Why Do It? Reasons for Web Conferencing Web conferencing is still a young technology.

Initial effort with web conferenc ing just started late 1990s and is still in the process of improvement and devel opment. Although the technology is still young, businesses and companies are se eing the potential in web conferencing. Companies are seeing web conferencing as a way to cut down expenses for their em ployees travel. Instead of sending employees to other locations, employees are now hosting web conferences with clients or with colleagues for collaborations. Also employees get to avoid travel stress as an effect of travel delays, traffi c congestion and other travel issues. According to Diane Dannenfeldt (author of How to Host a Web Conference ); Desire2Le arn Inc., a developer of web-based learning systems based in Ontario used web co nferencing to reduce the cost of pre-qualifying sales leads. Normally, it would take them two days and $800 to fly a salesperson to the West Coast for a one-ho ur meeting that could still result to a no-sale. With web conferencing, they we re able to meet with the client and provide presentations about the product with out spending money and time as they did before. Employees are opting for web conferencing since they are able to get the necessa ry data they would need for presentations or discussions. Necessary data and dem onstrations are just a click away. This effective way of rolling out products wi ll definitely interest clients. Clients immediately understand the product after presentations or demonstrations. Such effective communication and demonstratio n may encourage the client to purchase or subscribe to the product being offered . Web conferencing also forges a global connection. Employees get to connect and interact with colleagues located in other branches or offices in different locat ions. Collaboration and cooperation are forged over web conferencing especially for online projects between local and international colleagues. This build stro nger employee relationship geared toward productivity. Some companies cited that web conferencing is an ideal set-up whenever they are demonstrating software, sharing PowerPoint presentations, or training participan ts on a new software application. Web conferencing is also a great way for show ing fast moving audiovisual presentations. There are companies that noticed that web conferencing to have huge effects in i nitiating the first contact with a prospected client, without commitment in time and travel costs. Improving the number of prospect clients can also lead to hi gher possible sales. Several towns and places hold their meeting through web conferences. They use t his technology so they can view and revise their plans based on feedback and pro grams of other regions. Through this, local government can solicit proposals, p lans and feedbacks to improve their way. Several companies are also switching to web conferencing to include absentee sha reholders in their company meetings. Companies would include a live and interac tive web conference for their shareholders who are unable to attend in person. Of course, training is also another reason why companies are starting to think o f shifting to web conferencing. Attendees just need to dial in on a conference phone line and log unto a private Web site. With all of these reasons, it just show that web conferencing can be useful in g iving consumers and shareholders information they need during a new product laun

ch, product recall or at a time when there are news that the company needs to be explained or clarified. Web conferencing shows that even if its still a very young technology, it is alr eady pulling or catching attention of some big boys in the market.