Richard Desmarais asked:




At its best, desktop support is a seamless and uplifting experience.

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Lucy P. Roberts asked:




While video conferencing and web conferencing are sometimes confused, the
reality is that web conferencing is a completely different animal, with far more
options available and a much greater range of functionality than video
conferencing. Web conferencing offers not just the opportunity to chat and
communicate via webcam so that you can see each person in your conferencing
link, but to exchange documents, share applications, access shared desktops, use
PowerPoint, whiteboards and other presentation features and even poll
participants.
It all started with PLATO…
Web conferencing is “the total package.” Interestingly, the conceptual design
of web conferencing began long before there was a World Wide Web or Internet
structure in place. In the 1960′s, the University of Illinois developed a system
known as PLATO for their Computer-based Education Research Laboratory (CERL). It
was a small, self-contained system supporting a single classroom of terminals
connected to one mainframe computer. In 1972, PLATO was moved to a new system of
mainframes that eventually supported over one thousand users at a time.
In 1973, Talkomatic was developed by Doug Brown. This was essentially the
first “instant messaging” program ever designed, with multiple windows
displaying typed notes in real time for several users simultaneously. In 1974,
Kim Mast developed Personal Notes, a new feature for PLATO that enabled private
mail for users.
In 1975, Control Data Corporation set up its own PLATO system in Minneapolis,
Minnesota, the first commercial use of multi-function conferencing system.
Within ten years, PLATO was being used in over one hundred sites around the
world, some with dedicated lines for full-time use.
In the late 1980′s, however, microcomputers were becoming more reasonably
priced and the heyday of mainframe-based systems was over. Eventually the
original Control Data systems were shut down because PLATO was no longer
cost-effective. Control Data now has a few systems operating under the name
CYBIS.
PLATO’s descendants
In the late 1970′s, Ray Ozzie and Tim Halvorsen worked at CERL. Years later
they took some of the features of PLATO and greatly expanded on their
capabilities when designing one of today’s most powerful web conferencing tools
– Lotus Notes, released in 1989.
Lotus Notes was the first commercially released product that really took off
to offer user-created data-bases, document sharing, and remote location
communication under one umbrella. It created a “relationship based” environment
that took the corporation world by storm.
Other descendants of PLATO included DEC Notes, originally known as VAX,
written by Len Kawell. It is still used today on DEC’s EASYnet and on Starlink,
a universal web conferencing community. NetNotes is a client-server system
designed to improve on the original DEC Notes, with WebNotes as an add-on for
World Wide Web access.
True WEB conferencing
The distinction between true web conferencing and systems conferencing is
difficult, however, to define. When the Web first became a contender as a valid
means of collaborative conferencing with document sharing, etc, many companies
took conferencing packages originally designed for intranet systems and
redesigned them. The results weren’t always seamless. It wasn’t until the
mid-1990′s that true Web Conferencing software that was reliable was available.

PLATO and other main-frame based conferencing systems were based on a
centralized structure, with all elements feeding into a central computer. This
structure saw the development of several types of conferencing software that
included Backtalk, Caucus, COW, Motet, Web Crossing, Podium, TALKaway and YAPP.

PlaceWare, arguably one of the most influential Web conferencing systems
developed, had interesting origins in the 1990′s at the Xerox Palo Alto Research
Center, where it began as a multi-user game called LambdaMOO. PlaceWare was one
of the first companies to provide complete Web conferencing after the initial
release of PlaceWare Auditorium in 1997. In April of 2003, Microsoft purchased
PlaceWare, adding it to its newly formed Real-Time Collaborative Business Unit.

P2P shifts the focus of web conferencing
Another popular form of software was Groupware, essentially defined by Lotus
Notes. The difference between the centralized structure of PLATO-based systems
and Lotus is in the additional functions — Lotus provided a host of other
options like scheduling and document sharing. Groupware software is more complex
than Centralized software and focus on work flow; that is, making sure
documents, graphics and templates are where they need to be. Popular Groupware
products developed in the 1990′s included InTandem, Livelink, Lotus Domino,
Oracle InterOffice, TEAMate and WebShare.
As the price of home computers dropped, peer to peer (P2P) file sharing
became more and more commonplace over the World Wide Web, although primarily on
a user to user basis. That changed when members of Napster, then an illegal,
informally organized group of college youth and other music-lovers, began
sharing millions of music files among themselves. It began a revolution in the
use of the Internet that changes the way Web conferencing was eventually
perceived. P2P began to be seen as the way to host Web conferencing, rather than
through a single server. .
Groove took this peer to peer concept and applied it to Web conferencing. The
Groove technology, originally released in 2000, was upgraded to real performance
power with Groove 2.1 in 2002 and was impressive. The advantages of peer to peer
were immediately obvious — once you loaded the software and were set up, you
never had to pay a subscription or user fee for an offsite server to store any
files, you will never lose all files in one central location, and you are set up
and good to go for life (or until the next upgrade, at least).
Another company that recognized the need for quality Web conferencing
software during these years was WiredRed Software, founded in 1998. In 2003,
they released e/pop, a real-time Web Conferencing suite with comprehensive
features for all aspects of industry — it was the first installable web
conferencing software with no significant install time.
NextPage also offers P2P web conferencing and document sharing capabilities
developed out of the Napster movement. In fact, they use the example of Napster
file sharing and downloads to illustrate to companies the advantages of using a
peer to peer network over a centralized server.
What about UseNet?
In the 1980′s, Usenet software was developed with specific protocols to
format and transmit messages. It also allowed messages to be passed from one
news server to another, replicating around the world rather than being stored in
any one location. It has become the standard for news readers on the Internet,
with Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer both having built-in news readers
for UseNet. .
For some, web conferencing can be achieved simply by taking advantage of
UseNet. Download free software to set up a news server, create a few local
newsgroups on it, and have your users access your server with their Web browsers
to create your conferencing site.
Most companies, of course, prefer to have a more professional package than
that, and ease of use and security are concerns that are addressed better by
companies who have specifically developed company or enterprise Web Conferencing
solutions. A good web conferencing package today contains voice over IP (VoIP),
co-browsing and application sharing at the minimum, with add-ons and other
features if needed, including polling, event management, PowerPoint
presentation, playback, recording and live annotation and markup.
Easynet, founded in 1994, is a broadband networking company based in Europe
providing primarily European businesses with Web conferencing capabilities. This
infrastructure based provider provides unbundled loop access to companies in
some countries as a part of a “leased line” program for conferencing.
VoIP is making noise
The latest frontier in Web conferencing is the practicality of using IP based
voice communications on a regular basis with Web conferencing. While Web
conferencing is considered desirable for document exchange, text messaging and
whiteboards and many other functions, many people still think VoIP technology
has poor quality overall, especially with so many people still using dial-up
connections. .
Actually, there are several contenders in the marketplace who have produced
excellent quality VoIP offerings in their Web conferencing packages, including
Voxwire, Orbitalk, RoomTalk, and VoiceCafe.
The future of web conferencing
One of the last stumbling blocks for web conferencing has been the
incompatibility between Macs and PC’s. With the heavy preference for Macs by
those in graphics heavy industries such as architecture, advertising and
publishing, it has always been difficult to share documents and set up effective
Web conferencing if the clients are PC-based. .
Session from WaveThree was released in 2003 to address this problem and seems
to have actually overcome this seemingly insurmountable problem — one of the
first really effective systems for Mac/PC collaboration over the Internet. Using
a bandwidth of 128 KBPS or above, Session provides videoconferencing, desktop
sharing, document sharing, whiteboards and live annotations on photos and/or
documents. More Web conferencing platforms of this type will no doubt be on the
horizon.
As Web conferencing becomes more and more common, new developments will
inevitably arise, including, perhaps, dedicated lines that are constantly open,
improved, secure peer-to-peer access and more Mac/PC web conferencing options.
With so many players on the field, it is likely that there will be a variety of
divergent developments over the next few years.
This article on the “The History of Web Conferencing” reprinted with
permission.

Copyright

]]> http://comparewebconferences.com/226/history-of-web-conferencing-multi-function-conferencing-comes-of-age/feed/ 0 http://comparewebconferences.com/244/web-conference-calls-how-to-set-up-web-conference-calls/ http://comparewebconferences.com/244/web-conference-calls-how-to-set-up-web-conference-calls/#comments Fri, 10 Dec 2010 13:26:15 +0000 http://comparewebconferences.com/244/web-conference-calls-how-to-set-up-web-conference-calls/

Ricky Lim asked:




Effective communication between people has been a concern for humankind since the early days of its evolution. With the coming of the Internet, chatting and conferencing on the net has taken the center stage. Web conference calls have revolutionized the way that people communicate with each other, and are increasingly being used by people as well as businesses.

The importance of web conferencing can be gauged if we look at the fact that it has not only helped many businesses to prosper by enabling timely and effective communication between the different parties involved, there have also been case of miraculous surgeries being performed by doctors communicating through web conferencing calls. Using web conferencing eliminates the need to travel and saves a lot of time and money, and helps in knowledge sharing and distribution.

How To Set Up Web Conference Calls?

Though it may seem complicated, setting up conference calls are easy. A web conference call can be placed from any location to any location in the world and the communication can be audio or video or both.

A simple web conference needs a computer, input and output devices such as web cams, speakers and monitors and an Internet connection. Another method, which is gaining ground, is the method called webcasting in which only one-way communication is done. A person gives a speech or presentation to the listeners on the other end. Large-scale web conferencing may require professional help to be set up.

How To Ensure That The Web Conference Call Is Successful?

Ensuring that the participants are well prepared while attending conference calls is a must if you want the objectives of web conferencing to be met. It is also important to coordinate between the participants and make sure that they log in at the same time. The objectives of the web conferencing must be given well in advance to the participants and the agenda of the meeting should be made clear beforehand.

Cheryl

Jason Cox asked:




Video conferencing for Apple computers is not only possible; it is as easy as it is on a PC. There are Instant Messenger programs that also have streaming video. They provide Mac to Mac and Mac to PC video streaming, making it possible to stay in the loop in an overwhelming PC world. A visit to a Macintosh friendly website reveals several easily obtained programs that support videoconferencing for Apple computers.

CU-SeeMe: The first videoconferencing for Apples on the Internet was CU-SeeMe. CU-SeeMe is an internet video-conferencing client written by Tim Dorcey and students at Cornell University. It was first developed for the Macintosh in 1992. The company has been sold several times, and filed for bankruptcy. However, There is still a small but active community of users who continue to use CU-SeeMe. Although there had been no releases of software from the various incarnations since 2000, there are freeware alternatives available for both Windows and Macintosh platforms.

VChat is a CU-Seeme video conferencing client for use with the Apple MacOS X operating system. With VChat you can participate in videoconferences by connecting to a CU-SeeMe reflector, or you can also have one-on-one conferencing. It is Freeware, and the system requirements are Mac OS X 10.2.5 or higher. The download file size is 1.7 MB.

Marratech: Any number of users can join videoconferences and e-meetings by downloading the free client software to their laptops or Macs. Your organizations web conferencing rooms are configured in a licensed Portal, which is set up on your company server. Marratech can be tailor made for the user. The License Fee for the server is $650 a month or $10,000 outright. Keep in mind that Marratech is a Freeware Client. System requirements are Mac OS X 10.4 or higher. The download file size is 7.3 MB.

Elluminate Live 6.0: Elluminate Live! 6.0 delivers industry-leading videoconferencing and multimedia capabilities in one collaborative solution. Elluminate Live! enables you to chat online, share whiteboards, and share applications. The license fee is free for one demo, three additions for $240 a month, and a ten-seat addition for $700. System requirements are Mac OS X and Mac OS 9. Elluminate provides the servers. The download file size is 4.6 MB.

iChat AV: The newest major release of the Apple operating system, Mac OS X v10.4 Tiger, features iChat AV. Tiger iChat AV brings multi-way video and audio conferencing directly to your desktop with stunning, true-to-life picture and crystal-clear conversation thanks to advanced graphics built in. Patented resizing techniques can fill the entire screen without distorting the images. iChat allows up to 10 participants for audio conferences .

In addition, iChat video conferencing is completely integrated into an iChat buddy list, so initiating a videoconference is easy. A simple click on a buddy list will invite and connect the meeting attendees. Any type of file can be transmitted with this system. Sent photos are displayed in the Message window instead of launching a disconnected window from another application.

The license for iChat is included with Mac OS X. iSight is a state-of-the-art video camera that can be paired with iChat AV. ISight makes it easier to videoconference over broadband. It has an integrated microphone, making it the eyes and ears of iChat AV. The cost is under $150.

OhphoneX: OhphoneX (pronounced as oh-phone-ten) is an H.323-compliant client application for video conferencing. Its goal is to bring standard based video conferencing and IP telephony application to Mac OS X. OhphoneX is designed to be a simple application that does Mac-to-Mac and Mac-to-PC (i.e. NetMeeting) audio/video conferencing. OhphoneX is free to download, with a file size of 6.2MB.

Collaba 4.7.6: Video and audio conferencing server features of the Collaba system cannot be run on Macs. However, Collaba provides dozens of easy-to-use communication and collaboration tools. It is designed to provide digital workspaces to virtual educational, corporate and governmental communities, making it a companion program for any videoconferencing program. The license is a freeware VL version. The download file size is 24MB.



Ellen

Nahshon Mediros asked:




Business or not, most decisions must be made in a snap. Now what if you’re still using the old technology of distributing emails and waiting for responses from co-workers and clients, or even your friends and relatives? You’ll be missing some opportunities if you’re not using collaboration tools that go with web conferencing.

Quick, Your Answer Please!

Working with a non-profit organization and seeking donors for special projects? Sometimes it can be a problem if you just can’t be available when they are. Time and money is wasted if you are after fast decisions from donors who happen to be on the move all the time. With collaboration tools, you can reach them through their mobile phones.

When the donor wants to share a file, you can immediately upload different types of files. You can also share these files with those interested to review what you have to say before they send your organization the checks to fund meals for the homeless and children living on the ghettos. In this type of venture, every minute counts, that’s why you need collaborative tools on the ready.

Not only can you reach your donors, but you can add more color to your social life. You can show off pictures and files because of voice and chat features afforded by conferencing tools for virtual conferencing or meetings. No need to hop on a plane or squeeze through traffic just to reach the meeting place.

The technology is indeed an amazing one. Whoever thought one would be able to talk to people scattered all over the globe at the same time without incurring stupefying telephone bills and sending files through snail mail or the expensive cargo forwarders? No more nail-biting and sleepless waiting for replies or decisions. You have the answers you need in real time.

File Sharing Can Command Instant Decisions

Collaboration tools make it convenient to share different types of files. All you have to do is prepare the files you want shared with prospective donors, clients, co-workers, or friends. During these virtual meetings, you have the luxury of threaded discussions and drag and drop file sharing. All these features provide the best environment for brainstorming and working out strategies or wrapping up deals.

Information can be disseminated quickly if you are using the more sophisticated conferencing tools, such as quick consensus building, online chat rooms, prioritizing and voting, discussing action plans, website maintenance, and administration of website content.

You’ll be helping other workers meet deadlines via the web by sharing files too. So in shopping for collaboration tools, make sure you know the needs of your organization. Whether you handle big or small conferences online, a smart choice of collaboration tools will render you savings in both time and money because decisions need not hang in the balance.

The ultimate trick is up your alley. You’ve got to have the best presentations that are not tedious, difficult to follow, and outdated. Like other organizations vying for donation, you have to tap your reservoir of creativity in coming with ingenious presentations.

You have to be original and be able to present new ideas. The better presentation of old ideas always sell. When you’ve got the collaboration tools, better be armed to the teeth with all those strategies to cop the biggest donation ever.

Crystal

Dinesh Kharakiya asked:




Online collaboration tools that allow you to work with far-flung clients and co-workers have entered in the mainstream of small companies in the last few years. And while most of the business organizations have learnt the importance of using applications like video and audio conferencing; web; white boarding; document sharing etc. many organizations need help in selecting which tools to use.

Of all the web based collaboration tools,web-based conferencing is considered to be one of the most effective and efficient medium of communication. In brief, these web based conferencing tool facilitate clients and employees of a business organization to stay in touch with each other regularly and effectively through the internet, no matter in which part of the world they are in.

Business organizations and corporates can use this tool for conducting meetings, live discussions, training sessions, seminars, presentations etc. Previously professionals involved in the web based conferencing were only dependent on the chat engines as communication was conducted through text messages only. Moreover, it was not possible for business organizations to organize live discussions.

This tool of web based conferencing has made it possible for several big business organizations and corporates to hold webinars with shareholders and update them about the latest happenings in the business. Companies can do all this in an affordable way, while slashing down the expenses on accommodation of employees and travelling for different business purposes and communications. Additionally, using different conferencing solutions, you can organize important business meetings at any point of time and important issues related with business can be easily solved right away.

Moreover, you can combine web conferencing with audio conferencing to make it more effective. Communicating using web based audio conferencing is as simple and easy as communicating via conference call phone.

With the introduction of video conferencing systems, various new features have been added in the web conferencing solutions. Moreover, with the facility of conducting slide presentations and live presentations on power point in conjunction with sharing text messages and audio conferencing, the equipments of video conferencing have further improved the effectiveness and efficiency of web conferencing.

One of the best features about web based conferencing is that it works efficiently on different types of operating systems and hardware. Thus, no matter, which hardware and operating system are used by your organization, you can avail the benefits of web conferencing.

Troy

Everett Machlachan asked:




It is a little-known fact that the first video phone (called the Picturephone) was developed and marketed by AT&T in the early 1960′s. The company had expected it to become an international bestselling item, making the company rich within a few short years. They even displayed it at the 1964 New York World’s Fair.

Of course, as history has since revealed, the product utterly fizzled. The truth is, while the idea of the product itself was compelling, the cost, relatively poor picture quality, and the fact that people just didn’t need to see each other badly enough when talking on the phone – meant that it was doomed to failure.

Fast-forward to the late 1990s through today. The advent and popularity of the World Wide Web enabled the development and relatively cheap deployment of web conferencing technologies that people could use to communicate via their own computers. No special equipment needed! And, the idea finally caught on in a big way, meeting a very different fate than the 1960s-era technologies.

Today, the term “web conferencing” has been expanded to refer to a cluster of technologies related to all-things-communication via the Internet, including voice, video, screen-sharing, application sharing, and collaborative work environments.

If you are considering adopting a web conferencing system for your organization, it is important to understand the various options you have in terms of system implementation. If you are interested in hosted web conferencing, here are 5 things you should know:

1. Your two main implementation options are hosted and downloadable:

While implementation options for such systems vary greatly at the detailed level, in general there are two main ways to go: hosted vs. downloadable. Hosted simply means that the bulk of the system “lives” on a central server somewhere, whereas downloadable means the application resides on each participant’s own computer.

2. There are two main types of hosted solutions:

Breaking down the types of hosted solutions even further in broad terms, there are two: the system can be hosted with the provider/maker of the system or it can be hosted at the buyer/user’s own facilities

3. Hosting with the provider is called a web application:

Most smaller scale systems, such as those for home use and small businesses, are web applications and are hosted with the provider.

4. Hosting within your facilities is called locally-hosted:

However, when an enterprise invests in a web conferencing system, often they will choose to host it locally within their own computing facilities.

5. With local hosting you can manage your own services more closely:

When a system is hosted locally, it is usually managed by local IT staff. Local staff maintain and administer the system for users, with support from the solutions provider available when needed.

Take into consideration these 5 things you should know about hosted web conferencing solutions when looking for a system for your organization.



Pearl

Michael Framer asked:




AT&T has rolled out its Telepresence Solution, a compelling new way to communicate domestically as well as internationally. Available in 75 countries, AT&T takes international conference calls and transforms them into vivid, life-size teleconferences. While this technology allows for an “in person” meeting experience via complex video conferencing systems and HD television sets, it’s not necessarily the end of international conference calling as we now know it. In fact, global collaboration and virtual meetings using existing technologies have been occurring for many years.

What does AT&T’s Telepresence Solution do? It enables international callers to conduct face-to-face meetings without having to travel, potentially saving participants thousands of dollars in travel expenses and eliminating the hassles of international travel. AT&T offers this solution as a managed telepresence service where AT&T owns the equipment and bills customers each month for the service. This arrangement eliminates the need for upfront investments in equipment and ensures budget predictability. Optionally, AT&T can integrate the solution with customer-owned equipment. In addition to installing equipment at the sites of Telepresence Solution customers, third parties such as Marriott Hotels are getting into the act by creating Telepresence Solution rooms and making them available for rent.

Unlike traditional international conference calls, taking advantage of this new technology requires all parties to attend the teleconference at a site equipped with the Telepresence Solution. While it may be inconvenient to book a meeting room equipped with the technology, it’s better than having to fly around the globe in order to attend a physical meeting.

Video conferencing, whether in full high definition video or standard video, coupled with international conference calling remains one of the best ways to control costs while also facilitating international collaboration. Existing video Web conferencing technology is readily available with participants being able to attend using standard office equipment such as a computer with Internet access and a phone. Inexpensive webcams add video to the mix, allowing for virtual face-to-face meetings from around the globe.

Hosting a video Web conference in conjunction with international conference calling technologies allows for better sound quality than using built-in microphones and sending audio over the Internet. An integrated conference with a phone bridge is ideal as participants can speak to one another over the phone line while interacting onscreen. File sharing and desktop sharing further enhance the conference, making for a full-fledged, real time collaboration tool.

AT&T’s Telepresence Solution as well as international conference calls and video Web conferences offer similar benefits including: a global reach, improved communications, faster decision making, and reduced financial and environmental impacts.

For example, international conference calls and Web conferencing technologies allow you to interact, in real time, with your colleagues and partners located in hundreds of countries. By being able to see and hear each other, communications become more personable and misunderstandings less frequent. Non-verbal communications allow everyone to better understand the nuances being expressed – nuances and subtleties that would otherwise be missed or misinterpreted. This is especially important when your team is made up of culturally diverse team members.

In addition, since international conference calling takes place in real time, decisions are made faster. Rather than a drawn-out exchange of emails with long delays due to time zone differences, well scheduled international conference calls and Web conferences ensure that the information is exchanged promptly and questions addressed immediately.

Finally, international conference calling and Web video conferencing dramatically reduce travel costs and carbon emissions due to the elimination of air travel. As you tally up the savings in these areas alone, a strong case for these alternatives to physical meetings emerges.

Whether you’re waiting for AT&T’s Telepresence Solution to become a viable option for your organization or want to start saving money on your international collaboration efforts, using today’s existing technologies such as video Web conferencing and international conference calling is a smart move you can begin using right now.

Raymond

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.

Samantha

Jacob Bainton asked:




With the advent of the Internet, it has now become possible for individuals to keep in touch with people living far and wide for professional as well as personal purposes. For instance, companies now hold their meetings through Internet. This method is termed as web conferencing. It can involve just two people or a business meeting can also be held with a small group of people. With the help of collaboration via web conferencing, it has now become possible for organizations to interact with their customers irrespective of which part of the world they are located in. This is regarded as the greatest benefit of web conferencing collaboration.

Web conferencing helps in making a business more efficient. This modern technology helps in bringing business close to the prospective customers without any need for travel from one corner of the world to another. You can also hold a meeting with your fellow employees who are located in some other part of the world. The web meetings or conferences are conducted online with the help of desktop computers or laptops by connecting them to the Internet. Holding these meetings online also helps in reducing the cost factor to a great extent and is also a wonderful solution for companies using work-at-home employees.

Web conferencing allows you to demonstrate your newly developed product to the prospective customers, hold general meetings with customers, and make PowerPoint presentations. A video or a telephone connection helps in making the communication much easier. It is regarded as an ideal solution not only for the big corporate houses but also for small business organizations.

The Art of Video Conferencing

Like web & video conferencing is also the new buzzword among small and large businesses located in different parts of the world. Like elsewhere, video conferencing Australia is being widely used for different types of corporate activities like management meetings, sessions for resolving problems, briefing and planning sessions, client presentations, interviewing prospective candidates located in some other country for any vacancy, complex negotiations, holding bi-annual meetings with staff, and so on. Like web conferencing, video conferencing is also an effective collaboration tool and helps in saving a lot of money and time required for travelling from one place to another.

Benefits of Web Conferencing over Video Conferencing

It has some advantages over video conferencing like:
Cheaper and more reliable; Fewer issues related to firewall configuration; Requires lower Internet bandwidth; No need for too much lighting and makeup as participants cannot see each other; Technically, less difficult to set up and use.Advantages of Video Conferencing over Web.

Video conferencing also has some benefits over web. They are:
Live video feed and hence all the participants can view each other in real-time; Participants usually feel deeply involved as there is a video element.

Ben