What is Web Conferencing?

A few years ago, people having conversations and meetings while they are in diff erent locations means having the conversation over the phone. But today, people can communicate, even conduct live meetings and presentation even if they are h alf a world away. All you need is a computer, internet access and a downloaded web-based application to communicate effectively over the internet. This techno logy is called web conferencing. So, what exactly is web conferencing? With web conferencing, participants can share audio, video, content or combinati on of these in real time. This enables people to attend meetings or presentatio ns when they can t attend them physically. Attendees or participants of web confe rencing can have a downloaded application on their computer or they can just acc ess a website or URL to join the group having the meeting or presentation. Web conferencing enables us to share presentations, documents, videos and multim edia applications. Is also enables us to save money on the costs associated wit h high bandwidth. You can meet whenever from wherever, as long as you have a pe rsonal computer/ laptop and internet access. Since web conferencing allows users to have business meetings, trainings and con duct presentations and demonstration, it is a requirement that attendees have hi gh-speed internet connection in all user and web sites. Presiding over a sessio n can be passed among the users or the attendees, so that another user can act a s the presenter or demonstrator. Some web conferencing systems or providers include several features in their sys tems like texting, VoIP (voice over internet protocol) and full- motion video. Audio streaming was also added as an additional feature since web conferencing s tarted in the early 1990s. With audio streaming, attendees can listen to the au dio as they view the presentations. Messaging or sending messages also became more efficient. The leaders can entert ain live questions or conduct answer sessions. Attendees can send private messa ges to the leader, who can answer trough private messages or may publish the mes sage so the entire team or attendees can view the message. There are attendance rosters which allow the leader and the attendees to view wh o is currently involved in the conference. There is also a tool for recording. Recording allows for the synching voice and visuals into a permanent record whi ch can be shared with others on a later date. Whiteboard also allows the leader or the attendees to highlight items in the pre sentation or can be used to make notes. There are also tools for polls and surv eys, allowing the leader to ask questions with multiple choices addressed to the attendees. Screen sharing is also another feature of web conferencing. With screen sharin g or desktop sharing participants can view the screen or whatever is on the scre en of the leader. Some screen sharing applications also allow remote desktop co ntrol which means participants can take control or manipulate the leader s desktop or screen. This feature is seldom used. Of course, there are web conferencing vendors or providers that provide these se rvices of different basis. Some web conferencing providers charge a nominal mon thly fee while others may charge for every time the software was used. Readying up your computer or your personal stuff to be used with web conferencin

g is really not that complicated. New computers normally would have installed s oftware in them that is necessary for web conferencing, if none, the installatio n process is relatively easy to accomplish. Web conferencing provides a great way and venue for short and straightforward bu siness related exchanges like meetings, demonstrations, orientation or even prod uct roll-outs. Web conferencing made it possible for us to have non- physical c ommunication for business meetings and affairs. Technology certainly makes life easier.