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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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