Web Conferencing: Not Just In the Boardroom Anymore

Articles on Conferencing | Topics: conferencing, conference

by Keon Wiggins

Over the years, how business is done has been transformed tremendously. With the onset of internet technology, business transactions had greatly improved. To date, business continues to advance specially in the field of communication.

In the business world, business meeting is an everyday thing. The discomfort of travelling to various places can sometimes be a letdown. But now, everything has turned mobile; location is not a consideration anymore. An alternative to face- to- face meeting, a virtual meeting is the most economical solution for your corporate meeting requirements. In the fast paced world of business, it is inevitable to conduct meetings, seminars or conferences from all parts of the globe, thus incurring high company expenses. Web conferencing is a useful and efficient tool either for board discussions or personal meetings. With modern technology, one party can either be in London or Thailand yet still get to keep appointed meetings without leaving his or her seat in the office.

Web conferencing is a practical alternative to traditional meetings. With web conferencing, unnecessary travel time would be eliminated which could have been allocated for a more productive cause. Air ticket costs are indeed expensive, but on top of that taxi fare plus board and lodging costs are absolutely unnecessary expenses. In contrast, web conferencing provides a cheaper solution that provides pretty much the same basic objectives of a traditional one. It makes it possible for remote employees to keep in touch through both visual and audio means.

Meetings or group seminars are not confined in the four walls of the boardroom anymore. Internet technology made it possible to widen the reach of a company. Getting people to meet up can be an issue. For instance, if you need someone from Europe but your main host in United States and the rest of the participants in Asia, with the power of web conference, bringing them together will not be a problem. Space restrictions and location issues can be completely eliminated.

In a web conference, a participant sits in front of here or his own computer. With a few clicks of the mouse they are instantly connected to other users through the internet. Its basic feature is screen sharing where users also get to see the presenter's screen. A variation of audio conferences can be utilized via telephone conference, or voIP (voice over IP). Text chat can also be used instead of voice conference. An added advantage of web conference is the option for a playback without the bulky equipment. This vital feature is useful for filing purposes.

Quote of the Day

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.

—Walter Wellesley (Red)

A virtual boardroom is created with the same tools that one would utilize on a live meeting. Messages can be posted on a virtual bulletin board or a message board. Power Point slide presentations are commonly used for graphic illustrations. These can also be sent to participants as a file for further reference. Web co-browsing, which when enabled, can be used to simultaneous view website pages that the presenter has access to. A unique application sharing is also a useful feature where one can modify, for instance, a spreadsheet that is on the presentor's remote computer. Annotation also allows the presentor to mark specific points of his presentation for emphasis. File sharing is also used to send and receive spreadsheets and word documents. Polls and surveys can efficiently sum up all the participants comments and notes regarding the meeting.

Web conferencing is usually hosted on a web server who provides the service. It either charge on a per minute rate or a fixed fee per participant. Licensed software are also available for onetime purchase. This would be installed on the user's own server for unlimited usage. For small group discussions some software can function on a peer- to- peer set-up where in servers are unnecessary.

Web conference can also offer a solution if you need quick meetings. It can be readily available any time. You don't have to arrange for a meeting place or prepare the necessary tangible supplies and hardcopies. Web conference is an on- the- spot help for emergencies that needs thorough discussion.

Web conferencing is an exciting technology that every company should definitely take advantage of. The future of the business industry lies one how a company efficiently conserve time and money. If that would be the case, web conferencing is definitely an effective tool in ensuring growth in any company.

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Please note: All personal opinions expressed in the "Web Conferencing: Not Just In the Boardroom Anymore" article belong to the contributing author and are not necessarily shared by WebDesignConferencing.com.

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