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Video & Web Conferencing: How To Choose The System That Is Best For You |
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Video conferencing, web conferencing and online meetings
are fast becoming important tools for organizations that must
communicate with staff, clients or students in different geographical
locations. If you have been thinking about using this technology
for your enterprise, it is important to first outline your
needs and then match them with the various online conferencing
systems that are being offered in the marketplace. Here are
a few things to consider when you shop around for the system
that is best for you:
1. Do you need to communicate with one static location or
with a variety of possibly changing locations? Some conferencing
systems are designed to connect two or more specific locations.
If you have a head office and a fixed branch office that you
want to communicate with, then a fixed connection system could
work for you.
However, if you want to connect with a variety of locations
or allow people anywhere to join your conferences or meetings
then you should choose a system that allows you to add users
no matter where they log in from.
2. Do you want a browser based system or can you work with
proprietary software? A few of the original web and video
conferencing applications had their own software and even
specific hardware to install. Now it is possible to use conferencing
systems that run on all browsers and all operating systems
without the need for special hardware. Take a look at the
various systems being offered and choose the one that would
fit in with your organization’s technical capabilities.
3. Are some of your participants behind firewalls? These
days many, if not most offices, and even individual computers
connected to the Internet are protected by firewalls. The
firewalls keep hackers out, but they may also pose a problem
for some conferencing systems. Check to see if the conferencing
system of your choice can deal with this problem.
4. How important is video to you? If you would like to see
your colleagues and staff as they participate in your meetings,
then you will need a system that allows some locations to
hook up to the meeting with a web camera. Check to see how
many individual video windows are allowed by the various applications
that you consider, and choose the one that best meets your
needs.
5. What features do you need? Do you want to poll attendees
and get immediate results while you are online? Some systems
allow the host to present a question and then all the participants
can vote or give an answer with the click of their mouse.
Do you want to share applications online? If your conferencing
system allows application sharing then it is possible for
the host to present PowerPoint presentations, for example,
that will be visible to all the attendees.
Make a list of the communications features that you need
and match them to the capabilities of each system that you
consider.
6. What is your budget? Of course you want the most features
that are possible but you also have to weigh-in the costs.
When you make your decision, keep in mind the benefits that
you will get by communicating online, think about the cost
of doing this offline and then look at the fees charged by
the conference technology providers. Choose a communications
package that will give you a good return on your investment.
Now, armed with this checklist, go online and do a search
for web or video conferencing and pick out a system that will
allow you to conduct your meetings online at a price that
you can afford.
About the Author:
Dan Richmond is CEO & Co-founder of MegaMeeting.com.
MegaMeeting provides Web Conferencing & Video Conferencing
services for individuals, businesses and educational institutions.
For more information, or for a free live demonstration, please
visit www.MegaMeeting.com/ or call (818) 783-4311.
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