Posts Tagged ‘Web Conferencing’

Secured Web Conferencing – the Cost Effective Way

Kevin Peck asked:




In due course, web conferencing has proved its worth over traditional audio or video conferencing. In those situations, where the basic meeting format is that of back and forth information flows, web conferencing is just second to face to face meeting.

However, security has always been a major concern with web conferencing. Mere SSL or AES encryption protocol cannot guarantee you complete access security though they are well known as industry standards. Corporate houses cannot ignore this viable communication media and at the same time cannot entirely depend on it for this very reason.

There are so many other problems in traditional web conferencing. The attendees who needed to deal with 3D CAD design, flash graphic design, and other similar collaborations of image based applications, had to fight hard to make the meeting effective up to the minimum level.

Another big problem with traditional web conferencing had been that the attendees had to download and install meeting client software. That is not all. The attendees needed to download Java, flash installations and others to support the client software. The whole process was tedious, time consuming and expensive (in some cases you need to pay monthly usage charges for your meeting client software).

Even after ignoring all these problems, you can not be sure that your meeting is held in a 100% secured atmosphere.

What next?

Here comes “on premise web conferencing appliances”, a secured and easy to use conferencing tool for corporate communication. Just install the appliance and you are ready to start the conference – round the clock.

With these appliances you do not need to pay any monthly fee or you do not need constant IT support. To add to this there is no way that a firewall, proxy server or anti virus can block it. And thus you get a hustle free and smooth conference.

This appliance is supported by all the platforms like Mac, UNIX, Linux or Windows. To add to this, you can attend the conference using your iPhone too – thus you can stay connected even while you are on the move.

The best thing about “on premise web conferencing appliances” is that you can use your firewall to protect access security of web conferencing attendees. Alongside, with some of these appliances, you get the facility to Remotely Access your computer.

To sum up, “on premise web conferencing appliance for web meeting” provides you a simple, easy to use, cost effective and secured conferencing tool for internal and external meetings.



Amy

Tips on Holding a Successful Webinar

Michael R. Burns asked:




In todays’ tough economic economy, businesses should look to using web conferencing technology to communicate with prospects and customers, train employees and customers and gather market research.

Att Call Conference

Abdul Halim asked:




Conference call is a very important thing for business organization. Due to the spend down in travel budgets due to the bad economy and the rising costs of gasoline and jet fuel, more and more people are turning to conference calls to suit there business needs.

Affordable conference calling should be considered by any company that is looking to keep costs down while increasing profitability. Conference calls are used by many businesses and corporations. In today’s competitive global market, it is very important for business to stay connected.

Sales managers and executives use conference calls to stay abreast of the latest sales information and any other information they require to keep their businesses running. That’s why it’s very important to search for the most affordable conference calling plan. Conference calls can get expensive and those costs can easily eat up a company’s profits.

Basically there are three kinds of conference call, such as audio conferencing, video conferencing and web conferencing. According to your demand you can choose your category. There are many organizations who are offering the conference call service. You can choose one from online who has good reputation and satisfaction background report.

AT&T conferencing or att call conference is most popular to all. Without conferencing at&t is most popular for att wireless, and att prepaid wireless and att web conference. They have various packages for different users. So you can consider att as your conference service provider for better quality services.

Many private conference call service providers are offering their services for various levels business organizations. One of the top level conference service providers is Conference calls.com. They have three packages small business up to 50 participant, Executive upto 3000 participants, Enterprise up to 10000 participants.

Enterprise conferencing are divided into few parts such as AT&T Web Meeting AT&T Executive Web Meeting, AT&T Live Meeting. An expert AT&T Producer will support and manage your entire meeting.

To know more you can visit the author’s site presented below.: http://cellphonecentre.blogspot.com/2008/10/conference-call.html



Albert

Video conferencing vs. Audio web conferencing

Zaibatt Zaki asked:




Organizations are generally confused whether to use audio web conferencing or video conferencing to communicate with their clients, stakeholders, members and all other relevant individuals. Both types of conferences have their own advantages and disadvantages, and it is essential to analyze the needs and requirements of an organization before choosing on one of these conferences.

Audio web conferencing uses the latest VoIP technology to transmit voice over the internet. This facilitates a better voice clarity and reception. Further, VoIP technology is very cost effective since it converts the voice into packets and then sends it across. This ensures that only the relevant part of the conversation is sent across and the silence part is left behind, thereby saving on the internet charges. Latest equipments such as Cisco conferencing bridge enable the facilitation of an increasing number of members to the conference without affecting its quality. Further, Cisco conferencing bridge offers additional features such as a scheduler and auto dialer to improve the productivity of a conference.

Video conferencing equipment, on the other hand enables the transmission of video images across the internet. This acts as a close replica to a physical meeting, thereby producing similar results at a much lower cost. Video conferencing equipment working on the revolutionary VoIP technology further facilitate the transfer of data, files and presentations during the course of a conference. This is particularly helpful in corporate meetings and meetings with clients who are located at a far away place.

Now, which type of conferencing to choose would depend on the specific requirements of the organization. Audio web conferencing is more suitable to smaller organizations that don’t have a frequent need to conference and do not require transfer of data, files and presentations during the course of the conference. There have been a lot of technological advancements in the field of audio conference, and a lot of new products such as wireless headsets have come up that allow unconstrained mobility during the conference. If there is a frequent need to have conferences with important members such as clients and members then video conferencing would be the ideal choice since it provides a similar atmosphere as that of a real meeting. Moreover, technologically advanced video conferencing equipment such as a high resolution web camera or a TV screen that can supportmultiple members, can further enhance the effectiveness of a video conference.

Since both the conferences have their own advantages, it is advisable to carefully analyze the needs of your organization and then take a decision regarding which conferencing system to set up.



Edward

How to Do Conduct Webinars Effectively

Vikas S asked:




Webinars are seminars and conferences that are conducted using web as the communicating medium. Webinars are avidly used in conducting certain business processes, mainly when offshore business processes are involved. By using webinars, corporate houses are saving a lot of time and money. While it is easy to install and use the service, there are certain practices that make webinars effective. Here are some tips that help you conduct webinars effectively-

In finding a webinar program,you can inspect the web conference database online to check for reviews on different web conferencing programs. The ones that are available at lower prices do not allow more than 15-25 users at a time. So choose a webinar service that is apt for your requirement. Have an agenda for the webinar. Taking on the webinar blindly will make the discussion obscure. This will lead to waste of time spent on the meeting and the money that goes into the webinar. Determine the number of people who are involved in the webinar. A webinar is effective when a large group is made a part of the discussion. When there are few members involved it is wiser to use audio conference call services. This reduces the time since conference calls generally involve short talks or meetings. Reserve the meeting time and date at least a week in advance and send out invites to people who are supposed to be present for the webinar meeting. After the final confirmations, send out a reminder notification about two days before the webinar meeting of conference is scheduled.

Wayne

Why Webinars Are a Crucial Marketing and Learning Tool

Kelsey Childress asked:




Webinars, or web seminars, have a great many uses that organizations and individuals alike can use. There are a lot of choices when it comes to choosing the right webinar provider, but many organizations decide based on the following factors – ease of use, cost and intended use.

Cost
Cost is a major factor when choosing what type of webinar appliance or software to use. Because several businesses still consider webinars as a luxury purchase, having an economical price and value will help convince business owners and supervisors to actually purchase the technology. Many companies that provide webinar technology often do so at a monthly or annual subscription plan. However, there are web conferencing appliances that may be the most economical approach– these products only have an initial cost, with no monthly fees or subscription costs for the entire life of the appliance.

Ease of Use
Facilitating webinars has become so easy- with the right computer and software, almost anyone can do it. Making webinars easy to conduct has helped individuals and businesses communicate better with each other, their customers, and other industry professionals. Many organizations are now beginning to use webinars instead of planning large conferences at hotels or convention centers. This saves a substantial amount of money and, in many cases, is just as effective.

Intended Use
There are several great uses for webinars, in almost any industry. Many organizations offer free webinars to interested parties as a learning tool. This not only drives traffic to the hosted website, but it also establishes credibility in the industry.

Besides using webinars as an effective marketing tool, many organizations use webinar technology for internal and client training. Employee orientation or teaching new skills can now be done in any office location. In addition, teaching clients or customers how to use an organization’s products can be as easy as having them join a webinar with an educated instructor.

Holly

How Effective Are Webinars For Training?

Asma Zaineb asked:




According to Wikipedia, a webinar is a term to describe a kind of web conferencing for conducting live meetings, trainings, presentations, etc., via the Internet. The presenter or host communicates with the participants, lets them view the presentations, allows them to ask questions and engage in a discussion.

Webinars can be either one-way where the speaker speaks to the audience with limited interaction from the participant’s end or it can be a collaborative effort with polling, Q&A sessions enabling full participation between the audience and the speaker or presenter. Webinars, held via the Internet, offer the advantage to both the participant and the presenter to attend or hold sessions from the convenience of their personal location, such as their home or office.

If the company does not want its employees to spend a whole day in training, webinars can be held for short durations like an hour or two to focus on urgent training needs. The key feature of a webinar is its range of interactive elements-where one can give, receive and discuss information in contrast to other options where data transmission is one-way and a lack of interaction exists between the presenter and the audience.

The benefits of webinars are too many to be ignored. Chief among them are:

- Incredible savings for a company as its employees will not have to travel from various places to attend training sessions.
- Reduces travel time.
- Increases productivity.
- Helps the company to make decisions faster.
- Reduces unproductive time.
- Improves management communication.
- Allows for greater participation and teamwork by reaching out to a larger audience.
- Avoids administrative hassles associated with Instructor Led training.
- Accessibility to view documents, diagrams and illustrations from the comforts of one’s PC.
- Review prerecorded or archived presentations.
- Easy sign up and login.
- Real time feedback.

A webinar is also a fantastic way to interact with prospective clients, unable to meet face-to-face, that are interested in learning more about the products or services of a service company. Very much like meetings held in a conference room, webinars offer an added benefit of allowing participants to listen to informative audio about the product or service via a telephone, interact with presenter or speaker and ask questions in real-time.

Jacob

Web Conferencing

Peter Cullen asked:




Now web conferencing is not brand new, but this was actually my first personal experience with it, and it got me thinking about how fast things have changed. Just a few years ago I was travelling all over the world to accomplish similar things. The travel was interesting, but I think the days of hopping planes to install software are over…or soon to be. The ease with which the task was accomplished with nobody leaving their desks was amazing. I think once you experience this, you won’t be able to imagine why anyone would do this any other way.

Of course, installing software is only one of the things that such conferencing allows you to do. Meetings, training, sales presentations, and collaborations of any sort fit right in, and corporate workplaces are not the only venue in which such tools can be used. Internet marketers are starting to realize the power of the approach. Teleconferences have been a popular marketing tool for sometime, and webcasts and webinars are becoming more and more popular. A webcast usually refers to a one-way broadcast from presenter to audience, while a webinar usually involves two way communication – the audience can respond – typically through a telephone, although many service providers are starting to bundle in voice communication with their web services.

Imagine you’re marketing an information product on the web. Want to demonstrate it’s virtues
to your leads? Well, it’s very easy to do. Purchase a one-time meeting package from the vendor of
your choice, send the web address of the meeting page to your leads, set up voice access either
with the vendor, or through another teleconferencing service, and off you go! Your leads can ask questions and watch on their computer while you wax eloquent about your product…think that might boost sales?

The web conferencing vendor I used for the software upgrade provides a hosted solution, which means
that there is no software to install locally and no servers to maintain – all you need is a web browser and a telephone. You can have a shared screen meeting anytime you want to with virtually no local set up work at all. In fact, during our software upgrade, a question came up that required the knowledge of one of the programmers that wrote the system, who happened to work in different state. One phone call, and he joined the online meeting from his computer, took a look at the problem, fixed it, and off we went.

Recall that I mentioned above that most services allow the “presenter” to take control of the desktops of the “audience”. Imagine how simple this makes it to show your audience how a software product works – think of the travel and accommodation expenses that can be eliminated. Some corporations report saving literally millions of dollars each year by reducing travel expenses with web conferencing.

If your company hasn’t taken the plunge yet, it’s time you took a look. If you’re selling on the
Internet, think about how these tools can affect your bottom line.

Bruce

Video Conferencing Software – Necessary Video Conferencing Equipment

Abraham Stone asked:




Web Conferencing is an efficient method of generating a common communicational channel for different individuals residing in different geographical areas of the world. In order to arrange for a profitable web seminar, you must purchase all the necessary video conferencing equipments. Several varieties of software and hardware machinery are available in the market for organizing a webinar. In this context I would like to state that video software is the most essential video conference equipment required for conducting this event. You can easily acquire several free software and online IM tools for this purpose. I am quite sure that you must be familiar with Skype, Yahoo, AIM etc. These programs help you in conducting a web seminar.

If you are seeking easy-to-manage software for a face-to-face conversation then you can try using free chat portals or instant messengers for this function. On the contrary, if you need it for organizing a commercial event then you need something better. You require software that is capable enough to deliver all your messages to different hosts present in different geographical areas, at once.

Professional video conference software equipment offered by online stores will surely help you in setting up a grand presentation. These tools help you in uploading quick feedback plus, let your spectators simultaneously interact with you. They can also put up queries by using a microphone.

Prior to this downloading process, make sure that the downloaded program comes from reliable and safe place. It should be easy-to-manage and uncomplicated. It’s my personal advice that you should definitely go through customer reviews and company ratings, before purchasing it. Better check out the customer feedback and user description that comes with the video conferencing equipment purchased by you. This way, you can get a clear-cut idea regarding the usage, functioning and limitations of your tools.

If you wish to check the compatibility of the software with your hardware and the operating software then you should run it on your system once. For organizing an efficient and quick webinar, you might need a webcam and a microphone, but a few offices lack these video conferencing equipment. Thus, you simply need to check if you can still run it on your system, without the mentioned tools installed in it.

If the entire process of assembling components seems tedious and time consuming then you should perform it overnight. Besides, if you’ve stored a demo copy then let me tell you that will work only for a short time span. It does not work beyond its time limits. And so, if you want to arrange an audio webinar then better put your finances in a small-scale and reasonable program.

Howard

Where Do I Find Cheap Web Conferencing?

Peter Leigh asked:




While finding cheap web conferencing is the ultimate goal of businesses, there are certain factors that you have to consider. The cheap rates for the web conferencing are not the most important feature of such a service. Although they may seem attractive on the surface, you do have to look deeper into the services to make sure you can get exactly what you need. If cost is a major factor in getting the cheapest conference calling rates, the best thing you can do is a search of all the providers to find which one can offer you the best plan for the cheapest rate.

Big companies, such as WebEx, do offer cheap rates for web conferencing. It is best to use a well-known company to make sure all that you have secure service and that you can access it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This is especially important if you want to interact with business partners and clients from all over the world so that you don’t have to worry about time zone problems. Although smaller and lesser known companies may offer you cheap conferencing calls, they are also known to have more problems, such as a lack of features and lesser quality video.

When you search for cheap conference call providers, you do have to look at whether or not they provide such features as file and application sharing. With the better known companies, such as WebEx, these are standard features and the company has been in business long enough to have worked out all of the bugs. Conference recording and polls are other features you should look for because they enrich the conferencing situation and make it an enjoyable one for all participants.

Using conference calls will drastically reduce the expense of training within your company. You no longer have to arrange and pay for meeting rooms or pay travel expenses for your employees. Although you can save money in the initial cost when you choose a company with cheap rates for web conferencing, you may encounter more problems than you realize. You need good connections at all times in order for this method of meeting to succeed and smaller companies often do have this problem.

The number of people that you need to conference with at one time is also an important factor to consider when you are looking to reduce the costs of web conferencing. The best cheap conferencing via the web should allow you to include a large number of participants. If you need to include people from distant locations, you need to ensure that your cheap rates allow you to include them. The rates are also a determining factor. Some companies charge on a rate per person, while others charge a monthly or annual flat rate. You also have to be careful about any hidden fees that may not be explicit in your contract, but show up on your invoice for web conferencing fees.

Marlene