| Web and video conferencing technology is | | | | |
| becoming more sophisticated with each passing | | | | 4. Will it be necessary for one of your |
| day. A few years ago it was a novelty just to | | | | technicians to "take-over" and operate the |
| talk with someone online, and view his or her | | | | computers of any of your participants? |
| image at the same time. Today web conferences | | | | |
| bring together entire companies in complex | | | | If you wish to use conferencing as a service |
| interaction that rivals live face-to-face | | | | tool and want to avoid having to send out |
| meetings. How you might benefit from the | | | | your service team on physical visits to |
| latest developments in web conferencing | | | | clients, you can save a lot of travel time |
| depends on your particular needs. Here are a | | | | and cost by selecting a web and video |
| few points that you should consider. | | | | conferencing system that allows the host of |
| | | | the conference to go online and actually take |
| 1. Do you need to make a Powerpoint or other | | | | control of the computer of the client or |
| presentation during your conference? | | | | conference participant. If you are looking at |
| | | | web conferencing as an after-sales service |
| If you answered "yes" to this question, then | | | | tool, then this particular feature will |
| you will be glad to know that current web and | | | | probably give you one of the most important |
| video conferencing services allow the host of | | | | benefits that you could wish for. |
| a conference to present a slide show or power | | | | |
| point demonstration that will be visible on | | | | 5. Do you want to conduct an online poll or |
| the screens of all the participants of a | | | | survey during the conference? |
| conference. Similarly, hosts can also open | | | | |
| and show other document formats to their | | | | If you have a large organization and want to |
| attendees. If you need this kind of | | | | make a quick and accurate poll of opinion or |
| capability, make sure that your conference | | | | vote on a particular issue then the new |
| provider can give this to you. | | | | polling capabilities of the most advanced web |
| | | | conferencing services will be an important |
| 2. Do you require telephone conferencing | | | | feature for you. |
| integrated with your web/video conference? | | | | |
| | | | Similarly, if you need to gather demographic |
| Many organizations have found telephone | | | | information about your meeting participants, |
| conferencing to be an effective way to get | | | | obtain valuable input, or quiz and test your |
| work done. If you are already connecting with | | | | participants, then the new online survey |
| your members and staff via telephone | | | | capabilities of current web conferencing |
| conferences you can expand on this by | | | | systems will be an important feature to look |
| choosing a web conferencing system that | | | | for when choosing your conference format. |
| integrates telephone conferencing along with | | | | Data from these types of online "surveys" can |
| the online conference. The combined service | | | | typically be saved and used for future use. |
| will give you the ease of phone conferencing | | | | |
| along with the enhanced visual and | | | | 6. Do you want to brainstorm online, using a |
| presentation features of online conferencing. | | | | "whiteboard"? |
| | | | |
| Some services allow the host to pay the long | | | | Brainstorming is a great way to tap the ideas |
| distance bill of all the participants (toll | | | | of a group and to come up with and select new |
| free conferencing), while others require each | | | | ideas. If this is what you like to do when |
| participant to cover their long distance | | | | holding physical meetings, then you will |
| fees. | | | | probably want to be able to do the same thing |
| | | | in your virtual meetings as well. This is now |
| 3. Do all of your conference participants use | | | | possible in some of the more advanced web |
| the same type of computer? | | | | conferencing systems by using a "group |
| | | | notepad" that enables meeting participants to |
| If your participants are going to be using a | | | | utilize a shared workspace. The results of |
| variety of computers (PC, Mac, Linux) then | | | | these brainstorming sessions can typically be |
| you will benefit most by choosing a web | | | | saved in a storage area. |
| conferencing system that works on any | | | | |
| platform. While earlier conferencing systems | | | | Which of these features will benefit you the |
| required the downloading of complex software | | | | most? It all depends on your particular |
| that would work only on specified operating | | | | needs. However, one thing is sure: once you |
| systems, newer conferencing formats are | | | | experience the convenience of online |
| delivered online and are browser based. They | | | | meetings, you will not want to go back to the |
| work on any operating system and if yours in | | | | era when every meeting required you to pack |
| an eclectic audience, then you will get best | | | | up your bags and get on an airplane. |
| results with this type of conferencing. | | | | |