When was the last time you went on a vacation? What's that? You're swamped with work and the idea of spending some time in an idyllic beach paradise sounds impossible? Far be it from me to sully your ideas of perfection in a corporate drone, but there is a way to get around that little problem. You can finally have your cake and eat it too.
Bridges In The Sky
We are all connected. That phrase used to be in the realm of poetic license. Today, it's reality. Sometimes, it's an annoying one. It seems you can never get away from the constant barrage of cellular phone calls, e-mails, and text messages. You wake up in a cold sweat from nightmares of being chained to your desk with invisible techno-tendrils that creep into your nostrils to...well, you get the idea. All this means you probably will never go on another vacation in your life, right? Wrong. Audio conferencing is the tool that will let you take control.
Turn It Around
It is precisely all this interconnectivity that will allow you to enjoy the finer things in life once again. Mobile technology has developed in leaps and bounds and you can be connected practically anywhere in the world now. It has never been easier to stay in touch with the office to keep yourself abreast of that latest killer merger. But what about all those meetings you're going to miss?
Today's organization is not only paper work and bean counting. There's a lot of communication and interaction involved. Countless hours of strategy planning and marketing meetings. Endless nights filled with preparation for team presentations the next morning. Missing all that not only keeps you out of the loop, it deprives your team of a valuable cog in their machinery. Audio conferencing is the solution. You can be there without, well, being there.
While sipping a daiquiri on the shores of Tahiti, you can be on your cellular phone using audio conferencing to apprise your team of your latest brilliant idea. This may incur the potentially fatal envy of your teammates, but hey, whoever said life was fair?
Take That Vacation!
So now, no more excuses. Book that skiing trip. Go crazy in the outback. You can finally take a well deserved break from the daily humdrum of office life and not feel guilty. Think of all the brownie points you will score with your bosses when they find out you've been diligently attending meetings even while on vacation. They will be amazed at how much value they are getting out of you. Imagine. You're still being the resourceful, responsible, and loyal executive that you even in your precious free time.
If that don't beat all! In any case, downtime is an important part of any career. You wouldn't want to be burnt out before conquering your company's top post now would you? With audio conferencing, you have the best of both worlds. Business in fun and relaxing surroundings. Ain't life grand?
Take Audio Conferencing Along
Video Conferencing - The Pros and Cons of Video Conferencing
Many businesses conduct video conferencing during meetings. Video conferencing allows you to call anyone in the world and not only speak to them, but also see them on the projector or computer screen. Video conferencing is meant for larger audience such as a conference or meeting, rather than serving the needs of an individual.
As technology becomes more advanced, businesses have made video conferencing an important activity during meetings. However, video conferencing has its pros and cons.
Video conferencing advantages:
1. Able to reach anyone in the world and almost immediately. With video conferencing, there is no need for anyone to travel long distance for conferences and meetings. There will be no geographical and time boundary.
2. Works well for a large audience. During video conferencing, PowerPoint slides and visual display can be projected on a large screen for everyone present in a room. This makes it suitable for conducting conferences and meetings with larger crowd.
3. Allow people at different locations to interact with one another effectively and easily. A phone call only allows 2 people to interact with one another. However, with video conferencing, it allows people from different locations to interact with one another effectively. 3 people in Singapore can interact with 5 people in China and another 3 people in the States easily, with everyone able to hear and see perfectly.
Video conferencing disadvantages:
1. Expensive. The price of a good video conferencing system may be a major concern for most people. So if you do not need advanced features, there are cheap options for you to choose from. However, if you know how to make use of those advanced features, you may find that the money you save flying employees and clients around the country will more than makes up the cost of the video conferencing system. Before you buy any system, make sure that you know what your needs are so that you can get the right one for your company.
2. Lost of human touch. Eye contact is very important during a communication. However with video conferencing, eye contact is not easily delivered through the camera.
Now that you have a list of pros and cons of video conferencing, it is now up to you to decide whether video conferencing is necessary for your business. Before you buy any system, make sure that you conduct a thorough research first so as to choose the best system for your company.
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cheow_Yu_Yuan
Teleconferencing Equipment For Improved Audio Conferencing
Teleconferencing equipment with high-tech features facilitate organizations to host teleconferences, which is a much easier process, than assembling people physically for attending a meeting or a seminar. The different teleconferencing options available at present times have made it very easy, simple and affordable for different groups of employees of an organization to effectively communicate with each other, no matter where they are located.
An organization can experience the benefits of using teleconferences for communication, by buying and installing the required teleconferencing products in the office. If an organization cannot afford to buy, install and maintain the teleconferencing equipments, or requires hosting teleconferences occasionally, it can subscribe the teleconferencing services from an experienced and reliable conferencing service provider.
The conference call phones available in the market come with a wide range of features. An organization can host an audio conference effectively by buying the phone systems with the features meeting the business requirements.
The basic things which an organization needs to keep in mind while buying teleconferencing equipment is the size of the conference hall and the number of people expected to participate in a conference at the same time.
There is a wide range of services offered by the conferencing service providers as well. An organization needs to choose a service package which will prove to be the best for the organization's business.
There are many free teleconferencing services available in the market. One can find a lot of information about these services on the internet itself. There are many companies which are attracted by the free service packages. However, it is always better to go for the paid services. The paid services, combined with good quality Conferencing Phones and other equipments, provide better quality teleconferencing options to organizations. Also, the paid services are more reliable and secured for sharing confidential business data.
There are a number of teleconferencing service providers present in the market due to which there is a neck to neck competition between them. Due to the tough competition, many service providers offer service packages and other teleconferencing products at highly competitive rates. The organization with a low budget can buy the services from one of these service providers, instead of going for the free services.
Every organization buying the teleconferencing services is provided with a phone number that every participant needs to dial into using their conferencing equipment. The service providers also provide two unique PIN numbers. One is for the organizer, moderator, speaker and special guests. The other is for the other participants listening the call.
The technology involved in developing conference call phones and teleconferencing services is getting better day by day. With the help of these services and equipments, organizations of all sizes can improve their communications and reach new heights of success.
Zaibatt is an experienced Business Development Content writer and publisher for Telcom & Data Inc., a leading provider of VoIP phones, Businesses phone systems, Conference Call Phones, Equipments, and Phone Conferencing Bridge. For more information, visit: http://www.polycom-products.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Zaibatt_Zaki
Conferencing Equipment - A Powerful Communication Tool
Organizations have acknowledged 'conferencing equipment' as one of the most powerful business communication tool. With the use of conferencing services and equipment, it has now become possible for organizations to take their businesses global with ease. Organizations no more have to worry about keeping their distant clients and employees well connected to each other or organizing meetings with them during an emergency. Due to the usefulness of the conferencing equipment, organizations now consider investing in this type of equipment as one of the most vital investments they will make for maintaining efficient business communications.
Business organizations get powerful audio conference systems and other conferencing equipment installed in the offices so that their employees can easily stay connected to each other and their customers, no matter which part of the world they are located in.
There are many audio conference systems available in the market. Therefore, an organization needs to choose conferencing equipment for itself very carefully. The three criteria based on which an organization should select conferencing equipment for itself are size of the organization, compatibility of the equipment with their PBX and sound quality of the equipment.
It is important that organizations first survey the market to find out the different conferencing equipment that are available and their prices. Then based on the above mentioned criteria, they can go for the one that best meets their business requirements.
The large sized organizations find conference equipment with additional features such as reservation less meet me conferencing, reservation based meet me conferencing, Microsoft outlook based scheduling, built-in web conferencing, multiple in-conference controls and conference recording and playback.
The author is a business writer and has done her masters in Business Admistration. Visit at XOP Networks to know more about Conferencing Equipment and Audio Conference Systems .
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Meenka_Pandita
Hosted Web Conferencing - Now You Can Communicate From Anywhere
Imagine that you are on a Caribbean island lying on a beach of soft white sand while the wind gently grazes your face and the sun warms your soul. Now imagine that someone from your beachfront resort brings you a deliciously cool fruity drink to sip on as you gaze at the sparklingly clear ocean. Now imagine that this is where you work. With today's technology, this is completely possible. With the advent of hosted web conferencing, you are able to work from anywhere in the world and still access all the important meetings.
With web conferencing you are able to access all of your information from anywhere. You can attend the meetings, draw something on the desktop and even raise your hand if you wish. One of the beauties of being able to access the meeting from anywhere is that you do not have to be sitting in an office! How many times can you count that you have looked longingly out the window only to find yourself stuck in a stuffy, cramped cubicle the size of a cardboard box? Not to mention you won't have to sit for hours in all of that nasty rush hour commute traffic every day. Now is your chance to break free from the office and see the world. You might as well take advantage of the interactive web conference while you can.
Another benefit of web conferencing is being able to share files. If you are on a conference call and your boss or another co-worker asks for a file and you are on a sunny beach in Hawaii, don't sweat it. With web conferencing you are able to share files directly through the service. Also, if you are in Hawaii and realize that you need to have a meeting yourself, you are also able to schedule those meetings through the service. Web video conferencing services are just what the doctor ordered when it comes to getting rid of everyone's headaches. Now you won't have to be stuck in your miniature office and your boss won't have to worry about making sure that everyone is physically present for a meeting. Web conferencing is a solution that all parties involved can agree is a good thing. To access your web conference, all you really need is a web browser and internet connection, so go ahead and leave that office behind.
So if you feel like jumping on a plane to Tahiti but you have to make it to the meeting tomorrow, go right on ahead and take the flight. The meeting will be waiting for you when you get there. Just make sure to visit Phase 2 International for more information on hosted web conferencing. Phase 2 also has plenty of information on interactive web conference if that is what you are looking for. In order to get the most from your web video conferencing services, visit Phase 2 for answers to all of your questions. Go on and make that dream trip a reality!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alice_Lane
Efficient Use of Video Conferencing
Video conferencing is becoming an ever more important means of corporate communications. And with many companies restricting business travel due to rapidly rising travel and lodging costs, the adoption of video conferencing is increasing at record rates. Not everyone, however, is comfortable with this still fairly new means of communication, and some training may be required to take full advantage of the technology.
There are two major roadblocks to efficient use of video conferencing The first is people not being comfortable with it, and the second people not taking video conferencing seriously because, after all, they are not "there." The first problem requires training and practice, the second a set of rules and guidelines. So let's see how we can best negotiate those roadblocks.
Video Conferencing Angst
Video conferencing angst describes the feeling many people get when they are confronted with people on a screen looking back at them and talking to them. This is an interesting phenomenon. While people have no problem having a conversation with a disembodied voice in a headset, they may clam up or feel uncomfortable when they do something much more natural - talking with people they can actually see. People stricken with this sort of anxiety may stare at the screen, avoid eye contact, or avoid video conferences altogether. Fortunately, for most video conferencing phobes, getting over the uneasiness and awkwardness is simply a matter of practice. Set up some training sessions in a relaxed setting without pressure and with people they already know, and most will quickly become comfortable with the technology.
Video Conferencing Etiquette
Most people know phone etiquette and meeting etiquette, but not everyone seems to know (or observe) video conference etiquette. While being on time, being prepared, and paying attention are the norm for phone calls and person-to-person meetings, some people do not follow those common sense, common courtesy rules when video conferencing Just like using a Blackberry or walking off to use a cell phone during a meeting reduces productivity and disrupts the flow of the meeting, those same transgressions are equally unacceptable in video conferencing If this is a problem, managers and supervisors need to bring it to the attention of individuals who do not follow etiquette. What works even better is setting up periodic meetings to review video conferencing issues, including rules, use, issues and etiquette.
Why is it important to tackle these issues? In the case of video conferencing "angst" because employees who shy away from video conferencing not only hurt their own career path, they also hurt overall efforts to use the technology to its best advantage. In the case of poor videoconferencing etiquette, transgressors can hurt their company by leaving poor impressions with other conference participants and by making the conferences less efficient than they could be. Either syndrome results in under utilizing a potentially terrific productivity tool.
Video conferencing can cut costs and improve communication but, like any other technology, it must be used properly. That means effectively dealing with holdouts and setting reasonable rules.
Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web.
Learn more about Video Conferencing Efficiency.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Robertson
Video Conferencing Software and Web Conferencing Solutions for Increased Productivity
Video conferencing solutions have gained worldwide popularity, especially in the world of business. Apart from the obvious benefit of using video conferencing solutions, namely that of allowing participants in a meeting to hear and see each other irrespective of their location, there are several other advantages that derive from using high end video conferencing solutions. For instance, they allow business decisions to be made faster and deals to be sealed more quickly. Furthermore, video conferencing solutions facilitate meetings with clients from any part of the world in a time and cost-effective manner. The bottom line is that the use of video conferencing solutions can have a positive impact on the way people do business and, if used properly, can ensure competitiveness.Video conferencing solutions are not designed specifically for companies and corporations. Such solutions can also be successfully used in educational training, security, emergency response or surveillance. Video conferencing solutions have come a very long way over recent years. Some years ago, we would have been talking about sophisticated equipment and a network that would have taken months to design. Fortunately, things have undergone an evolving trend, and now video conference solutions are readily available in the form of video conferencing software.Video conferencing software has already demonstrated its usefulness for small businesses and corporations alike. A good web conferencing solution provides secure conferencing, high quality resolution, as well as a clean connection. Improved video conferencing software is constantly being developed so as to meet the most demanding web and video needs of companies and corporations. The perfect choice of video conferencing software would be the kind of product that delivers accuracy and reliability, along with affordability. Fortunately, the IT market is a very competitive one, and new and significantly improved products are constantly being developed. Therefore, you can rest assured that you will be able to find the more appropriate video conferencing solution for your company, provided you perform a diligent search of such products. High-end video conferencing software represents a very good way of enhancing the productivity of your company. Similarly, a good web conferencing solution will allow your company to move ahead, in terms of both productivity and competitiveness. Organizational challenges, such as complex projects, distributed teams or very tight deadlines are most successfully dealt with by using a good web conferencing solution. Web conferencing solutions have proven their versatility and are therefore used for a multitude of purposes, the most common of which are online customer meetings, online training and virtual teamwork. Web conferencing solutions have proven to be a very efficient tool in online sales presentations and the use of an appropriate solution generates higher closure rates. As far as your teams are concerned, a web conferencing solution increases the collaboration and productivity of geographically distributed teams. Last but not least, web conferencing solutions represent a useful tool in effective training, preventing expenses, hassles and the loss of productive time. All in all, video conferencing software and web conferencing solutions allow people to pool resources and collaborate irrespective of their location, which allows them to complete projects in a very timely fashion. With the increasing affordability of such solutions, more and more companies and corporations are using the benefits of online meetings to their advantage.
Audio Conferencing : Perfect Way of Distant Communication
Audio Conferencing is one among the few others popular types of modern communication tools used in disposing distant communication problems. Breaking all the distance, this way of communication enables you to talk to several people sitting in different geographical locations at the same time. Unlike earlier when Audio Conferencing was limited only to some fields, it is now being used as a widely accepted medium of talking in everyday lifestyle. Number of benefits easing out people's distant communication problems are the main reason behind popularity of Audio Conferencing. You know that conferencing method of communication let you talk to many people located anywhere in the world at one time. Thus this process of distant communication saves huge time as well as money spent on traveling. Moreover, setting up a meeting with people located at different location is not big thing to worry through this mode of communication. Availing Audio Conferencing takes you to get two things – conferencing resources/equipments and a subscription allowing you to have conferencing facility. The conferencing equipments are the crucial resources upon which quality of conferencing depends enormously. Better the equipments are, more you have probability to have a smooth communication minus any technical faults. A little technical faults in your conference phone could spoil your important ongoing meeting. Thus, it is imperative to make sure that the conference phone and other sound system you are using are of good quality. The manifolded advancement in communication industry has brought up large number of high quality conference phones and digital speakers. Some of them like Polycom Soundstation 2 have key features like full duplex operation, superior voice quality, cell phone connectivity, echo cancellation, integrated keypad, inbuilt microphones, digital speakers, additional microphones, and etc. Using conference phones and speakers of good quality results you successful Audio Conferencing and increased productivity as well.
Give Your Business A Voice And A Face With Web And Audio Conferencing
The dawn of the Information Age has changed life quickly and dramatically. With the click of a mouse, an e-mail is zapped to almost any corner of the globe. Mobile phones can receive a veritable encyclopedia of information, from sports scores, movie reviews, and reminders from our wives to pay off the bills. Technology has made even more astounding strides in the field of business. Computers are everywhere, from the largest corporations to the smallest shops. Tools such as web and audio conferencing has not only made next-door neighbors of North America and Asia, for example, it can bring these two continents face-to-face, through a tiny monitor.
Audio Conferencing
Audio conference allows three or more people from different geographic locations to communicate through sound. There are three ways to conference this way: through phone companies, by telephones with multiple lines, or through a private branch exchange, otherwise known as a PBX. A PBX is a method of communicating by telephone, using a switchboard.
Web Conferencing
Web conferencing, on the other hand, is a way to have live presentations or group conferences on the World Wide Web. This mode of communication often includes communication by voices and text chat. Regardless of the size of the group conferencing, there is always one key feature: everyone participating in the web conferencing can see anything on the screen of the person talking. They can see each other as well. How is this possible? Well, each person in the conference is seated before a computer. The Internet relays their images across continents. This is not the only thing web conferencing can accomplish, however. Web conferencing also hooks you up with features, such as sharing of files and co-web-browsing.
Getting Started
You cannot do web and audio conferencing without the right equipment. For web conferencing, you have to get the basic hardware and software. The good news is that top-of-the-line conferencing software can run on any operating system, including Windows, Linux, and Mac. Another good news is that the hardware requirements for web and audio conferencing are easy to comply with. For example, if you want to use WebEx web conferencing software, all you need is at least a 4000 megahertz CPU and 128 megabytes of Random Access Memory, or RAM. You may even use a 56K modem, although a broadband connection is advisable for videos.
If you are thinking of getting a webcam for web and audio conferencing, do not forget to consider a few factors:
1. Some people are camera-shy.
2. Some offices' lighting is not ideal for video.
3. Some people could focus on the presenters rather than the presentation.
1-800-Conference
The next step is to select a web and audio conferencing service. If you have an automated web and audio conferencing service, you can pick a private 1-800 number that requires no scheduling and can be used any time of the day. However, your business might need to schedule callers for a specific time. Should this be the case, businesses can use another service. You can give callers a pin number to access your line. When the conference is finished, the call is automatically ended. Keep in mind that when you have many callers in many places, the 1-800 number is your best bet.
Operators and Your Operation
In other business scenarios, you will need to guide your callers more. The answer is a web and audio conferencing service that includes an operator. The operator can help the caller, from call start to finish. Operators are very useful because they can provide assistance with sub-conferencing demands, for example, or polling, and Q and As.
Communication will always remain at the forefront of business. Through communication, providers and users can exchange not only business but ideas as well. Web and audio conferencing is one of most effective modern tools for business promotion. Not only does it give clients easy access to your doorstep, it gives your company a voice and a face.
Audio Conferencing and Its Uses
Due to the rise of audio conferencing, businesses have been having it easier. It is helping them reach out to geographically separated people. As a result, these establishments are also saving on cost and time. Quite often you have difficulties in scheduling your professional events. This occurs due to the rise of conflicting circumstances. These could be conflicts pertaining to schedules, geographically separated venues, time differences between countries, the time that it takes to travel, hotel accommodations, and other logistics related issues.
Take the example of distance learning. Here, students are required to reach out to the faculty if they want to attend professional development programs. How do they do this? In this modern age, video and audio conferencing have brought professionals to a common platform. Thus, conference calling has become an effective mode of communication. It is a fantastic aid in exchanging ideas for any professional development activity. Professionals today are gathering greater technical expertise by attending seminars which are held in different countries. And how is this being achieved? It is being achieved by the help of today's communication technology.
On browsing the Internet, we can find many schools that are offering distance learning courses. Microsoft offers their Windows-based MCP training through distance learning. This has solved several problems, which would inevitably have appeared if professionals and other students had to physically be present at the classes.
Today, distance learning is helping those who are sitting on the other side of the world to acquire the appropriate knowledge in the subjects of their interest. And all this is being achieved because they have access to the required technology. Inter-active video, audio, and online media are being deployed today by many institutions to impart knowledge to adult students on various subject matters.
Within the communication technology available today, audio conferencing is considered to be a lower form of interactive technology. Nevertheless, audio conferencing is one of the top business solutions of today. Audio conferencing is extensively used in distant professional development programs and helps in communication over long distances.
Business enterprises have today spread their nets all over the world. Hence, they need to keep in touch. Professionals in those business houses are required to meet to carry out discussions and to make decisions. Sales conferences are increasingly being held by enterprises. Many of these conferences are conducted by audio conferencing. The business world is truly reaping the benefits of audio conferencing. Real time interactions, faster decision making possibilities, and a huge reduction in cost and travel expenses have made the audio conference call the darling of business meetings.
Audio conferencing provides us with the benefit of a substantial reduction in cost. This goes a long way in enhancing business processes, fostering better communication, and collaboration. It is general practice for many organizations to outsource their audio conferencing needs to service providers. This facility can be utilized by paying a fee to the provider company each time that the audio conferencing network is hired.
There are also service providers who offer pay-as-you-go services. An organization can also build its own audio conferencing system. This can be done by purchasing the equipment and implementing a teleconferencing network within the enterprise.
Necessary Audio Conferencing Equipment
For a web-based audio conference, you will need a computer with an Internet connection, a way to hear and be heard, a video camera for being seen; and the software chosen by the conference moderator.
Your Web browser must be Java-equipped, and your Internet connection must be 56 kbps or faster. Any cable or DSL hookup is good (never use dial-up for web conferencing.)
Audio Conferencing Phones
For your audio linkup, you can either use an Internet-based technology called VoIP, or a telephone, depending on the software your conference is using. VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. It is like a telephone, but instead of being sent analogically through the phone lines, audio is sent digitally via the Internet, at a cost much lower than traditional long distance. In either case, it is recommended that you utilize a comfortable headset with earphones and a microphone. That way, your hands will be free, you will be more comfortable, and your face will be seen by the web cam.
Audio Conferencing Cameras
To be seen by the other users in the web conference, you will need a web cam. Test out the angle and lighting in advance to make sure you are showing up well. Be sure to wear a suit, just as you would in the real world. Relax and smile.
Audio Conferencing Software
Your software can be any of a number of audio conferencing programs. Every user must have the same program or “interface” in order for it to work. Microsoft NetMeeting and GnomeMeeting are two such programs.
Audio Conferencing the Old Fashioned Way
The other way to do audio conferencing is in a group situation. There is a television, a speakerphone or some other communication device, and perhaps some collaborative software. As personal and office computers become more and more powerful, and now that employees or group members have access to such gadgets as web cameras and headsets, audio conferencing will continue to shift to this more economical way of conferencing.
Audio Conferencing Info provides detailed information about audio conferencing services, equipment, software, companies, plus online audio conferencing, and more. Audio Conferencing Info is affiliated with Original Content.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Valentino
Why Reservationless Audio Conferences Beat Pre-Booked
If you've know a bit about the audio conferencing industry you will almost certainly have come across the term 'reservationless audio conferencing' but what does it mean? According to the Oxford Dictionary there is no such word as reservationless but it seems to have worked its way into the jargon of teleconferencing.
Reservationless, as the name suggests, simply means that you do not have to reserve your place at the audio conference in advance of the call. The host simply invites the participants to join the conference call by dialling into the audio conference bridge access number at the time of their choosing and the system will automatically set up the call. This might not seem like a big deal to some, but being reservationless offers you huge benefits over the pre-booked conference calls as we will find out shortly.
Pre-booked or reserved audio conferences
Back in the early days of the internet, some ten years ago, the only way to host audio conferences was to call up your conference call provider in advance and pre-book a conference call. You would need to specify the date and time you wanted to book the conference call for and also the number of participants and duration of the call.
The problem with this system, apart from it being a massive inconvenience having to pre-book of course, was that if more people than you were expecting wanted to attend they couldn't and if your call over-ran then you risked being cut off. Moreover, you often had to pay for the number of participants you booked the call for even if they didn't actually turn up on the day.
If you are thinking this all sounds like it was a bit of a pain, you are right, it was. Surprisingly, some audio conferencing providers still use this model today! Even though there is absolutely no need to host your call in this manner.
Why the move to reservationless conferencing?
It is only in the last few years that that technology has advanced to the stage where hosting reservationless audio conferences has become possible. Prior to the emergence of high capacity reservationless conference bridges, capacity on the systems was very limited and it was therefore necessary to manage its allocation very carefully. If too many people tried to dial in at the same time, customers were likely to get the busy tone or, worse still, be connected to overlapping conferences.
The billing systems attached to conference call bridges were also quite rudimentary meaning that unless there was a manual record of who was dialling in when and from where, it was impossible to bill the customer.
With today's modern technology, pre-booked audio conferences are fast becoming a thing of the past with the vast majority now being reservationless. The one exception to this is a special kind of pre-booked conference call known as a managed event call. This is where human operators are used and therefore advance notice is still required. However, with the added use of an operator comes added cost.
Peter Bennett is CEO of Ozone Conferencing Limited. This article is taken from the resources section of the Ozone Conferencing website. Other recent articles include Cheap Conference Calls and Free Audio Conferencing.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Bennett
Web Video Conferencing in the New Millennium
Are you in need of something that can boost your business by more than half and still be able to save on the cost of production? Do you want to be able to monitor your factories and met with your staff on a regular basis though you are miles away from corporate? Web videoconferencing allows you to work on these things without having to worry about cost and impact on the business.
All that you need to do is just a website away. The need for expensive equipment has also been taken away since all the equipment you would need is inside the Internet and all of it is waiting for you. So let's start web videoconferencing.
So how exactly does web videoconferencing works? Well, like the name suggests its videoconferencing through the web or the Internet. A participant needs a computer to start off and Internet access. Basically that's all you need. Other things that may or may not be necessary are web cams, web conferencing software and a website to conduct the virtual meeting. Usually websites may refer to URL's that act as the conference room for the meeting.
There are different kinds of web videoconferencing and different kinds of purposes. First one is the web meeting (web videoconferencing), this usual kind of web conference that let's participants interact in a controlled Internet environment. Usually CEO's and business executives have web meetings when they are out of town and on business. Not only can they visit their site often they can keep close tabs on people. Usually Web conferencing allow people on the go to keep up with the requirements of the office.
Live video is another kind of conferencing over the Internet or what young people call video chat. live video or video chat is just like text chatting only it's done through the web cam. Just like web video conferencing live video is more or less like it in purpose and setup. While web videoconferencing uses software to support the video format of the live video this is because of the limited number of formats that can be streamed over the web.
Another kind of web conferencing tool is VoIP or Voice over the Internet Phone. The concept of VoIP is no longer new to us. Some people have started using VoIP software and sites as their primary phone for business, personal and technology use. Because of it's virtual endless capacity to call inside and outside countries and not to mention computer call functionality.
That means even without a regular or mobile phone people can communicate anytime anywhere. Now if you apply that to whatever your web videoconferencing needs that you have, you are sure to get your money's worth.
And lastly a dedicated Internet website that would cater to all the web conferencing needs that you have. As the name mentions it is a dedicated server that acts as the conference room of your company and a gateway for all other video conferencing you will have even outside the company.
Since this is a new tool for your company to use in it's quest to become one of the best in the world, it would be wise to master all the requirements and the processes of web videoconferencing to reap the best results from it.
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Video Conferencing Solutions to Avoid a Business Communication Crisis
Today's corporate environment is defined by its ability to take advantage of innovation. Every day advancing technologies allow those businesses and interested social groups to stay in the forefront of their industry.
Video conferencing, while not a new idea is emerging as a viable and certainly more cost effective choice of keeping in touch with important clients when you're not able to meet with them face-to-face.
It has become the application of choice for businesses to meet with certain people and do it in a hurry. The following will outline some of the important key benefits to using video conferencing.
Increase Daily Production and Efficiency
For instance, using video technology for meetings and conferences can significantly increasing productivity, no matter where you work. If you work at a company, it can increase the productivity of your employees and associates as well. You are able to set up meetings faster, you will be able to share presentations, applications, and any number of other things from computer to computer, even if you are in Boston and the people participating in your meeting are in, for example, Pairs. You can make decisions faster, your products can get on the market faster, you can sell faster - and speed is what the business world is all about, right?
Decrease Travel Budget
You can also save enormous amounts of money. For instance, you will not have to spend money traveling to get to a conference. That means no exorbitant prices for gas, no outrageous plane or train tickets, and no high priced hotel rooms. Furthermore, when you use video conferences, you wipe out the cost of long distance phone calls inherent with phone meetings.
Increase Your Ability To Get More Done
Discover for yourself how video conferencing solutions can save substantial amounts of time at http://www.idealconferencecallingservices.com - Find out how not having to spend time setting up a face-to-face meeting, that might take weeks or months for all the necessary participants to be free on the same day is easily overcome.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Allan_Kirbey
How Should You Explain Video Conferencing
If you are one of those who are having a hard time how to explain video conferencing, you can start by studying the process on your own. You can research and get information by browsing the Internet, computer books, and Information Technology magazines.
Once you have done this, you can explain video conferencing easier. To make people understand what is this new technology and means of virtual communication, you must:
1. Explain the definition of video conferencing.
By definition, "video conferencing" refers to a relatively new means of communications technology that involves voice and video in connecting users that are the different places. Here, all the parties involved will be talking to each other face to face-as if they were all in the same room. People who will video conference need a personal computer, a web cam, a microphone, and a broadband Internet connection to be able to make the virtual communication work.
Here, the participants or users can hear and see one another in real time, thus, allowing normal conversations like that those of voice communications technology-only both parties can see and hear what they people is saying or doing at the same time. A good bandwidth is required for video conferencing to work and it's a must that the computer has high-fidelity streaming voice and video to be able to maximize its fullest potential.
2. Explain the need for video conferencing.
To be able encourage people to adapt and accept the new technology, it is a must to explain the need for video conferencing after explaining what it is and its technicalities. This will make the people-specifically the employees-realize the need for it. One of the foremost reasons that you can point out why you should use video conferencing is for practicality. Instead of going to meeting physically and travel to places, people can just use video conferencing to explain that needs explaining.
Although telephone calls or emailing would do, it is better to video conferencing because it adds more impact to the transaction or to the business at hand. For sales people, this is also beneficial since they can see the person involved when doing a business, video conferencing will open the doors to more opportunities and produce more results. And since your business set up needs a live conversation, the employees should understand that visual information is an integral factor of the entire conversation process.
3. Show how it works.
Although you have explained how it works when you explained what is video conferencing earlier. Some people might not get the hang of it right away. Aside from verbal explanation, it will be best to show them how it works and by re-explaining all the parts of the process. The first that you need to do is to explain is how people from different places can make conversation for a meeting or conference all at the same time.
So, what you can do is demonstrate it to them and show how it works. Set up a video conference with another person and invite at least five or ten people to witness it and participate in the conversation if possible. During the video conference, show how the visual and audio transmission of messages are done.
You can also show them how the process of sharing documents, displaying information in the computer or from the white boards.
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Useful Tips For Selecting a Conference Call Provider
Conference calls provider companies have been dramatically increasing for the last few years as most businesses organizations, around the globe, prefer to use their services, because conference calls save their lot of money and efforts. Competition among different conference call provider companies these days is thus on peak. So, it becomes slightly difficult in the competitive environment to choose the right service provider company that leads an organization to real profits.
First of all an organization has to recognize or measure the frequency of using conference calls as per their communication needs. If the frequency of conference calls is very high, such as thrice or twice a week, then a negotiation can be initiated with a reputed conference call company with all facilities and most competitive price can be set with them. However, in case the utilization is on project basis, then it is less organized, but still yield in quantity of conference calls done every month.
The most organized way to measure the conference calls frequency is to look back and obtain a count of last six months and create a standard number of conference calls performed. This way an organization can choose appropriate provider as per their requirement.
Secondly, the business organization has to look as to what call type is useful for them. For example, you may have only requirement of verbal discussions, no need of data transfer or presentations etc. Some companies provide independent access system to their clients. If your business requires all modern facilities, such as video conferencing, visual presentation etc, then you will have to choose a conference call service of that level.
In this way the organization should accumulate appropriate lists of Conference Calls Providers according to their needs for now and may be in near future, and make sure that they have the facilities they want. This can be done by performing internet research as most conference call providers provide sufficient information on their websites to let them to get identified that they have potential to be a possible conference call provider.
Before selecting a good service provider company, you must request them for a free demonstration about their capability. This is not an extraordinary request for a probable customer to make. Conference call provider company may then ask some questions about your average volume of usage and frequency of conference calls. Provide the conference call provider with this basic information and request for a free demo.
Acquire the greatest benefits of Conference Calls Companies for your business and save lot of time and money. To find out appropriate conference call company please visit http://free-conference-call.info
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brooke_Coin
Conferencing Hardware Installation
A videoconference is an alternative to actual meetings of partners, colleagues and clients of an organization. Video conferencing hardware and software are installed for two-way audio and video communication. They enable users to exchange live video and visuals, share documents and transfer files in the course of the conference. A computer, web camera, head set with microphone and an Internet connection are the basic requisites of a video conference. Video conferencing hardware aims to reduce complexities in user interface, improve performance to give a quality output, eliminate sound echo, ensure enhanced audio quality and also decrease background noise pickup.
Conferencing hardware installation requires careful planning. The main hardware requirements include cameras, projectors, multimedia monitors, electric drop down screens, audio system with quality microphones and headphones, DVD and VCR players and recorders, auxiliary audio-video sources, wireless remote control panels and podiums.
Before installing the video camera unit, the video software should be installed. For this, a camera is connected to the computer, the program CD is inserted into the CD drive and the install hardware link is clicked. A step-by-step installation procedure is available. As a major part of the software is uploaded to the camera unit when you start application, the camera unit should be turned on before the application begins. If the camera is installed correctly, the status indicator light blinks green. This indicates that the camera is ready to receive software upload. When the video application starts for the first time, it shows an out of box setup, with a series of user setup dialogue boxes, called wizards. Wizards help to install a video easily. Click the help button if necessary during the initial setup. An explanation for setup parameters on the screen will be seen. All the settings on the initial setup screen can be modified easily. Thus, there is no need to worry if something goes wrong during the initial installation.
To install the audio hardware, connect the headset to the microphone of the computer. This helps to receive telephone calls during the conference. The rest of the procedure is the same as in video hardware installation.
Conferencing provides detailed information on Conferencing, Web Conferencing, Audio Conferencing, Video Conferencing and more. Conferencing is affiliated with Online Conference Centers.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eric_Morris
Video Conferencing Software and Web Conferencing Solutions
Video conferencing solutions have gained worldwide popularity, especially in the world of business. Apart from the obvious benefit of using video conferencing solutions, namely that of allowing participants in a meeting to hear and see each other irrespective of their location, there are several other advantages that derive from using high end video conferencing solutions. For instance, they allow business decisions to be made faster and deals to be sealed more quickly. Furthermore, video conferencing solutions facilitate meetings with clients from any part of the world in a time and cost-effective manner. The bottom line is that the use of video conferencing solutions can have a positive impact on the way people do business and, if used properly, can ensure competitiveness.
Video conferencing solutions are not designed specifically for companies and corporations. Such solutions can also be successfully used in educational training, security, emergency response or surveillance.
Video conferencing solutions have come a very long way over recent years. Some years ago, we would have been talking about sophisticated equipment and a network that would have taken months to design. Fortunately, things have undergone an evolving trend, and now video conference solutions are readily available in the form of video conferencing software.
Video conferencing software has already demonstrated its usefulness for small businesses and corporations alike. A good web conferencing solution provides secure conferencing, high quality resolution, as well as a clean connection. Improved video conferencing software is constantly being developed so as to meet the most demanding web and video needs of companies and corporations. The perfect choice of video conferencing software would be the kind of product that delivers accuracy and reliability, along with affordability. Fortunately, the IT market is a very competitive one, and new and significantly improved products are constantly being developed. Therefore, you can rest assured that you will be able to find the more appropriate video conferencing solution for your company, provided you perform a diligent search of such products.
High-end video conferencing software represents a very good way of enhancing the productivity of your company. Similarly, a good web conferencing solution will allow your company to move ahead, in terms of both productivity and competitiveness. Organizational challenges, such as complex projects, distributed teams or very tight deadlines are most successfully dealt with by using a good web conferencing solution.
Web conferencing solutions have proven their versatility and are therefore used for a multitude of purposes, the most common of which are online customer meetings, online training and virtual teamwork. Web conferencing solutions have proven to be a very efficient tool in online sales presentations and the use of an appropriate solution generates higher closure rates. As far as your teams are concerned, a web conferencing solution increases the collaboration and productivity of geographically distributed teams. Last but not least, web conferencing solutions represent a useful tool in effective training, preventing expenses, hassles and the loss of productive time.
All in all, video conferencing software and web conferencing solutions allow people to pool resources and collaborate irrespective of their location, which allows them to complete projects in a very timely fashion. With the increasing affordability of such solutions, more and more companies and corporations are using the benefits of online meetings to their advantage.
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Using Audio Conferencing Services to Share Ideas
Countless numbers of busy people have the desire to communicate with other like-minded business associates and or friends. Doing this in a personal interactive manner can sometimes be the stimulus in which deals are made or not made. In today's fast-paced environment meeting face to face isn't always possible, audio conferencing makes communicating important ideas and concepts quickly and easily. This purpose of this article will be to explain some simple conferencing models and types.
Audio Conferencing Basics
It really doesn't matter where the parties live. It can be across town or across the world. Communicating ideas completely is easy with technology. Many people who consider using audio conferencing are under the impression that the only thing you can do is listen on the telephone, but that's just not true these days. You can also visual aids as well. With photo and/or video conferencing as an added feature, depending on the service, you choose you can enhance your conversation. Using it in this way, you can both see and talk to a number of other people.
PC Based Conferencing Variation
These types of conference calls can also be used on personal computers, with endless possibilities. For instance, you can share documents or software applications. That means that you can have an application up on your screen and the person to whom you are talking will have access to it as well. Basically, it shows up on their screen too - whether you are talking to two, three, four, or even more people!
Simple Use Solutions
Audio conferencing can be used in one of two ways: through a standard telephone line or through a connection on your computer. With regular telephones, everyone involved simply dials in and everyone will be able to hear and talk to everyone else. Using the computer method, the telephones operate with Voice over Internet Protocol, or VOIP. Special equipment usually has to be installed on the computer for it to work, but ultimately you can use just a plain old computer headset, then it works just like a conventional phone.
Primary Users and Benefits
Anyone can benefit from these services; you don't just have to be a businessperson. Because it is completely secure, even people working with NASA have been known to use it in conjunction with sensitive projects, which involve many people that are spread far, and wide, distance wise.
Telephone conferencing can save tremendous amounts of money and time, either way you look at it. Traveling long distances for a meeting could become a thing of the past as the ability to communicate virtually becomes more widespread. This ultimately allows you to set up an important meeting much more quickly. You'll no longer have to spend months waiting for everyone involved to have a day free, and you'll conclude your business much more efficiently.
Supercharge your next meeting with audio conferencing services visit http://www.idealconferencecallingservices.com and discover what I consider the most state conference calling provider companies, including web and video conferencing services some at little or no charge!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Allan_Kirbey
Are Free Conference Call Services Really Free?
We have all heard the expression "there is no such thing as a free lunch" but with so many companies purporting to offer free conference call services is the famous idiom outdated?
The answer depends on how you define the term "free". After much research into this subject I have managed to come to some interesting conclusions. I have looked at the following available options to assess their effectiveness for business conference calls.
1. Free conference calls using Skype
2. Free telephone conferencing using non-geographic numbers (NGN's)
Free conference calls using Skype
Many of you reading this will have heard of Skype which allows you to make free voice calls over the internet (Voice over Internet Protocol or VOIP for short). If have a PC or laptop and a good quality headset connected to a broadband internet service with sufficient bandwidth then you can hold a conference call with a limited number of participants without paying a thing.
The incremental cost of the conference call is zero, but the setup costs are considerable unless you already have the equipment described above. As the cost of computer equipment falls and bandwidths get better, more people than ever now have the required platform and hence Skype is an ideal solution for some people.
Our experiences with in call quality with Skype vary considerably. During quiet times when our internet connection is not busy we get excellent results in call quality, however it can be somewhat unreliable so we don't consider it robust enough for important business calls or ones where there are a large number of people.
Skype summary: The actual conference calls are free, but you need to have invested in the computer equipment and internet connection first. Limited number of participants and lack of reliability make it unsuitable for key business conference calls, where reliability is a must. There are other VOIP services that may be more reliable and economical then Skype, here are some other VOIP services compared
Free telephone conferencing using non-geographic numbers (NGN's)
This type of free telephone conferencing allows audio conferencing participants to dial into a non-geographic telephone number to hold their conference call. It's important that you understand what a non-geographic number is and how telephone operators - or "telcos" - charge for calls to them.
As the name suggests, a non-geographic telephone number (NGN) is a telephone number that does not terminate at any fixed location. Instead, when you call an NGN, the telco redirects the call to a "real" telephone number. In the USA the most famous type of NGN is the 1-800 free phone number. When you call a 1-800 number you have no idea where the operator who takes your call is located, they could be anywhere in the world.
Of course, telcos are not in the business of giving away free calls, so someone somewhere has to pay. In the case of the 1-800 number, the company you are calling pays the telco for the cost of the call.
Another type of NGN is a premium rate number. In the UK there are an array of different number ranges some of which cost callers as much as 1.50GBP (nearly 3.00USD!) per minute per call, such as this service. These are often used for "adult" services and chat lines. Companies wishing to promote a premium rate service hire a premium rate number from the telco and advertise their services with the intention of generating large numbers of calls to that number.
When customers call the premium NGN, the telco bills the customer for the call and gives a percentage of the call revenue back to the company who rents the NGN from them. In effect the telco and the company renting the NGN are sharing the revenue from the call. The important point to note here is that customers pay the telco not the company who is renting the premium NGN.
Teleconferencing companies who offer free telephone conference call services use this mode. The commission which the telco pays the audio conference service provider is used to pay for running the conference bridge, advertise the service and (sometimes) to make a profit.
Some telephone conferencing companies advertise this type of audio conference as being a totally free service. But there is almost certainly a charge for the call taking place. Therefore, to benefit from this type of conference call service you need to find an operator who can host a call at an affordable rate with a reliable connection.
This is the closest thing you can get to a truly free telephone conferencing, as they use the cheapest type of revenue generating NGN available in the UK. Namely, one that begins with the dialling code 0844. Some other companies use 0870 or 0871 numbers which are more expensive.
NGN summary: NGN based free teleconferencing services can be useful for small companies and individuals with moderate audio conferencing requirements, however these type of services are usually very basic and not suitable for larger organisations. For larger businesses, supporting greater numbers of participants, teleconferencing services tend to be a better option. As they are more likely to offer the support needed to make the call run uninterrupted on a clear line.
Peter Bennett is CEO of a large UK teleconferencing company; Ozone Conferencing. Peter took extracts from Ozone Conferencing's free conference calls service for this article.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Bennett
Audio Conferencing Keeps You Connected
Audio conferencing is the extension of “three-way” calling. It is the process of setting up a conference function in a PBX or multilane telephone, or it is a service that can be offered by a provider.
Audio conferencing takes telephone communication to a whole new level. Instead of a one on one conversation, the technology is designed to give small groups the ability to "meet" and make decisions. This can save a company a fortune in time, travel expenses, and missed opportunities. It can be set up between as few as three locations, but can also connect a multitude of numbers.
The internet has a lot to do with the need and expansion of audio conferencing. Many companies are hiring employees that are working all over the globe. It can get expensive and impractical trying to meet face to face. Audio conferencing is great for the work-from-home employee because it can be attending in pajamas, which means no matter what the time where you live, you are ready to sit in on the conference.
VoIP is another reason that the internet is increasing the use of audio conferencing. With Voice over Internet Protocol, it is possible to call anywhere in the world for little or nothing. Some VoIP services even come with audio conferencing features.
As telephone technologies continue to expand, the use of audio conferencing will as well. Smart phones are making it possible for employees to take the office on the road. Audio conferencing keeps them in the loop while they are away.
Because many companies are facing a situation that involves a scattered work force, they are coming up with ways to connect the employees. Audio conferencing is starting to take the place of the usual office meetings. It is a way for a company to connect work-at-home employees, employees on the road, and employees around the world.
Kathryn is a freelance journalist covering internet technology, and has recently written a series of internet guides on audio conferencing. She also regularly contributes help and advice on tech forums.
Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_196095_15.html
Conference Call Services For Today's Business
Today’s business world is very diverse and many companies have employees as well as customers located all over the world. As you can imagine meeting with coworkers and clients can be time consuming and expensive if you are not located in the same area. Luckily, there are several types of conference call services options that you can use in order to effectively communicate without having to jump on a plane every time you want to meet.
Audio conferencing has been widely used for quite some time and is a cost effective way to hold a meeting with folks from around the globe. This type of conference call service uses the telephone and enables all the attendees of a meeting to hear each other in real time. People dial in to an open line and have a meeting much like they wood if they were physically located in the same room.
Video conferencing has been around for over a decade but has been mostly used by big companies due to the costs of the equipment. Today, however, costs have come down and this type of conferencing is available to even small business owners. A step up from audio conferencing, video conferencing involves the use of a camera and large television or monitor so not only can you hear each other, you can see each other as well. This works well for sharing visual info via a white board and is nice as it gives the team a more cohesive feel if they can see one another. Years ago I worked for a company that had two offices located about 1 hours drive away. We were in one office and our “sister” team in another. We had weekly meetings via video conference and it was a huge time saver not to have to drive for two hours just to attend a 1 hour meeting!
Web conferencing is a newer technology and makes use of the internet. People simply surf to a web site and the conference is held online. This is a great way to share files or visual aids and can be used in a power point presentation type of style. It can work well for training as well as for troubleshooting problems in software. Web conferencing has audio as well as visual and another technology that the others don’t have - text messaging. In a web conference, attendees have the ability to send a text message - be it a question or comment and you can hold the text for later rather than interrupt your presentation.
While these new technologies open up doors for different ways of meeting, the age old business etiquette of holding a meeting still holds true - with a few new requirements. Here’s some tips on how to hold a successful teleconference.
1. With teleconferencing, you need to be aware that your attendees might not all be in the same time zone. Therefore, you want to schedule the meeting for a time that is convenient for all. Whether you are holding an audio conference, video conference or web conference, you will need to schedule the media for the time you want the conference held. it’s a good idea to give yourself some leeway and schedule extra time before and after the meeting. This gives you time to iron out any technical issues before hand and allows for some wiggle room if the meeting runs overtime.
2. Once you have scheduled the room, be sure to send an invite to the attendees with the appropriate information. For a video conference it might be the channel or just the room if you have a video conference room. For an audio conference you will need the phone number and password. For a web conference, you will need the web url and password and, depending on the type of conference call service you are using, perhaps a phone number to dial in to as well.
3. Be sure to try out the call ahead of time. Dial or surf in to be sure everything is working. You want to be there first so you can “greet” your attendees and make sure everyone is online before you start the meeting.
4. Audio conferences and web conferences have another factor - the noise factor. With people dialing in from all over the place you can get a lot of background noise. It’s a good idea to ask everyone to mute the phone so the noise does not detract from the meeting. When it is their turn to speak, the can turn off the mute button.
Lee Dobbins writes for http://www.conference-call.minding-your-business.com where you can learn more about making a conference call and conference call etiquette.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lee_Dobbins
Four-Dollar Gas and Video Conferencing
There was a time when traveling was fun and affordable. With four-dollar-plus per gallon gas that's no longer the case. Add to that the appallingly weak dollar, and it's no surprise that prices are up across the board in the travel and hotel industries, no matter what the official inflation figures say. Business must go on, of course, and fortunately there are numerous new technologies that allow us to conduct business without the cost of travel. Video conferencing is one of them, and it makes ever more sense.
I remember times earlier on in my career when the company I worked for pretty much expected employees to drive to regional offices and clients if they were less than 300 miles or so away. Even with a gas guzzler, the 600-mile roundtrip cost less than $50 in gas, and if you decided to stay over, it was another $30 or so for a decent motel. That same roundtrip would now run over $150 in gas even with better gas mileage, and lower tier chain motels now routinely charge $60 to 80 per night. Go upscale a bit and it's $150 per night, $10 for a glass of wine, and $50 for dinner. If you pick up the tab for dinner with clients, it can really add up. No wonder most companies are far more conservative in approving business travel.
Now I am definitely not saying personal contact isn't important. Shaking hands, sharing a meal, or doing a round of Golf remain great ways to build trust, establish relationships, and close deals. But it is no longer the only way to do business, and in this day and age it's become an increasingly costly way of doing business. Today, there are so many other ways to connect and stay in touch without losing time away from the office and spending a king's ransom in the process.
All in all, it's a matter of picking the right productivity tools and staying clear of traps. Cell phones are wonderful ways of staying in touch at all times, but if we become slaves to them, productivity goes down the drain (and let's not even talk of Blackberry addiction!). Email remains a terrific means of communication, but unless you manage your address(es) carefully you either spend hours sifting through junk mail or risk losing important messages in all the various spam filters that sit between you and whoever you communicate with. Instant messaging is a great way to quickly get answers or resolve issues, but not if you let conversations drag on or let yourself get interrupted by buddies with too much time on their hands.
Then there is video conferencing, a tool that combines the warmth and immediacy of personal contact with the efficiency of electronic communication. You see the person on the other end, interaction is in real time, and yet you can do it all on your own computer or in a meeting room. A well-run video conference provides virtually all the benefits of personal meetings at a small fraction of the cost. What's more, video conferencing technology is now such that you can make presentations, sales pitches, conduct seminars, or have one-on-ones with spreadsheets and multimedia while seeing and interacting with your business partners or clients in real time.
With today's transportation and lodging costs it makes less and less sense to travel needlessly. Simply schedule a video conference, save, and get on with business.
Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web.
Learn more about Benefits of Video Conferencing.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Robertson
The Benefits of Having a Reservationless Conference Call
Organizations of all types today utilize new communications technology to facilitate collaboration among members. One of the most-used and most useful applications is the teleconference, which enables multiple people and groups of people in separate locations to connect and talk on the same phone call. The teleconference has become a staple of business life, and it is used by all types of organizations, including multinational corporations, government agencies, universities and academic collaborators, and small businesses. New communications technologies facilitate the spread of information and ideas, and conference calls are no exception.
However, conference calls today still are not very user-friendly. Often there is a long dial-in number that needs to be distributed beforehand either through email or another phone call. Then after dialing that number, the teleconference participant must enter a code or password in order to join the conference. This process can be tedious and annoying in everyday situations; in the event of an emergency, this type of delay could actually be dangerous.
The reservationless conference call is the answer to quickly setting up and participating in a teleconference with either a handful or dozens of other people. Not all mass notification companies offer the option of setting up an instant conference call, so it is important to make sure that the company you select offers this service. The notification company will contain the contact information of the organization's members in its database, and when an administrator or other user sends out a message, they can select the option to connect that person to an on-demand conference call.
Imagine this situation: your company receives word that a natural disaster has occurred at or near one of its facilities. Management needs to be notified immediately to determine the details of the situation and to decide what course of action to take. How do you connect all of these people in the fastest way possible? You could contact all of them by phone individually, but this wastes valuable time in a critical situation. You can email them, but there is no guarantee they will see the email or realize the severity immediately.
The solution is an emergency notification service that has the ability to set up a reservationless conference call. Simply send out a message to your users, telling them that a critical situation has occurred. This message will be send over multiple modalities, including email, SMS text message to cell phones, and voice messages to cell phones, home phones, work phones, and BlackBerry PINs. The message will give the user the option to connect instantly to an on-demand conference call. In a matter of seconds, your whole team can be connected to a reservationless conference call, without all the hassle and waste of first setting up the conference, then notifying all of the participants of the dial-in number and the password, and then waiting for all the the participants to dial in and enter their passwords.
When time is of the essence, as it is in an emergency or a critical business situation, an organization needs a reservationless conference call option that can be relied upon. Having a robust and reliable emergency notification service is the answer.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Gambacorta
How to Choose a Conference Call Service that's Right for Your Business
For businesses and organizations that use conference calls frequently, it is important to choose the right conference call service. Today, businesses are going global. Deals are made via conference calls; employees and employees who work off-site communicate through conference calls; meetings or seminars are held using conference calls.
Conference calling offers several options. Thus, when you are looking several conference call services, you should o have a criteria and a clear idea of what your company's or organization's needs are.
Would you like the option of an operator-assisted call or instant conferencing? If your company regularly conduct formal meetings, an operator-assisted call may be the best option. However, if your organization tends to be informal even during meetings or have spontaneous conferences, an instant conferencing option may be the ideal choice. A third option you can consider is web conferencing. Although this kind of conference call is gaining popularity, it will only work for your organization if the people who participate in your calls have the necessary software needed for the call as well as networking capabilities and reliable Internet connection.
You also need to consider if you want additional options such as roll-calls of participants wherein the names of individuals are announced as they join. You also need to consider if you need a conference call option that will let you conduct a moderated question-and-answer session after the conference. If you decide to go with web conferencing, would you want an option that will allow you to show presentations such as slides or movies?
After each conference call, do you want a recording of the call so that other people can listen to it? This conference call feature is particularly useful if some people missed the call. A recording of the conference can also help those who were present to listen to it again and refresh their memory.
Lastly, you also need to consider how much the different conference call services are charging. If your call is long and you used several sophisticated options for the call, the fees could be high. Thus, before you sign up for a conference call service, make sure that the company gives you a complete or comprehensive pricing structure.
Timothy Gorman is a successful Webmaster and publisher of Best Conference Calling Services.com where he provides more information on finding the best deals on audio, web and video conference calling that you can research in your pajamas on his website http://www.bestconferencecallingservices.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_Gorman
Audio Conferencing - Is it Still Effective?
These days more and more people are looking for ways to communicate and talk with each other over long distances. With the recent developments in streaming video it would seem that audio conferencing might be seeing its last days as a viable form of conferencing with a group of business partners or social friends. After reading through this information you'll realize that using audio conferencing does have its place in the communication world for a long time.
Here are a few of the reasons using this medium to communicate ideas and decision is a smart choice.
1. Audio conferencing allows for two, three, or more people to communicate over great distances without having to travel to any particular location. In today's environment traveling less via a vehicle makes since due to the cost of having to purchase gasoline.
2. It can be set up and ready to go in just a few minutes. Trying to coordinate a group of people to meet a specific location on a specific date can be a logistical nightmare. Using a conferencing solution keeps this very simple.
3. The audio conference is constantly evolving and is now very customizable.For example some providers allow for the caller to raise their hand to speak during conference which is easier than just opening up a call and letting everyone speak. Background noise is always an issue and annoying for those trying to listen.
4. With the use of audio combined with web interaction. Call leaders can break groups of people up allowing them to have a conference meeting with in a meeting and then come back for further group discussion.
5. With multi faceted solutions to conference call solutions having control and management of the conference either via the telephone, your PC or a combination of both makes setting up a call quick and easy to administer.
It's easy to take audio conferencing for granted. However technology has made it a simple and easy to use product for virtually everyone that wants to take advantage of it while enjoying a substantial cost savings over travel and other charges that can be occurred if having to travel for a meeting.
Want to know more please visit http://www.idealconferencecallingservices.com and discover what I consider the most state of the art conference calling provider companies, including web and video conferencing services some at little or no charge!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alan_Kirchain
Free Video Conference Software at the Tip of Your Fingers
In this day and age of modern technology, the world seems to have become smaller and smaller. Distance no longer bars people to communicate with each other or create business opportunities. One technology that makes it all possible is video conference. Video conference, because of its ability to bring people closer in spite of the distance, has become popular with the education sector and the corporate world.
Anyone who wishes to perform video conference must have the proper facilities. These include video camera or webcam to serve as video input; a computer monitor or television for video output; microphones; speakers; and a telephone network or internet to perform data transfer.
Video conference also requires the right software. Luckily, free video conference software is available right within the computer's operating system and through the internet.
GnomeMeeting is a free Internet-based video conference software that is accessible through http://www.gnomemeeting.org. It mainly uses H.323, the same protocol created by Microsoft to run audio and video features of Windows.
Paltalk is a video conference software that can be downloaded for free from the Internet. It promises crystal clear voice and video, up to 6 videos in one operation, sharing of photos, files and messages, and simultaneous video viewing in multiple rooms.
EarthLink Conference Manager is a free video conference software that also doubles as a video chat system. This enables multiple parties at different locations to participate in a video conference from a desktop computer. This free video conference software is still in its test version, which is widely used for research applications.
Global Live Talk, another free video conference software, facilitates online conferencing on intranets and the World Wide Web. It can perform real-time rich media conferencing, instant messaging, chat, online meetings, collaborative workspaces, PowerPoint Presentations, and software for groups in the Internet. It also serves as a virtual venue for meeting colleagues, friends and family members and trainings.
The Virtual Room Videoconferencing System (VRVS) is an Internet-based free video conference software. It is a project that is originally developed by European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and now maintained by California Institute of Technology (Caltech).
Free video conference software also comes with many popular instant messaging applications. The latest version of Yahoo! Messenger (YM) provides its own free video and voice conference software. The AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) is an ad-supported instant messaging and presence computer program that allows users to communicate instantly through text to their "buddies" around the world. MSN Messenger is another instant messaging program that, like YM and AIM, performs video conference software, which can be downloaded for free for those whose computers run on Windows operating systems.
Aside from the Internet, the computer platform is also a source of free video conference software. One such application is iChat, an AIM client that enables Apple computer users to use AIM in their desktop units to carry out video conference for free. Netmeeting is another video conference software that comes for free with several versions of Microsoft Windows but before Windows XP. Windows Messenger is a free conference software that is integrated in Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Outlook Express, and the Remote Assistance feature of for Windows XP.
With video conference, communicating with friends and business colleagues though geographically apart is no longer costly. All that is needed to be done is to have the right hardware and the right video conference software that comes with the computer's operating system or available for free through the Internet.
For more information on conference calls, using your phones, or video conferencing, visit http://www.MyPhoneInfo.com now.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Allen_Williams
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