You have multiple options when putting together a web conference . You can choose to have an audio conference or a video conference . Audio uses voice only, and is similar to conference calling because everyone can hear each other. Optionally, whoever is moderating the meeting or event may mute attendees’ audio so that crosstalk and background noise do not distract from the content of the meeting or discussion. You can always un-mute the audio for questions and answers.

Video uses sound and images. You can use webcams to see live images of everyone who is participating in the meeting. Or they can use their computer terminals to access your presentation and follow along as you go through presentation slides or demonstrations. This means no one has a bad view of the material and everyone can easily follow along with no complaints. It’s a great way to hold a company wide meeting or other event because you can utilize the space and resources you already have without seeking a large conference room or other meeting space. Web conferencing is a flexible, modern solution.

Popularity: 71% [?]

You mean business, and you expect to get the most out of your employees. That is why you pay them for their work. When they are on the clock, you expect them to be attentive to the task at hand and diligently furthering the company’s mission and goals. They are representing you, and you have to be able to trust that they are being responsible for their work.

Many projects have regularly scheduled status meetings. Once a week or even once a month, the project manager from your company may meet with the client to discuss the progress that has been made. The ideal situation, of course, is that you would have these meetings face to face. But that is not always possible in today’s busy world. Still, it is reassuring to the client as well as your project manager if they can see one another face to face, through the power of technology.

Now they can, with a video conference . Video conferencing gives you the flexibility in scheduling that allows a project manager or other team member to have multiple meetings within just a few hours. That’s because they don’t have to travel between meetings or get caught up somewhere in transit. They can take meetings at their desk using web conferencing and never have to worry about being late or forgetting about an appointment.

Video conferences are also great for team meetings. You can keep an eye on your employees and make sure they are attentive and engaged with the content of the meeting. With conference calls , it is too easy for an employee to be distracted with something on their desk or computer screen, half listening to what is going on or being discussed. In a video conference you can be sure that they are paying attention because you can see their face and determine whether they are with you or distracted by something else. Just the fact that they are being observed is probably enough to keep them on task. Most people do not wish to get in trouble, especially when they are aware their actions are being observed or recorded.

With so many different applications, this type of conferencing is perfect for any size office. If you have been considering making the switch, do it today and see how much time you can save on transportation. You and your clients will notice a difference.

Popularity: 74% [?]

News for New Companies: Web Conference Tools

For fledgling companies, it can be difficult to be taken seriously without access to certain technologies and “frills” that larger businesses use. Beyond fancy business cards and luxury offices, a truly savvy small business knows that the best return for their money can be found by investing resources in technology like web conferencing . By making themselves available both visually and vocally to potential clients around the world, even the smallest business can extend their reach into areas they otherwise couldn’t afford to expand into. Easy enough to use that nearly any modern computer with a webcam and microphone can join in, web conference software is user-friendly and provides a benefit that exponentially outweighs its cost.

Young, on-the-go entrepreneurs often lean heavily on small, portable electronics like laptops and smartphones, and often mistakenly believe that web conferencing is a product of an old-fashioned stuffy boardroom. In reality, their favored devices can be tapped for everything from a simple audio conferencing to a full on video conference . This freedom means that a meeting can be arranged anywhere from a local coffee house to a park bench, which will ensure a more comfortable and natural conversation.

Popularity: 99% [?]

Productivity is the buzz word of the business world, as the costs of nearly every facet of running a business continue to increase. Rather than hiring more employees and buying more equipment, savvy managers and owners are instead concentrating on getting the most out of their company’s current assets. Web conferencing not only saves time, effort, and money, it also ensures that employees stay productive by removing many obstacles that can prevent success or inhibit forward motivation of a company as a whole. A good suite of web conference programs can connect departments within an infrastructure as easily as it can allow distant offices to communicate with one another.

Various problems can prevent an employee from getting to work on time, or in some cases at all. With video conference and web conference software only a click away, however, employees can log in from almost anywhere to update their managers and help report progress on various projects. Problems like car breakdowns and minor contagious illnesses no longer have to keep an employee completely out of the loop; he or she can catch up on the day’s important information via web conferencing from home.

In addition to helping absent workers play “catch up”, video conference software can also be used to entice a superior quality of worker to a company. When a business can offer incentives like telecommuting through web conference programs, they can attract a higher level of worker that will ultimately produce better work and higher profits for their tech-embracing employer. With other benefits like 401k matching and health insurance becoming more costly to offer to new hires, affordable technology like web conferencing makes telecommuting a great alternate incentive. Quality employees that may be hindered from a traditional work schedule by family obligations can easily join a work force through the power of a video conference schedule.

During a web conference , the internet becomes the medium, transferring both audio and video almost instantaneously to another location. An advantage of using computers to communicate is that certain capabilities, such as the ability to “share” files, make notes, or record the conversation, is only a mouse click away. When the same object used to create files and ideas can be used to share them, valuable time and effort is preserved through web conferencing . To be on the forefront of business communications and productivity, no company should be without the valuable services of video conference software.

Popularity: 99% [?]

The internet used to be an option for businesses, a relatively unimportant footnote in a wide array of diverse marketing tracks. Now, however, it is a vital and irreplaceable core to nearly all forms of business, offering speed and efficiency to aspects ranging from shipping and receiving to account services. Conference calls are another very important component that uses the internet to serve the needs of modern business, using powerful video conference and web conference software to connect physically distant offices, employees, and clients quickly and easily.

During a video conference , visual considerations can be shared and collaborated on, making the experience a more comprehensive one than simple phone conference calls would allow. Charts, ad campaigns, and brainstorming sessions are only a few of the applications that can benefit from a web conference , which can also be recorded and noted as it transpires. The long process of describing an image or idea over audio-only communications can be reduced to mere moments when using video conference software. Using webcams on existing computers saves money that would normally need to be spent on a conference space, employee travel, and other incidentals associated with in-person meetings.

The clarity and speed at which a video conference is transmitted gives a feeling of actually being in the room with employees and clients. Having conquered the problems of lag, skipping, and lighting problems over time, the advanced web cameras and web conference software available to today’s conference calls allow easy communication without barriers. With the press of a button, employees and clients half a world away can be practically brought into the conference room without ever having to set foot on a plane. In fact, with cameras becoming standard in laptops and netbooks, a web conference can even be held in an airport waiting area!

For high-powered executives that are never far away from their smartphones, web conference capability may be as close as a breast pocket. Built-in cameras in the viewing side of the latest smartphone models allow seamless video conferencing with all the ease of dialing up an office directly. No matter where a user is or what sort of modern technology they favor, conference calls are a valuable addition to their business communication “arsenal”, helping to touch base with fellow employees, close deals, and even find and secure new clients for the company.

Popularity: 100% [?]

The price of gasoline continues to rise, but if your business doesn’t deal with oil, should you be concerned? The short answer is yes, especially if your products or services involve travel for personal conferences. The cost of gas has driven everything from airline tickets to car rentals up, making business-related travel a much more expensive proposition then it was years ago. Still, communication with partners, suppliers, and clients both established and potential is important, so what’s the best way to cut costs? Conference calls .

Conference calls have grown and matured alongside the technology that makes them possible, evolving from large, clunky and unreliable pieces of equipment to sleek software ready to perform at the touch of a button. In addition to the audio conferencing that many associate with conference calls , the power of the internet also makes unique products like video conference software available to businesses everywhere. The fastest services utilize the internet to connect rather than unreliable phone lines - and without the added cost of specialized phones and monitors that serve only a single purpose, audio conferencing and video conference options are more affordable than ever before.

Computers are a necessary component of the modern business, and at their relatively high initial cost, it only makes sense to get the most effort possible from them. With a web cam, microphone, and powerful audio and video conference software, the same computer that compiles daily reports can become a powerful communication tool for your employees and your business. Furthermore, records and notes can be kept on the same computer being used for the conference calls , enabling easy access to important information in one location.

Missing out on a meeting because of scheduling conflicts, budget concerns, or travel arrangements can end up costing a company a lot more than the cost of travel. Losing a contract or job to a rival corporation, or losing a client’s patience or respect can impact both current financial success as well as continued prosperity. When a company makes the decision to utilize the power of video conference software and audio conferencing for conference calls , distance, time, and cost never has to become a stumbling block for their proverbial march forward.

Popularity: 63% [?]

Huddling around a single computer during a meeting is a thing of the past. While it’s possible to finish a project in this manner, technology has much better options in this day and age.

Web conferencing allows everyone in your office, whether they are centralized in one place or are all over the country, to interact at the same time and instantly comment or make input on a project. The audio or video conference system is quickly taking the place of face-to-face meetings in large and even small businesses. The reasons for this are plentiful, but the most important reasons are that this ends up saving a huge amount of time and money, while having the huge benefit of increasing productivity. Business travel is almost becoming obsolete, except in the most specialized of circumstances.

The comparisons between face-to-face meetings and online meetings emphasize the differences. In-person business meetings need expensive equipment so that all those in attendance can view the material being presented. An online conference call eliminates this need. Also, only one person at a time can interact with the materials being shown. If everyone has those materials on their computer, then anyone can interact. Finally, many people state that online communications take the personal aspect from meetings. If web cams are being utilized, this is not the case. Web cams allow you to see the other persons face and body language as if the meeting were in person.

There is no reason to continue to shell out huge money for travel expenses when technology is there to save these expenses. Everyone wishes that their business was more profitable; technology can help, and possibly be the thing that pushes your business over the top. Even if your company is not ready for the video aspect of conferencing, even moving up to audio conferencing capabilities can change the way you do business and communicate.

Popularity: 60% [?]

Many businesses have stalled on getting web conference technology. Traditionally, people are scared of change, and do not want to try something that they do not understand.

The fact is that video conferencing can save your business a lot of money, especially if the business is spread out over the whole country or even the world. Instead of traveling to clients offices, video or audio conferencing can be utilized, saving both businesses thousands of dollars in expenses. This means no more airfare, car rental, or hotel expenses are necessary. These expenses can end up bankrupting a small company if business is not good.

The next thing your business will save is time. Travel takes a lot of time, and can cut into your employees overall productivity. There is no need to adjust to new beds every week, which means that you will sleep better. Well rested employees work harder and better. Plus, airports and taxis are not the best places to get extra work done.

The great advantage to saving all this time is that in the past you could maybe meet with one client a week; with all the free time available you can probably schedule two or three in one day. Imagine being able to meet with ten clients in a week! Conference calls via the web can free up so much time and money for other things, like marketing and PR. More productivity=more money.

The downside to going the web conference route is that some clients may want to meet face-to-face. To take care of this, schedule one out of four meetings as face to face, and the rest as a video conference session. This way you can still build lasting relationships while saving money and time. Once your new client trusts you, there may not be any more need for face-to-face meetings. New technologies such as these are not the enemy. Do not be afraid to try new things that can save and make you a ton more money.

Popularity: 60% [?]

Note: While this series of recently uncovered confessions may be true, some names have been changed to protect innocent and the unknowing.

It was late on a Wednesday night, really late. My wife was sleeping beside me, Charlie our chocolate lab at the food of the bed, and the boys fast asleep in their rooms. I lay there for a few more moments, enjoying the quiet, the calm before the storm. Carefully, silently, I pushed myself out of bed, slipping on my LL Bean’s, and quietly made my way down the stairs, to my office.

I turned on my laptop, and crept to the door and closed it. I did not want to wake anyone up with my late-night activities.  I sat down at the desk, put on my headset, and typed in the address of the website I frequented. It was 4:28AM in New York, but 8:28AM in London. Time for my daily dose of web conferencing.

Yes, the corporation I worked for is international, with offices all over Europe and Asia. Last year, we spent millions on executive meeting. While this was not something that hurt us financially, we actively looked for an alternative that did not disrupt our day-to-day operations. We tried conference calls and even a video conference but these tools were not always effective, viable, or as interactive as we wanted. We had to find a solution to the demands of a large scale international corporation.

It seemed hopeless. We recognized the need for a new technology, but there was nothing on the market. Collectively we discussed and brainstormed and researched. Years passed, and the technological limitations continued to frustrate us at all levels. We were successful, we met our goals and stock holder expectations, but internally we knew we could do better.

And then, one day, there it was: the solution we had been waiting for. Universally, we breathed a collective sigh of relief, and welcomed this new technology.

Web conferencing.

To be continued…

Popularity: 51% [?]

In the last post we talked about how web conferencing grew to be a crucial element in our business as we looked for ways to communicate better after we opened another location of our company. We were now on separate coasts from each other and those of us who were accustomed to working together on a daily basis had quite a bit of adjustment ahead of us. We began using web conferencing as a way to stay on the same page of projects that we were all involved in; rather than emailing questions and answers back and forth we could jump on a web conference, access the same document and discuss it together as if we were in a traditional meeting. It made things much more simplified and convenient.

We realized that using web conferencing would help us close out the last quarter as well - allowing both accounting departments to discuss important paperwork and make decisions on the spot. We have begun using web conference to that end; the accounting divisions have already had quite a few meetings in which they have access to pertinent documents and have gone back and forth asking and answering questions.

Through web conferencing, people in our company still feel as though they are very much working in their respective teams. They are able to meet on a frequent basis and get immediate answers to their questions without having to decipher emails or wait for phone calls.

The benefits will be huge to us as a company because web conferencing will allow us to operate independent of each other but still work as a team. We will continue to use web conference - and other technology available to us including conference calls and video conference - well into the future so that we can continue to operate at our most efficient.

Popularity: 73% [?]