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Commonly Asked Web Conferencing Questions Answered

June 10th, 2010

web conference faq

While it is true that hosting a web conference is not a major challenge, to be able to use the meeting tools to it fullest capabilities, the technology has to be understood. New customers are often wary of new technology and might shy away from adopting a new system. Below are commonly asked questions which address the concerns many potential users of web meeting software may have:

What exactly is a web conference? It is the ability to host a live meeting via the Internet. It offers real time discussions online often involving people from various locations, sometimes the audience is spread across continents.
Is it safe to use? This is a perfectly understandable concern as many operating system vulnerabilities are exposed by going online. With web conferencing, this is no different since despite the best efforts, unauthorized persons can sometimes enter a meeting. This kind of intrusion is extremely rare. The majority of users can rest assured that their computer firewalls and internal network security settings offer adequate protection.
Is it expensive? Utilizing technology has a cost, but web meeting software pays for itself due to the cost savings it generates. The web meeting option chosen depends on a company’s specific needs and its budget. With this in mind, many providers offer attractive options that are within the reach of even small businesses.
What features do I get? For the most part, basic features are the same across the board regardless of provider. These include live chat, webcam viewing and PowerPoint presentations. The differences arise with issues like guaranteed number of attendance, audio and video quality, image sharpness and speed of data transmission. When web meeting software options are compared, the differences quickly become apparent.
What equipment is needed? Access to the Internet is essential for the deployment of web meeting software. Other useful pieces of equipment include speakers, headphones and microphone and sometimes a web camera. Downloads are not always necessary, as there are hosted web conference options online. Many companies may choose to use appliances which eliminate monthly user fees.

Today it takes very little time to set up a web conference. Web meeting software is experiencing increased market awareness as more companies seek ways to cut costs. There is a wealth of information online about these products and the associated benefits.

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Posted in Web Conferencing, webinar

Tags: faq meeting software Q&A

Web Conferencing + Online Gaming = LAN Party of Today?

May 20th, 2010

Love them or hate them, video games are here to stay. The debates about content, benefits and ills will rage on for a long time but certain aspects of the industry cannot be ignored. Video games represent some of the fastest growing areas of technology today.

A Brief History of the Gaming Console before web meetings - magnavox odyssey

The video game console represents possibly the best example of the meeting know how and imagination. Like so many tools being used today, game consoles had a relatively humble beginning with the release of the Magnavox Odyssey in 1972. This was followed by the Atari Pong in 1975. Subsequent releases by these and other companies included:

Magnavox Odyssey 100 and the Odyssey 200, both released in 1975
Atari Super Pong, 1976
Wonder Wizard 7702, 1976
Atari 400, 1979
Vectrex, 1982

Most would agree that the era of the modern console began with the introduction of the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1985. This sparked something of a race with other developers such as Sony over the following years. Bringing along and aiding the growth of the multi billion dollar gaming industry today.

Enhanced Communication Capabilities of Consoles

Not satisfied with groundbreaking graphics and enhanced game play, developers sought to take advantage of the growing Internet audience. Online gaming basically means that the game is played over a network. This can be anything from World of Warcraft to Xbox Live. The real time interaction is no different from the collaborative capabilities of web conferencing software.

Gamers have been able to test their mettle against other players on PC and console games for some time. Additionally, headsets allow them to maintain constant voice communication with team members. Like web conference tools many online games played on the PC have a live chat feature. Players can form teams or go one on one using online communication capabilities.

While most players might not stop to think about it, when they go head to head with others at distant locations, they are in fact conferencing.

This overlapping of technology is good not only for the gaming industry but also for web conferencing companies as well. While gamers and web conference users wait for the next big development, one thing is clear, the sky is the limit.

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Posted in Web Conferencing

Tags: Magnavox Odyssey video games Web Conferencing

Web Meetings, Do IT Know Best?

May 14th, 2010

IT departments have become a standard component of many businesses today, especially those that heavily utilize computer and communications technology. In charge of the company’s technology needs, the IT guy is the one you kermit learn more about web meetings call when for are your computer troubles.

In spite of their obvious technical know how, IT staff is sometimes at odds with the company’s decision makers. Not surprisingly most of these little squabbles revolve around money. IT department strive to bring the best products to the company but often overlooking the staggering price tag that comes along with a top of the tier product. With communications technology there are lots of grey areas where cost is concerned. Sometimes it makes sense to go all out, sometimes it doesn’t.

The Web Conferencing Dilemma

Deciding to use web conferencing is not much of a quandary these days. There is ample evidence that supports the idea that this one of the best routes a company can take for communications. However, with there being so many vendors out there, making a decision can be hard. Just remember that certain features are considered essential, such as:

Audio conferencing integration
Screen sharing or remote desktop
File transfer
Text chat

These are pretty much standard with most web conferencing solutions. Just keep in mind that the quality of these features varies depending on the provider.

The Clash over Web Meetings

The thing to remember is that IT staff usually knows what they are talking about. It is what they were hired for. Still, it never hurts to do your own research. A more informed buyer is a better buyer. With web meetings, higher cost does not always translate to quality. Start by defining the need of the company. Once you start out with a clear picture of what your company needs, choosing a conferencing solution becomes simplified.

Choose a solution that is scalable, that is, capable of growing as your company does. You’ll find that on this issue, you and the IT department will be on the same page.

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Posted in How Tos, Web Conferencing

Tags: buyer guide Web Conferencing web meeting

Choosing the Right Conference Tool 2 – Web Solutions

May 7th, 2010

One of the first choices you might be faced with when exploring web conferencing solutions is going with a hosted or on-premise service. This is only one of two possible solutions for online conferencing. The other method is using an appliance such as those provided by RHUB Communications.

Using a hosted service means that the service is operated from a server controlled by the vendor. Thus, the flow of the meeting is largely dependent on the vendor’s capabilities. Pricing for hosted services is generally based on the number of attendees. So the end user is dependent upon the provider for performance issues such as having the appropriate bandwidth and to quickly fix bugs.

choosing between web conferencing services

Making the Tough Decision between Conferencing Services

In deciding between the two types of web conferencing services, what boils down is how much control the user would like to have. What some consider a negative to the hosted option is the fact that the vendor needs to stay on top of potential issues that may arise. Bugs must be reported quickly, and the vendor must also respond quickly. The performance and usability of the service is almost entirely dependent upon the provider. Also, users need to stay on top of upcoming updates as it could also cause compatibility issues with the user’s operating system. As such, there is the need for constant communication between the vendor and the end user.

On the other end, on-premise solutions performance is dependent on the user. Users will also have more control in allocating resources to support their communication needs. Appliances are attractive options as they require no manual software updates and brings down the cost of ownership through elimination of monthly fees.

The success of your real-time communication will depend on variety of factors. Even within hosted or on-premise solutions, features and offerings will vary by provider. Learn more about what each supplier has to offer and try the product before you make your decision. This way you can avoid headaches later and ensure smooth communications with your online meetings.

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Posted in How Tos, Web Conferencing

Tags: comparison hosted service shopping guide web conference

Choosing the Right Conference Tool

April 26th, 2010

Audio or web conferencing? Which is the right one for your company? The choice between the two communication tools might seem unlikely since web conferencing itself has an audio component, but they can be two very different communication tools.

Audio conferencing is essentially a multi-way call that involves more than two parties. There are even phones that are produced specifically for this in the market. On the other end, web conferencing utilizes the power of the internet to allow real time communication regardless of location. Unlike audio conferencing, it offers a host of other features such as whiteboard, file transfer and video streaming.

According to online reports from AMI Research, most small businesses will opt for audio conferencing in the coming year. This can likely be explained by two things: that despite obvious growth web conferencing has yet to achieve full market acceptance and audio conferencing solutions is often the more affordable option. The latter is even more relevant when you consider that smaller businesses are often working with a tighter budget. web conferencing or audio conferencing

The AMI report predicted increase spending on both web and audio conferencing products in the next few years. Combined, the total market for the two products is expected to grow from $1.5 billion to roughly $2.7 billion by 2014. AMI Senior Consultant Karen Nielsen suggests that small business is driving the push towards conferencing products.

Part of this can be attributed to the fact that starting out with a smaller budget forces small business to adopt a savings mindset. In fact, Nielsen was quoted online as saying, “We would expect the greatest growth in usage for both audio and web conferencing to come from the small business segment with under 100 employees.”

So, if you own a small business, now may be a good time to explore conferencing options. It is highly likely that most audio conferencing users will turn to web conferencing products as their needs change over time and their companies grow. In the meantime, web conferencing companies also need to keep smaller enterprises in sharp focus. So by all means, research both audio and web conferencing companies and compare their offerings. Remember, with the kind of spending expected on these products in the next few years, if you are not utilizing them, your competitors certainly will be.