Internet Conferencing – video web meetings

Joseph Ducat asked:




In recent years, traffic on the information highway has sped up phenomenally, to the point that people now regularly download files and videos on the Internet rather quickly and easily. The high-speed Internet also has great benefits to offer in the arena of business communication. It can allow business people to communicate inexpensively with each other across great distances, using an Internet application known as Web conferencing. This tool can actually save businesses a significant amount of time and money.

To better understand the benefits that a Web conferencing application can provide, just think back to a time not too long ago when the Internet was not yet widespread. Back then, when a business person had the need to confer with a client or a colleague working in a different city or country, there were really only two possible options. The first option would be to have a telephone conference. But that had its limitations. There were many concepts, and especially visual ideas, that could not be easily explained or discussed on the telephone conference call. Also, long-distance calls were expensive. The second option would be for the people involved to meet up. But that necessitated going on a business trip to the location of the meeting, entailing a number of travel expenses. All in all, such a meeting would tend be very inconvenient and seldom cost-effective. That is not even considering the time spent on taking that trip, time that the businesspersons are taking away from their regular duties.

That was in the past. Today the Internet connects people globally, and the vast distances can be traversed in a single mouse click. Through Web conferencing, businesspeople are now able to hold long-distance conferences, sales presentations, training seminars, client consultations, product demonstrations, group discussions, and many more events in which those attending do not even have to be together in a single room. All that is required is for the participants to have a computer, a Web browser, and a high-speed Internet connection. And there is no need for anyone to spend a great deal of money on an expensive business trip to some foreign city. Web conferencing does not just allow people to talk to each other over great distances. It can also enable them to give a presentation, share a file or application, make a comment on a virtual whiteboard, or see each other’s faces through video conferencing. Web conferencing is truly a useful and multi-functional application that makes international business communication easier than ever before.

Alexander

Michael R. Burns asked:




The history of video conferencing has gone from expensive video equipment and “in room” systems that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars back in the 70′s and 80′s to the recent advent of desktop video conferencing services that use the Internet, web cams and cost under $100. per month for unlimited usage.  Finally, the price point has come down to where small businesses and consumers can utilize this technology and not be burdened by the huge costs.

The new technology works like this.  Each participant has a desktop or laptop computer, equipped with Internet access and a web cam.  A web cam can be purchased from any office supply store for as little as $35. The moderator would then subscribe to a desktop video conferencing service, where they would receive login and password information.  A fifteen to twenty minute training session would bring all of the parties up to where they are ready to start their own conferences.

The leader or account holder can have up to one hundred parties on his conferences.  Approximately eighteen videos can be displayed simultaneously on everyone’s screens.  There is a “real estate” issue in that the limited screen size only allows eighteen videos.  In addition, the more videos being displayed bring a drag on bandwidth.  The optimum size is about eight videos being viewed at the same time.

Now the moderator is ready to hold as many video conferences as he needs.  He will have to schedule each of his conferences just like he would with an audio conference call.  At the appropriate date and time of the meeting, everyone invited would log on to the URL and input their meeting identification code and password and possible other identifying information.  Everyone will then be connected to each other over the Internet.  Their videos will be displayed and the video conference can begin. The audio portion of the conference can either be carried over the Internet as VOIP or voice over Internet protocol or the moderator can use an audio conference line, which will provide top quality sound.

The beautiful aspect of the technology is that the service works extremely well.  Everyone can see all of the parties on the conference and they can talk and gesture just like they would in a live face to face meeting.  Small businesses and consumers alike will find this service exciting, functional, simple to use and certainly easy on the budget.  Desktop video conferencing has certainly arrived and now is the time to take a test drive.

Randy

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.

Frances