Video conferencing and web technology becomes more sophisticated with each passing day. A few years ago it was a novelty to talk to someone online and see their image at the same time. Today web conferencing brings together entire companies in a complex interaction that rivals live face-to-face meetings. How you can benefit from the latest developments in web conferencing depends on your particular needs. Here are some points to consider.
1. Do you need to do a Powerpoint or other presentation during your conference?
If you answered “yes” to this question, you will be pleased to know that today’s web and video conferencing services allow the host of a conference to present a slide show or PowerPoint demonstration that will be visible on the screens of all participants. of a conference. Similarly, hosts can also open and display other document formats to their attendees. If you need this type of capacity, make sure your conferencing provider can provide it.
2. Do you need a conference call integrated with your web / video conference?
Many organizations have found conference calls to be an efficient way to get work done. If you are already connecting with your members and staff through conference calls, you can extend this by choosing a web conferencing system that integrates conference calling along with online conference. The combined service will give you the ease of conference calling along with the enhanced presentation and visual features of online conferencing.
Some services allow the host to pay the long distance bill for all participants (free conference), while others require each participant to cover their long distance rates.
3. Do all the participants in your conference use the same type of computer?
If your participants will be using a variety of computers (PC, Mac, Linux), then you will benefit the most by choosing a web conferencing system that works on any platform. While previous conferencing systems required the download of complex software that would only work on specific operating systems, newer conference formats are delivered online and are browser-based. They work on any operating system and if yours is in an eclectic audience, you will get better results with these types of conferences.
4. Will it be necessary for one of your technicians to “take over” and operate any of your participants’ computers?
If you want to use conferencing as a service tool and want to avoid having to send your service team on physical visits to clients, you can save a lot of time and travel costs by selecting a web and video conferencing system that allows the conference host to get online and really take control of the client or conference participant’s computer. If you are considering web conferencing as an after-sales service tool, this particular feature will likely bring you one of the most important benefits you could ever want.
5. Do you want to take an online survey or a survey during the conference?
If you have a large organization and want to conduct a fast and accurate opinion poll or vote on a particular topic, the new polling capabilities of the most advanced web conferencing services will be an important feature for you.
Similarly, if you need to collect demographic information on your meeting participants, obtain valuable information, or test and evaluate your participants, the new online survey capabilities of today’s web conferencing systems will be an important feature to consider. when choosing the format of your conference. Data from these types of online “surveys” can generally be saved and used for future use.
6. Do you want to brainstorm ideas online, using a “whiteboard”?
Brainstorming is a great way to draw on ideas in a group and to come up with and select new ideas. If this is what you like to do when you have physical meetings, you probably want to be able to do the same in your virtual meetings as well. This is now possible in some of the more advanced web conferencing systems through the use of a “group notebook” that allows meeting participants to use a shared workspace. The results of these brainstorming sessions can usually be stored in a storage area.
Which of these features will benefit you the most? It all depends on your particular needs. However, one thing is for sure: once you experience the convenience of online meetings, you don’t want to go back to the time when every meeting required you to pack your bags and get on a plane.
