product that most closely matches your requirements. By immediately discarding those that do not match your criteria, you will find yourself considering a far more manageable number of applications.

Communication: Meetings, Webcasts and Webinars
For example, if the key function you want your web conferencing application to perform is that of communication then you require an application that will allow you to exchange with others. An application that has the capability to host meetings, transmit webcasts and hold training seminars will be required.

Different web conferencing applications have different capabilities, some allowing you to invite hundreds of delegates to your seminar, others allowing a maximum of say, ten. Levels of interaction vary too so be very clear about what functions you will need your application to be able to perform.

Before investing in your new system you should thoroughly review exactly what each provider is offering to ensure it meets with your requirements.

Vendors:

Vendors of this type of application include:

* Centra

* Netbriefings

* Placeware

* Smiletiger

* Spartacom

Online Collaboration and Project Management

Online collaboration software is particularly effective for project management. These applications allow users to share files and documents, to view files at the same time and update documents in real time. Previously, this level of collaboration could only be achieved by being physically present in the same location but online collaboration applications are extremely effective.

Vendors:

Vendors of this type of application include:

* Genesys

* Interwise

* Viditel

* WebEx

You need to consider too, whether or not your chosen application will be compatible with your existing software and operating platform. This information will be readily available from the application vendor. Also, do you have sufficient broadband capability to run your chosen application?

The cost, of course, is a major consideration when deciding upon your web conferencing application and will undoubtedly influence your ultimate decision. Applications range from the elementary (some can even be set up with a plug-in the likes of Yahoo Messenger) to the most sophisticated systems that will allow broadcasting to hundreds of delegates.

When deciding how much to spend, take into account how much money you are already spending in terms of time and money on travel. The chances are, if you choose your application sensibly, you will earn back its cost in a relatively short period of time.

Diane Parker is a freelance writer and technology enthusiast providing valuable information including: web conferencing software, choosing a web conferencing tool and internet conferencing.

For most people in business, meetings are a necessary evil. Stop for a moment and consider how much hosting or attending meetings cost your business and you may be in for a surprise; precious time spent traveling to and from the meeting location, travel expenses, and in some cases the hire of the meeting facility. Now imagine you could attend that meeting without having to leave your office or home. How much time and money would save over a week, a month or a year? It soon adds up.

The cost savings associated with web conferencing are well documented. Less time and money are spent on traveling, there is no need to hire meeting facilities and staff can focus on doing their jobs well instead of scheduling meetings.

Save On Traveling Expenses

Travel does not come cheap. Whether it’s national or international or by air, land or sea there will always be a cost implication for your business; air tickets, parking tolls, hotel accommodation - all these costs will affect your bottom line.

Web conferencing reduces the need for travel. Face to face meetings can be conducted via the web, from multiple geographic locations. Airport delays, flight cancellations, traffic jams on the freeway - all these irritations are not only affecting your blood pressure but are costing your company money, too. All that time wasted while you wait for your flight to be called or the jam to clear is money down the drain. Web conferencing cuts out not just the frustrations but also the financial price of wasting time.

Saving Time Equals Saving Money

It’s not just travel delays that waste time and costs money. Time is spent organizing meetings and getting busy colleagues together in the same place on the same day can be a complicated task. Someone within your organization is having to spend time pulling it all together. This is time that could be better spent generating sales and income for your business.

Web conferencing allows your workforce to work smarter. With web conferencing, a meeting that before may have taken a member of staff out the office for several days, can be concluded in a matter of hour, freeing up extra time. A few extra hours in the week to get the job done is something most employees would appreciate.

Work Smarter And Reduce Costs

Document sharing is one of the many facilities available through web conferencing. Documents can be viewed simultaneously by individuals, regardless of where they are located. Projects can be completed more quickly and more accurately. Documents can be updated in real time and colleagues can edit them together. In the absence of web conferencing, this form of collaboration would require an element of travel, costing the business time and money.

There is a personal upside for employees who have their business travel reduced, too. Less time spent traveling for work means they have more time at home with their families and staff who are happier in their home lives are likely to be more productive during their working hours.

Diane Parker is a freelance writer and technology enthusiast providing valuable information including: web conferencing software, choosing a web conferencing tool and internet conferencing.

With the vast amount of service providers that are available today, it’s not always easy to find the one that best fills the bill for your particular web conferencing needs. Each one claims to be the biggest, best or least expensive, and all will try to convince you that their particular plan is the one that makes the most sense for your business. Sometimes you’ll be the victim of a hard sell by those who are skilled in the art of diverting the attention away from your questions and, before you know it, the focus is on a set of features that you may have no use for at all.

In other cases, there are hidden fees that are peppered throughout the contract which you might not readily notice until you’ve fallen into the buy-in trap. How, then, are you supposed to find the best service provider to handle your web conferencing? Here are some handy tips that you should keep in mind when you go shopping for such services.

Multiple Location Participants - If you have key people in distant lands that will need to come into the web conferencing loop, remember to keep this in mind when shopping for a web conferencing package. If a service provider attempts to impose strict limitations on this type of scenario, then this isn’t the one for you.

Compare Prices - Since most web conferencing providers utilize the same software or equipment from the same manufacturers, it stands to reason that the pricing structures should be similar. If one or more of them come in way above the mark, this should tell you something about the integrity of the company. In short, move on to another provider.

Review Pricing Plans - Though many providers require to be paid on a rate-per-person schedule, there are those who will offer the same web conferencing services for a flat rate. This is ideal for companies with a number of participants. If you’re given the option of paying a flat monthly fee for unlimited web conferences, so much the better.

Investigate the Features Being Offered - Whether your needs include online presentations that don’t need to be interactive, or interactive online meetings/webinars, the right service provider can meet those needs. Check to see what other features are offered, as well, before committing to making a decision.

Many companies, for instance, have the need for features such as multiple presenters, polling and surveys, desktop remote control, live video, online chat with questions and answers, documentation presentation, application sharing, record and playback features and browser sharing. Service providers who don’t offer any of these commonly used features should be put aside in favor of those who are less technologically challenged.

The best approach to taken when shopping for a web conferencing service provider is to go armed with a list of relevant questions and a detailed description of which features are pertinent to your business. Keeping in mind that you may have to investigate a number of providers in order to find the one that best suits your needs, exercise patience and don’t be too quick to jump on the web conferencing bandwagon by choosing one that’s simply popular or has the catchiest advertisements. There are plenty of good providers out there - it’s just a matter of finding the one that has what you need, for the best possible price.

Copyright 2005 Octocat Ltd

Mike Spencer reviews various business services to help small and home office businesses get the best value for money in communicating with the outside world. Read more about Mikes reviews by his visiting his website here: http://www.web-conference-reviews.com