Attending a Web Conference

The quality or success of a web conference will be evaluated differently depending on the person. While the overall success is largely determined by the host, there are some things you can do to get the most out of your web meetings. Factors you can control that are needed for a web conference include:

• Internet connection: High speed is preferable as it will enable faster downloads. It also enhances video and sound quality.
• Speakers and microphone: A microphone is optional as it depends on the format of the particular conference. Speakers are essential.
• Webcam: This depends on whether you are supposed to be seen in the web meeting. In many instances this is not necessary.

Making Your Contribution

It’s true that the web conference is different from the standard meeting setting, but rules of good etiquette still apply. If you are expected to log in at a certain time, do so. Make note of any email reminders of the conference so you won’t miss the date.

If it is supposed to be an open discussion, prepare some quick points beforehand. Make notes during the session if you think it necessary. Take advantage of chat function during meeting to post questions without disrupting the presentation.

Avoid straying off topic. It might be a big money saver, but with web meetings time is still money. Using tools that enable collaboration and free flow of ideas will make for a more meaningful session. Some features you might want to look out for include:

• Whiteboard
• Text chat
• Live video

As with face-to-face meetings, you typically get from a web conference what you are willing to put into it. Luckily, attending a web conference is not a technical issue, so you can concentrate on what is important. So before you attend your next webinar or web meeting, think about what you will contribute.

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.

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.

The Revenue Fallout

According to some reports, airlines were losing as much as $200 million a day due to cancelled flights. Business travel in the areas affected by the volcanic ash also resulted in huge losses for companies around the world. In total, the airline industry is believed to have lost $1.7 billion. This is a harsh blow for an industry struggling to get back on its feet.

How Conferencing Can Help in the Next Eruption

The halt in flights for many part of Europe left travelers stuck in airports around the world. Travelers had to pay exorbitant rates for cab and train rides to get home where possible. For others, web conferencing become a great way for stranded travelers to stay in touch with family and work. All of this means one thing; companies must explore and embrace other ways of conducting business globally, such as webinars.

As the Iceland volcano eruption has taught us, regardless of nature’s whims business has to get done. Sending employees to various destinations around the world has already lost favor with many companies. Now due to the lessons learned from Eyjafjallajökull, it has become clear that business travel is a somewhat outdated concept.

With a good web conferencing product, meetings can be easily planned and executed. File transfer, session recording, seminar with thousands of attendees are all possible with web conferencing tools.

Now that flights have resumed and special flight zones have been established, the airlines will have to dust themselves off and move on. Web conferencing companies should now be poised to further prove their worth to the modern business environment. So the next time your company outlines major travel plans, don’t hesitate to step up and save them a bundle.

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.

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.

Profit Bearing Habits

While not an exhaustive list, the following will give a basic idea of ways get your business into the customer base building mode:

• The customer is king, or queen: It may sound like a tired refrain to say that the customer is always right, but this adage still rings true today. Always be willing to listen to your customers and be prepared to go the extra mile for those that aren’t quite satisfied.

• Upgrade your skills: There is always something new to learn in just about any field. The smart business owners stay on top of changes in their industry so they can stay ahead of competition in services and offerings.

• Importance of network: There are so many opportunities for building vital links for your business. These include trade shows and expos, family gatherings and even high school reunions. This simply means letting others know what you do in order to create your own opportunities.

• Get the right tools: No business can succeed without the necessary implements of the trade. Computers and various types of software are pretty much bare necessities these days. However, other solutions that are fast becoming must haves include web conferencing tools, smart phones and internet based promotional tools.

Add to this list as needed for your business. This is simply a guide that can serve as a springboard to profitability. Many businesses choose to promote themselves online as it is more cost effective method over traditional advertising. The boom in business video conferencing and web collaboration tools use underscores the need for fast and reliable communications. Keep in mind that if you ignore the basics of good business habits, your competitor won’t.

“After almost a year of researching a remote solution for my CPA practice I selected RHUB. Six months later I could not be happier with my selection. From the sales staff who were patient and informative, to the technical support staff, who were patient, diligent, and informative, we have had a very positive experience. Your product is reliable and functional, with innovative features not found in comparable product at several times the price. Our clients love it and are impressed with what they perceive our our technical expertise. Little do they know we’re just pointing and clicking!!

I advise my clients frequently to never rent what you should own. With RHub we own the product.”

– Dennis Duke, CPA, Duke & Duke CPAs

What are your thoughts on hosted versus on-premise solutions?

But despite its lacking in some areas, there is definitely potential with iPad being an on-the-go work tool. A portable device coveted by road warriors and frequent travelers. Given its crisp and vibrant 9.7 inch display, and a 1024×768 screen resolution, the iPad is great for browsing online and reading documents. There is already announcement made by companies about creating a remote access app for the iPad, so you will be able to access your desktop with all the different applications running on it.

But for those who are not looking for a replacement to their laptops, and will be using the iPad for mostly reading books and browsing the web, the lack of flash support is a major drawback. For business users who are frequently on the road and need to attend meeting and seminars online, they would still need their laptops in order to attend as many online conferencing services requires flash and downloads to run.

RHUB’s universal attendance technology allows for anyone to join a meeting as long as they can open up a browser and have access to the internet. And for those concerned with a lack of flash support on the iPad, not to worry. RHUB’s web-based viewing support both flash and non-flash users. So as long you’re connected to the internet, whether through Wi-Fi or the more costly 3G option, you will be able to attend meetings and webinars, guaranteed. Now whether or not you’ll be able to get connection on the AT&T network is a whole other problem.

What are your thoughts, will you be getting an iPad?

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