Video Conferencing

As the demand for conferencing solutions grow, new technologies are developed to meet this demand. One of the pioneer technologies that were developed was audio conferencing, which made it easier and cheaper to conduct business between companies separated by great distances. However, since the inception of audio conferencing, new technologies were also developed, which were aimed at enhancing the conferencing experience between two parties. One of these is video conferencing, which does not only allow parties to discuss business matters in real time, but it also allows the parties to see each other during the "meeting" through the help of video technology.

Other uses

Given the added feature of being able to see the person they are speaking with, this technology has become a popular choice among businesses. However, the use of this technology has not only been limited for use in business. This is because this technology has also been used for other purposes such as for educational instruction, medical collaboration, surveillance, security, and emergency response.

Advantages

Given that it has been able to serve various purposes, it can be expected that video conferencing provides a number of benefits and advantages to those who use it. One of the most obvious advantages is that it has provided business people with the ability to meet with their clients based in distant locations without having to incur huge costs that are associated with face to face business meetings. In addition to this, using the technology for educational purposes has also made the transfer of first hand information easier and more convenient. Lastly, this technology has also made it possible for the average Joe to have contact with other people in different countries without having to board a plane.
Tip! There are two types of video conferencing, each has sub-types. Point to point - a live video / audio communication between any two locations.

One of the more popular conferencing technologies is video conferencing because it allows people to not only hear the people they are speaking with but also see them as well. This is because apart from the added video feature, the way by which it can be used for other purposes such as for educational training has also contributed to the popularity of this technology.

Conferencing provides detailed information on Conferencing, Web Conferencing, Audio Conferencing, Video Conferencing and more. Conferencing is affiliated with Online Conference Centers.

Video & Web Conferencing: How To Determine Which Features Will Benefit You The Most

Web and video conferencing technology is becoming more sophisticated with each passing day. A few years ago it was a novelty just to talk with someone online, and view his or her image at the same time. Today web conferences bring together entire companies in complex interaction that rivals live face-to-face meetings. How you might benefit from the latest developments in web conferencing depends on your particular needs. Here are a few points that you should consider.

1. Do you need to make a Powerpoint or other presentation during your conference?

If you answered "yes" to this question, then you will be glad to know that current web and video conferencing services allow the host of a conference to present a slide show or power point demonstration that will be visible on the screens of all the participants of a conference. Similarly, hosts can also open and show other document formats to their attendees. If you need this kind of capability, make sure that your conference provider can give this to you.

2. Do you require telephone conferencing integrated with your web/video conference?

Many organizations have found telephone conferencing to be an effective way to get work done. If you are already connecting with your members and staff via telephone conferences you can expand on this by choosing a web conferencing system that integrates telephone conferencing along with the online conference. The combined service will give you the ease of phone conferencing along with the enhanced visual and presentation features of online conferencing.

Some services allow the host to pay the long distance bill of all the participants (toll free conferencing), while others require each participant to cover their long distance fees.

3. Do all of your conference participants use the same type of computer?

If your participants are going to be using a variety of computers (PC, Mac, Linux) then you will benefit most by choosing a web conferencing system that works on any platform. While earlier conferencing systems required the downloading of complex software that would work only on specified operating systems, newer conferencing formats are delivered online and are browser based. They work on any operating system and if yours in an eclectic audience, then you will get best results with this type of conferencing.
Tip! An organization, company, educational facility or individual requires some basic components to take complete advantages of video conferencing. Necessary equipment for videoconferencing is camera that lets user to capture video information at his or her site and transmit to someone on the other site.

4. Will it be necessary for one of your technicians to "take-over" and operate the computers of any of your participants?

If you wish to use conferencing as a service tool and want to avoid having to send out your service team on physical visits to clients, you can save a lot of travel time and cost by selecting a web and video conferencing system that allows the host of the conference to go online and actually take control of the computer of the client or conference participant. If you are looking at web conferencing as an after-sales service tool, then this particular feature will probably give you one of the most important benefits that you could wish for.
Tip! Which is better in the sense of connection speed and for Video conferencing between ISDN PRI (1.544Mbps) to ADSL (1.

5. Do you want to conduct an online poll or survey during the conference?

If you have a large organization and want to make a quick and accurate poll of opinion or vote on a particular issue then the new polling capabilities of the most advanced web conferencing services will be an important feature for you.

Similarly, if you need to gather demographic information about your meeting participants, obtain valuable input, or quiz and test your participants, then the new online survey capabilities of current web conferencing systems will be an important feature to look for when choosing your conference format. Data from these types of online "surveys" can typically be saved and used for future use.

6. Do you want to brainstorm online, using a "whiteboard"?

Brainstorming is a great way to tap the ideas of a group and to come up with and select new ideas. If this is what you like to do when holding physical meetings, then you will probably want to be able to do the same thing in your virtual meetings as well. This is now possible in some of the more advanced web conferencing systems by using a "group notepad" that enables meeting participants to utilize a shared workspace. The results of these brainstorming sessions can typically be saved in a storage area.
Tip! Perhaps the biggest advantage or benefit video conferencing has to offer is the ability to meet with people in remote locations without incurring travel expenses or other expenses associated with face to face communication. Business meetings, educational meetings, healthcare conferences and more can all be easily conducted thanks to video conferencing technology.

Which of these features will benefit you the most? It all depends on your particular needs. However, one thing is sure: once you experience the convenience of online meetings, you will not want to go back to the era when every meeting required you to pack up your bags and get on an airplane.

About The Author Dan Richmond is CEO & Co-founder of http://MegaMeeting.com. MegaMeeting provides Web Conferencing & Video Conferencing services for individuals, businesses and educational institutions. For more information, or for a free live demonstration, please visit http://www.MegaMeeting.com/ or call (818) 783-4311.