Articles on Conferencing | Topics: conferencing, conference
by Parnella Jones
Web conferencing has come a long way; previously web conferencing is a term that has been limited to message boards, mailing lists and non-public chat rooms. Today, web conferencing is a multimedia platform that enables people from different parts of the globe to converge within a virtual environment, and exchange information in real time without ever having to leave the office.
Convenience, economy and practicality are the main appeal of web conferencing. Web conferencing cannot be beat in terms of convenience; meetings and trainings can be held without leaving the office, at home or even in places of leisure if the need arises. All a participant needs is a computer, desktop or laptop, a camera, a headset with a microphone or its equivalent, software for web conferencing, and a high speed internet connection.
Web conferencing takes advantage of the latest technologies telecommunications can offer; it may seem daunting for the technologically challenged but the reality is these technologies, though of the highest level, are competitively priced. Technology and competition make it possible for the softwares and hardwares necessary for web conferencing to be affordable.
One of the most important reasons why web conferencing has been embraced by businesses and private individuals alike is that it eliminates the need to fly or drive to the meeting location; this is not only convenient but cost-effective as well since airfare and fuel prices have soared dramatically over the last few years. The other costs for meetings and trainings include lodging, food, and materials; in contrast, the only major costs web conferencing incurs are the initial investment for the equipment and the license fee for the software or service fee for the web servers, which typically range from 30 cents a minute to a flat rate of $99 a month.
Another benefit of web conferencing is it offers efficient and cheap exchange of information in real time; this is critical in times when an urgent issue arises and needs to be resolved quickly. Mother companies and their various offices scattered in the different parts of the globe; companies strategically aligned; companies and their suppliers, distributors, retailers and customers – any issues that arises between them can be easily and immediately conveyed to the concerned party; and the information that can be used to solve the problem or may be the basis for arriving towards the solution can be accessed from the relevant department, office or person through web conferencing.
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For 350 years we have been taught that reading maketh a full man, conference a ready man and writing an exact man. Football’s place is to add a patina of character, a deference to the rules and a respect for authority.
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The immediacy of information exchange and its multimedia platform generates a semi-personal feel. Unlike ordinary chat rooms and message boards, web conferencing creates an atmosphere wherein the person you are having a conference with who may be a continent away, feels as if he or she is in the same room with you. This hint of personal touch is enough to foster goodwill among participants without compromising their personal space; it also facilitates a more energetic exchange of ideas; and familiarizes participants with each other similar to the level they experience on actual, non-virtual meetings.
Despite all the advantages web conferencing brings, there are causes for pause. Web conferencing is a new technology; it is still evolving and right now, there are no national and international standards for it. It is also a technology that renders itself obsolete at a rate faster than Nokia phones; software updates, upgrades, patches and new versions on web conferencing are churned out by vendors almost on a monthly basis. The existing technology infrastructure of the company must also be taken into consideration; how many of the existing equipments can be retained and how many have to be replaced; will the company license a web conferencing software or will they subscribe to a conferencing service; and do the existing technical personnel have to be trained and if they do, will the training be conducted internally or externally.
For the meantime, although its popularity increases exponentially with each day, web conferencing appears to be a mere supplement; a meeting of minds, sealed by a handshake remains the de rigueur. But the changes it has brought about; the costs reduced; and the growing appreciation for the technology itself are real enough to prickle a reasonable man's Spidey senses about its impending evolution in the very near future from a supplement to a valid alternative to live meetings.
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