Frost & Sullivan also mentioned that web conferencing companies that explore and integrate their technologies with IM, VoIP, and video conferencing will take advantage of the explosive growth over the next 5 years.
Companies like Cisco WebEx has started integrating some of those technologies to their product. For example, WebEx AIM Pro Business Edition for enterprise instant messaging, built-in VoIP and video built on the H.264 video codec.

Another news from Frost & Sullivan is that Citrix Online was recognized in September as the number two in revenue market share as a web conferencing provider.  Citrix online family of products count of GotoMeeting, GotoWebinar, GotoTraining has helped them gain significant growth in the last few years due to easy-to-use and low cost products.

“We were pleased to learn that we were the only major provider that grew market share in 2009,” said Brett Caine, general manager of Citrix Online. “This tangible validation of our leadership in web conferencing derives from our vision of combining just the right features with ease of use and affordability. We’ll continue to lead in this space as we innovate with new products and capabilities that help our customers succeed.”

Conferences can now be generated with the use of shared software like virtual whiteboards and polling, real-time VoIP (Voice over IP), visual slides, integrated presentations and spreadsheets from office applications like Power Point, MS Word, Excel, etc. On top of that, web conferencing is recordable which makes it easier for review later on.

On the business outlook, web conferencing increases productivity among staff and employees. It can mobilize anyone anywhere as access to this technology is already easily available today. This vital tool for communication is utilized to disseminate critical information to staff and employees as fast as possible. Further, trainings can already be facilitated through web conferencing procedures without the need to spend on several training equipments and personnel.

Web conferencing is also a preferred method for major advertising companies nowadays. Since recorded web conferencing clips can now be uploaded over the net or incorporated with banners for direct view by online visitors, the cost to create vibrant and convincing videos is no longer that significant to the company’s budget.

For this reason, there’s no need for very expensive outside consultants to conduct focus groups on the development of new products and services and marketing them. Department heads and technically oriented personnel can now collaborate and hold company specific brainstorming sessions.

The benefits of web conferencing don’t stop there as professionals, students, and families from all over the globe are also utilizing it.

Teachers and online educators are already using this major technology in order to continuously share knowledge to students. Web conferencing is one avenue for them to reach distant students as well as those who want to catch up with the lessons. Some college professors even provide extra educational counseling to their students while they’re hanging out in the nearby café or at the comfort of their homes.

The government, as well as politicians, also benefit from web conferencing. Important government initiatives, agendas, programs, etc. can now easily be fed to the public for awareness. In turn, the public can provide reactions and other feedback to whatever program the government is undertaking. This interactive communication between government and the public is definitely helpful for a country’s development. Moreover, politicians can readily communicate their messages and platform in order for the public to be more oriented with them and their intentions.

Web conferencing is certainly one of those important revolutionary technologies invented for communication. As development of web conferencing and other communications technology continue, so as the increase of their benefits to everybody else. There’s no doubt that in the soonest time, majority of the people around the world will have immediate access to web conferencing equipments and tools as part of their everyday lives.

Hosting a web meeting conference is perhaps one of the best solutions there is when you need to run an urgent meeting with participants in different locations, provide cost-effective means to train your employees off-site, or just launching a new service or product.

It is a known fact that most companies already have sites across the globe. Traditional communication between sites, as a result, become more costly, time-consuming and gradually ineffective. Web meeting conferencing create a faster and cheaper communication approach that is more effective than traditional communication. It is now a necessary tool in interacting with staff and employees, holding meetings and reviews, real-time training, company forums, and direct information cascade.

We’ll be giving you the following web meeting conferencing tips in order for you to host a very effective meeting with your participants:

• Invest on a good technology. Make sure to setup the most top-of-the-line web meeting conferencing equipments for a seamless flow of communication. Technical-wise, it’s considered to be the primary advice of communication consultants as well as providers. A good technology is required for your most demanding needs.
• Learn to know the technology involved with web meeting conferencing. For starters, a PC or a laptop should have an Internet link, digital video camera or a webcam for the live video, VoIP (Voice over IP) for the real-time audio, a software or application to coordinate the conference, and most of all, adequate space on the server as well as bandwidth in order to accommodate the meeting.
• Check the web meeting conferencing software if they can be fully integrated with your office applications. If so, it would already be easier to quick-launch the program and send invitations to your participants through messaging, e-mail or calendar.
• Now that you’re done scrutinizing the technology, proceed with your own planning for the web meeting. First of all, always keep in mind to draw an outline of what you want to accomplish. Don’t forget to limit yourself to what can only be covered in the time allotted for the web meeting.
• Though most web meeting conferencing occurrences are urgent in nature, it’s still best to pick whom you would want to attend. Don’t forget to invite them using the web meeting conferencing software. Provide them the complete information like links, access codes, time, etc that they’ll need in order to participate.
• Send out a complete agenda of the meeting and list down brief contents and highlights so the participants will have an idea of what the meeting is all about.
• Before starting your meeting, make sure to gather expectations from your participants and enumerate your expectations to them as well. Web meeting conferencing is a great opportunity for you to collate raw reactions from your participants.
• Record the whole meeting, so those who are not able to participate in the conference will also have the opportunity to review it. It’s a good strategic advantage that you can employ for your business.
• After the meeting is done, it’s best to send thank messages to acknowledge their participation. Leave them some survey to answer in order for you to have a reference in the future on what to improve and how to engage your participants more.

Business video conferencing has become an efficient tool in revolutionizing the business. Not only does it save money for the business, it’s also a more convenient and methodical way of doing of business conferences, especially when it comes to urgent and spontaneous discussions. On top of that, it offers long-term benefits as a wise investment, fixed asset as well as removing costs allocated for variable funds. As developments in technology may further take place, business video conferencing may become a truly integral part of every day business operations.

Business video conferencing eliminates the need for traveling and superfluous spending of money just to convene for a conference. Technology has made it possible to provide solutions to whatever conferencing needs of the business. These solutions are customized to fit different conferencing scenarios like Q and A talks, one-on-one discussions, large conventions, and even personal or private chats. Further, solutions are also specifically tailored for different industries and type of enterprise.

The cost-effectiveness of video conferencing also makes it a financial advantage for any business. There’ll be no more need for a business to allocate funds for travel, accommodation and other allowances as the conference can immediately kick off wherever the participants are located.

It is also a lot less stressful if the meeting is just held at the convenience of one’s own office or at the boardroom than to spend a day hustling with cabs, delayed flights or hotel reservation fiascos. Business video conferencing is easier to organize without the need for longer hours of preparation. There’s also no more need to wait for all participants to arrive in a given time at a given place. Whatever the urgency of the conference may be business video conferencing is definitely a practical preference.

Video conferencing is essentially vital as a strategic business advantage. Recording can now be made from every business videoconference for playback as well as archiving. This allows participants to be able to review whatever went through the conference and take the opportunity to re-assess possible action items to hit goals. On top of that, with the introduction of other business video conferencing services like toll-free audio call-in, PINs for tracking attendance as well as operator services, business conferences are as secure and functional as ever.

More importantly, business video conferencing equipments are significant investments for the business that require less capital. There are already a number of certified business video conferencing service providers that can set-up your conferencing needs anytime. Businesses can now easily afford to have a business video conferencing system set-up as a strategic and cost-effective tool. Businesses nowadays certainly can not afford not to have one otherwise they’ll be left spending unnecessary huge amounts of money for something technology can offer in less.

Bridging the gap in communications has never been made easier, thanks to affordable web meeting. This is what small and medium sized companies need these days when the cost of traveling is always on the rise. With this new web meeting solutions, companies can communicate with people even from the remote parts of the world.

Any company who wants to gain an edge should take advantage of this integrated solution. The may need some time to fully implement the system, but in due time the company will be able to gain so much benefits from it. The use of web conferencing solutions may not have yet been fully accepted by the majority of companies at the moment, but with its allied benefits it may not be long when all of them will truly appreciate its efficacy.

The truth is web conferencing is not complicated and expensive. Its implementation is very easy and the results are definitely the same with teleconferencing, if not better. Companies should simply implement intuitive solutions through affordable web meeting, and they will be able to make savings in the long run.

With affordable web meeting solutions, all the conferencing needs of companies will be provided. They will be able to conduct important meetings from a central location to just about any part of the world through the internet. Another great thing about it is that you will be able to see the reaction of the other person as if he is in the same conference room.

Not only do companies conduct important business meetings easily and effectively, but they can also save a significant amount of money on travel expenses. And with the lesser amount of time companies spend on business travels, they become more efficient. Using affordable web meeting products lets you meet clients faster than ever before even when you are in your office. The goal of affordable web meeting solutions is to provide companies the chance to meet anyone, anywhere in the world without the need to travel.

There are several things to remember to ensure that web conferencing was done or conducted effectively and is a success.  Preparation is important for a successful web conference.  According to Resource Center, it is never to early to prepare for the conference.  A month before the web conference, it is important to determine if it is indeed necessary and design who will be participating in the conference and rough outline of the topic to be discussed.

Two to three weeks before the scheduled conference, invitations to the participants should already be sent out.  A week before the conference will just be for polishing of the details planned couple of weeks earlier.

A week before the actual date of the conference, it is important to conduct a dry-run or trial run.  This would help or eliminate any possibility of technical issues.

Check the participants’ bandwidth.  It is important to know if anybody from the participants would have any problem about the video or audio.  It there is somebody from the group whose bandwidth is not enough to support the conference, then advice the group member to call and coordinate with their internet service provider.

Testing the equipment before the conference is very important.  Check the web cameras if they are working properly with the web conferencing programs.  Also, check the sound system. See if the microphones are giving out feedbacks that may deafen the other participants. Make sure that all the attendees have the right tools needed for the conference.

Aside from the web cams and sound system, also check for the camera angles.  It is important, and professional, that your whole head will be shown in the camera, not just the neck or the top of the head.  Also double check the lighting on the camera. If telephone is needed in the web conference, using headsets is more effective than the phone.

Also test the software you are going to use in the presentation. There are test or free trials of the software available.  Try using these software to be familiar with its features and food.

If the person involved in the meeting is located in a different country, it is important to double- check the time zone.  Also try to use more muted colors like blue or gray.  Bright colors and patterned clothing doe not really match with transmission.

Using clear and thorough instructions can also help the participants to have an enjoyable session.  Since web conferences come with lots of features, it is important to use the feature that will enhance the quality of the presentation or demonstration.  Familiarize yourself with the features before the meeting.

To use time efficiently, set an agenda.  Agenda setting will help the moderator and the participant’s to know the expectations from the conference and address those expectations.  Agenda setting is a great way of managing time.  Starting and ending the meeting on time is also a way of valuing time.

The day after the conference, send out thank you notes to the participants who have attended the session.  A week after the conference, ask the participants to provide any feedback to improve the flow and the conference itself.  Through this, we can ensure that the participants had the greatest web conferencing experience.

The following are important information that will help you choose the web conferencing hosting provider that fits to your needs.

1. Understand the difference between the different kinds of hosting services.

As the web hosting industry evolved and became more specialized to answer different business needs, it is important to understand how providers differ to make the right decision.

Shared Hosting is a service where all the clients of the host can use the server. It is like sharing a very large conference room with other clients. That means that if multiple clients use the server at the same time, the performance of the site may be affected. The good thing, however, is that this service is often cheap.

Dedicated Hosting is basically leasing a server from the host where you are the only client who can use it, unlike shared hosting. The level of technical support depends on the price you pay; but still, this is the best option for large businesses and industries who wish to have an uninterrupted online communication and large size data storage.

2. Do not place budget your top priority.

Saving money is good but make sure that the money you save from selecting a cheaper hosting company can answer your service requirements. Remember the old saying “you get what you pay for”? A cheaper hosting company may not offer features that are important to your business. Connection speed can also become an issue. Over-prioritizing on the price can bring you to lots of problems later on and maybe, can cost you more.

3. Don’t get blinded with the brand.

Big and familiar names in the industry may have reliable services but that doesn’t mean they are stable. When choosing your hosting company, open up yourself to all available companies that can provide your needs.

4. Prioritize on security.

During web conferencing, you send, receive and store confidential information about your business that you don’t want others to know. If the hosting company is not well-equipped with standard security features, spammers, hackers and online criminals can access freely to your information. A good hosting company has Secure Socket Layer (SSL), non-persistent data flow and intrusion control features. These security standards are set by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) to protect the users and the data from authorized access.

5. Understand the payment methods and make sure that you know how much do the maintenance and technical support cost.

The different maintenance and technical support services should be properly outlined. Know which services are free and paid.

6. Take note of your needs.

Ending up with wrong hosting company is not only annoying but also expensive. Before purchasing a service, make sure that you know what are the features they offer and if these features fit to your need. It is important to list down all the features you need and find a host that provide these features.

Web conferencing are reliable and economical but make sure that you choose the host carefully so that you can enjoy and maximize the benefits of this technology.

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So, what exactly is web conferencing?

With web conferencing, participants can share audio, video, content or combination of these in real time.  This enables people to attend meetings or presentations when they can’t attend them physically.  Attendees or participants of web conferencing can have a downloaded application on their computer or they can just access a website or URL to join the group having the meeting or presentation.

Web conferencing enables us to share presentations, documents, videos and multimedia applications.  Is also enables us to save money on the costs associated with high bandwidth.  You can meet whenever from wherever, as long as you have a personal computer/ laptop and internet access.

Since web conferencing allows users to have business meetings, trainings and conduct presentations and demonstration, it is a requirement that attendees have high-speed internet connection in all user and web sites.  Presiding over a session can be passed among the users or the attendees, so that another user can act as the presenter or demonstrator.

Some web conferencing systems or providers include several features in their systems like texting, VoIP (voice over internet protocol) and full- motion video.  Audio streaming was also added as an additional feature since web conferencing started in the early 1990s.  With audio streaming, attendees can listen to the audio as they view the presentations.

Messaging or sending messages also became more efficient. The leaders can entertain live questions or conduct answer sessions.  Attendees can send private messages to the leader, who can answer trough private messages or may publish the message so the entire team or attendees can view the message.

There are attendance rosters which allow the leader and the attendees to view who is currently involved in the conference.  There is also a tool for recording.  Recording allows for the synching voice and visuals into a permanent record which can be shared with others on a later date.

Whiteboard also allows the leader or the attendees to highlight items in the presentation or can be used to make notes.  There are also tools for polls and surveys, allowing the leader to ask questions with multiple choices addressed to the attendees.

Screen sharing is also another feature of web conferencing.   With screen sharing or desktop sharing participants can view the screen or whatever is on the screen of the leader.  Some screen sharing applications also allow remote desktop control which means participants can take control or manipulate the leader’s desktop or screen. This feature is seldom used.

Of course, there are web conferencing vendors or providers that provide these services of different basis.  Some web conferencing providers charge a nominal monthly fee while others may charge for every time the software was used.

Readying up your computer or your personal stuff to be used with web conferencing is really not that complicated.  New computers normally would have installed software in them that is necessary for web conferencing, if none, the installation process is relatively easy to accomplish.

Web conferencing provides a great way and venue for short and straightforward business related exchanges like meetings, demonstrations, orientation or even product roll-outs.  Web conferencing made it possible for us to have non- physical communication for business meetings and affairs.  Technology certainly makes life easier.

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How web conferencing was born?

Lucy P. Roberts, author of  “History of Web Conferencing – Multifunction Conferencing Comes of Age” (2004) traced the roots of web conferencing long before there is internet.

The University of Illinois developed a system known as PLATO during the 1960s.  This is for their Computer-based Education Research Laboratory (CERL).  This is just a small system supporting just a single classroom of terminals connected to one mainframe computer.  In 1972, the terminals being supported by PLATO increased to over a thousand.

Although PLATO was long before internet technology and it is mainly designed for computer-based education, it paved several communication features that became the foundation for web conferencing and instant messaging.  PLATO Notes, was the world’s first online messaging boards, while Personal Notes is used for electronic mails.  Talkomatic is used for real-time instant messaging or for chat.  PLATO even developed a tool for monitor mode or remote screen sharing.

David Wooley, creator of PLATO Notes in 1973, eventually designed Lotus Notes which was released in 1989.  Lotus Notes is mainly an e-mail client, but it can also be used as an instant messaging client, browser, notebook, and calendar reservation client.  Roberts cited that Lotus Notes was the first commercially released product that offered document sharing, user-created data-bases and remote location communication.

The PLATO technology gave birth to several communication tools that paved the way for web conferencing.  But it wasn’t until mid-1990s that the complete web conferencing started to shape up and become available in the market.  Roberts cited PlaceWare as one of the first companies to provide complete web conferencing.  It was developed by Xerox Palo Alto Research Center in the 1990s. In 2003, Microsoft acquired PlaceWare and renamed its core product Microsoft Office Live Meeting. Not long after that in 2004 GoToMeeting was developed by Citrix Online and became the number one web conferencing in the market since then.

Meanwhile, file sharing started proliferating the World Wide Web.  Peer to peer (P2P) file sharing refers to sharing of file containing audio, video, data or anything in digital format.  With peer to peer file sharing, peers act as equals, the roles of clients and servers are merged.  There is no central server that manages the network nor a central router.

Peer to peer file sharing was seen as a way of hosting web conferencing, rather than running the application through a single server.  With this P2P format, it is more dynamic and involving.

Groove was the first to apply the P2P concept in web conferencing.  It was released on 2000 and was upgraded in 2002 with impressive results.  WiredRed Software, in 2003, released the first web conferencing software that does not require significant installation time.

Most web conferencing providers offer packages that contains voice over IP,co-browsing and application sharing, additional features that can be readily available like polls, event management, PowerPoint presentation, playback, recording and live annotation and mark-up.

With a lot of web conferencing providers and vendors in the market today, web conferencing is becoming more and more common.  A lot of people are using this technology in their businesses and companies. New development in the web conferencing system is inevitable due to competition and continuous technological innovation.

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People and companies are investing in web conferences because of its advantages.  Web conferencing is said to reduce the travel costs of a company.  It is not necessary to meet participants physically or face to face.  Let’s admit it, traveling is not cheap.  With the fuel prices so expensive nowadays, who is excited in spending money on the pump.  Travel stress is also being avoided like airport delays, flight cancellations, traffic jams, and long and irritating travel hours.

Since web conferencing replaces in-person meetings, not only does it reduce travel costs by the company or business, it also keeps employees near their families and staff.  Less travel means more family time and time spent with work staff to improve productiveness.

Saving time can also be equivalent into saving money.  Travel delays not only waste time but costs money.  All the time and effort put into organizing the meeting can be allotted to other organizational and company tasks.  This time can be used for generating sales and income for the company and the business.  Web conferencing also adds to the workers’ flexibility.  Meetings can be held on short notice even if participants are in distant locations.

Web conferencing also reduces other company or business costs.  Some companies are using web conferencing to enhance customer service and learn more about customers in distant location.  Knowing more about the customers the business is catering to, helps improve the quality of service they are providing.

Training departments can be turned into e-Learning centers thus training more people for less money and shorter time.  Guest lecturers can give employee up- training, without the cost and time of travel.

Employers, even if they are away, can monitor, check and be in touch with their employees.  Immediate company or business issues can be addressed even if the employer is in a different location.  Key employees in different locations can have regular collaborations or consultations to improve the company productivity.

The ability to frequently meet and consult about pertinent business issues, strengthens the working and professional relationship among the employees even if they are far from each other.

Employers can even conduct interview to potential employees without having to leave the office, this is particularly useful for businesses or positions that are tightly integrated with technology.  By performing the interview, via web conference, this can ensure that the candidate employee can perform basic computer tasks involved in web conferencing.

Another beneficial feature of web conferencing is its recording and archiving capability.  Recording and archiving not only provides the necessary information to those who are unable to attend the meeting, but is also very useful for future reference.

Education institutions also use web conferencing.  Education institutions can offer distance education programs and can have blended learning setting.  Students can be liberated from the physical classroom set-up but still maintain teacher and classmate interaction.  Education institutions see that web conferencing can be way of reducing drop-out rates since students can continue their education through distance learning programs.

Businesses are not the only institutions that benefit from web conferencing.  Education, personal relationships are experiencing some advantages brought about by web conferencing.  Technology, of course, is here to improve our daily lives.

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