Conferencing...: October 2009

Communicating with clients and discussing business used to be difficult. Back in the day, when technology was still in its primitive stages, conferences were held face to face. Both client and company representatives were required to be in the same place at the same just so they can consummate a deal or discuss their options.

However, technology has changed the face of communication and now provides an easier way of discussing business without requiring both parties to be in the same room.

Thanks to an audio conference service, contracts are signed and ideas and propositions are entertained even if both parties are on either side of the globe.

Audio conferencing is a practical service used by most companies to conduct seminars, business meetings or trainings. With this, the host; makes the call to the participants and allows them to join in on the discussion.

Audio conferencing makes it possible for people to exchange ideas or get updated with new reports regardless of whether they are in the same office building or off the coast of Hawaii on a business trip. Conferences like this can have either two or more than a dozen people participating at the same time.

There are many types of audio conference services available. Some types of service allow parties to just listen in on the conversation.

For example, a seminar where the host is the only one talking and discussing the plans while the participants can only listen and take down notes. On the other hand, other audio services allow the discussion to be more interactive.

Most even couple it with video conferencing, making it possible for participants to see each other as they brainstorm over plans.

The company we recommend is Copper Conferencing- and learn more on audio conference service

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The history of video conferencing has gone from expensive video equipment and "in room" systems that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars back in the 70's and 80's to the recent advent of desktop video conferencing services that use the Internet, web cams and cost under $100. per month for unlimited usage. Finally, the price point has come down to where small businesses and consumers can utilize this technology and not be burdened by the huge costs.

The new technology works like this. Each participant has a desktop or laptop computer, equipped with Internet access and a web cam. A web cam can be purchased from any office supply store for as little as $35. The moderator would then subscribe to a desktop video conferencing service, where they would receive login and password information. A fifteen to twenty minute training session would bring all of the parties up to where they are ready to start their own conferences.

The leader or account holder can have up to one hundred parties on his conferences. Approximately eighteen videos can be displayed simultaneously on everyone's screens. There is a "real estate" issue in that the limited screen size only allows eighteen videos. In addition, the more videos being displayed bring a drag on bandwidth. The optimum size is about eight videos being viewed at the same time.

Now the moderator is ready to hold as many video conferences as he needs. He will have to schedule each of his conferences just like he would with an audio conference call. At the appropriate date and time of the meeting, everyone invited would log on to the URL and input their meeting identification code and password and possible other identifying information. Everyone will then be connected to each other over the Internet. Their videos will be displayed and the video conference can begin. The audio portion of the conference can either be carried over the Internet as VOIP or voice over Internet protocol or the moderator can use an audio conference line, which will provide top quality sound.

The beautiful aspect of the technology is that the service works extremely well. Everyone can see all of the parties on the conference and they can talk and gesture just like they would in a live face to face meeting. Small businesses and consumers alike will find this service exciting, functional, simple to use and certainly easy on the budget. Desktop video conferencing has certainly arrived and now is the time to take a test drive.

Mike Burns has been in the conferencing industry since 1971, having originally worked for Southwestern Bell and AT&T. In 1989, Mr. Burns founded Conference Pros International and in 2000, Mr Burns founded A+ Conferencing, a conferencing provider that sells audio, web and desktop video conferencing services exclusively through master agents and resellers. Mr Burns speaks and writes about the conferencing industry frequently.
888-239-3969. http://www.aplusconferencing.com

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