Web Conferencing Zone
What is web conferencing and why has it become integral in today's business world

Home > What is Web Conferencing

What is web conferencing and why has it become integral in today's business world

September 29, 2005
By:  Alice Osborn

What is web conferencing? Simply stated, it is a solution that brings people together from multiple locations to share information in an interactive environment with other users over the Internet. From multi-million dollar corporations to home offices, web conferencing increases productivity by having decision makers all present in a single setting to discuss budgets, logos, campaigns, and other strategic topics.

During these conferences, ideas are generated through shared applications, such as polling and virtual whiteboards, and the web conferences usually include real-time VoIP (voice over IP) to accompany presentations with audio. Web conferencing also includes the ability to display and interpret PowerPoint slides and documents, send text messages, and it can record a meeting session offline as well as online.

This web technology supports product development and training collaboration, and has become the replacement for face-to-face meetings among sales teams and executive boards because it saves travel costs and increases productivity. The benefits of web conferencing are far-reaching and can impact most areas of any business because this technology places crucial information in a visually appealing way at the fingertips of professionals.

In addition, web conferencing supports synergy among companies at a faster pace than before. For example, a pharmaceutical company can collaborate online with a biotechnology company when working on basic research or for conducting clinical trials. As a whole, web conferencing should be flexible, dependable, and reliable. Fortunately there are several websites that educate the user and list the technology's benefits, plus tips on finding the right web conferencing vendor for each particular business.

Web conferencing resources

These sites help web conferencing users navigate this developing field.

  • Kolabora.com was created by Robin Good, the CEO and publisher, and remains the true industry insider resource for online collaboration. Good is an independent new media communication expert in the field of online collaboration, web conferencing and live presentation technologies. He tests all of the products on his website and gives unbiased and practical recommendations in all of his reviews.

    In addition to Kolabora.com’s product review pages, the site also features a "how to" area that concentrates on web conferencing troubleshooting, safe and secure online sharing, and general web and audio conferencing. Kolabora.com should be a primary resource for professionals stepping into the web conferencing field for the first time, since Robin Good’s reviews and advice helps online collaboration novices steer successfully through a wide array of product choices.
     
  • ConferZone.com defines conferencing terms, what questions to ask when deciding on a web conferencing solution, and the site explores the latest web conferencing research. Some of the white papers' topics include web conferencing security, buyer's guides for finding the best vendor for an organization, and weighing the benefits of using a hosted or non-hosted web conferencing solution.
     
  • Thinkofit.com is the brainchild of David R. Woolley, who pioneered the web conferencing technology with Lotus Notes. Thinkofit.com offers a guide to web conferencing services and solutions and includes topics such as real-time conferencing, collaborative work environments, and book recommendations.
     
  • Webseminarian.com provides a comprehensive guide to web conferencing news, reviews, and opinions. The site also features a section for guest authors to provide an insight into the challenges and success stories of actual web conferencing technology users. If you need practical tips to achieve the most effective web conference, there is a tips section that provides numerous articles. The site also gives users the opportunity to subscribe and receive updates once a month.
     
  • Wainhouse Research performs independent market research in the areas of rich media conferencing and communications. It delivers complete web conferencing reports focusing on measuring a company's web conferencing ROI, its IP network hosting options, and the relevance of web conferencing in a company's future. The site also has user surveys, links to providers and trade shows, an events calendar, and job listings.

New web conferencing users have a surplus of information for studying this technology in order to make it effective for their companies. These websites give applicable information that makes it easy for companies to realize that web conferencing is a convenient and cost-effective way to bring together far-flung professionals to strengthen their virtual teams.

About the Author
Alice Osborn is a successful freelance writer and contributor to Web-Conferencing-Zone.com.  Your definitive guide to web conferencing services, online collaboration software and web meetings for business.

Also See:  [ Interactive white board capture devices for virtual meetings ]
[ Interactive white boards -- convert dry erase white boards using eBeam ]
[ Interactive web conferencing solutions for 3-D virtual meetings ]

Home Page:  [ Web-Conferencing-Zone.com ]

Using Web Conferencing Services Using Web Collaboration Software
Google
 
Web Web-Conferencing-Zone.com

Related Articles

[ top of page ]