Conferencing Services Explained

Given all the new tools that appear almost daily associated with the Internet and working mobility, it's easy to get confused what services provide a business. Web conferencing services are part of this new tidal wave of electronic resources, much of which due to the exponential expansion of broadband Internet access.

Conferencing services via the Internet allow parties to have virtual meetings by combining phone, computer access, and video if preferred to conduct the meeting. The services all work through a website client and a simple software program on a computer to sync with the website service. Once a user initiates the desktop program, it coordinates with the service provider computers via the Internet and schedules a meeting. This includes a phone number all participants can call and access with a code, a conduit by which to share computer presentations so each user can view on his own computer, and video to provide visual display of the person providing the meeting. Between the three resources, much of a meeting can be managed electronically.

One of the major benefits of website conferencing services is what they don't provide. Users can work out of their regular offices and location without having to physically travel. By eliminating this requirement, significant thousands of dollars can be saved and redirected to other business needs while meetings still occur as necessary.

A typical meeting with web conferencing services works very similar to an in-person meeting. One or two people will coordinate the meeting with vocal discussion being managed by a coordinator or meeting leader. Additionally, the speaker or a helper will manage the display of computer files as the discussion proceeds. Edits can be made real-time to documents as the discussion and users suggest changes. In some cases, control of the document can be turned over to a logged-in user to make edits as well. Video can also be screened, showing the faces of meeting attendees as they speak to further personalize the meeting. When finished, notes and finished documents can be shared within minutes by follow up emails.

The cost to a business for all the above benefits is minimal. A typical small account that can handle calls of up to 15 people simultaneously costs an average of $60/month. The business can use the account as many times as it likes during that same time period. Larger accounts can handle up to 100 or 200 persons in the same meeting, costing on average $1,000/month. Such accounts are usually managed by a company coordinator and then users schedule for a meeting time. The coordinator then sets up the meeting and operates the software as the users participate, repeating the process for other employees as needed. This avoids abuse of the system as well as a managed sharing of a company resource.

Privacy of the information is as secure as those that participate. All computer and phone accesses to meetings are performed with a meeting code. If the user does not have the correct meeting code provided by the meeting coordinator, he or she cannot get into the meeting unless that information is shared by someone else in the meeting. The security, however, is only controllable to the extent that the invitees do not share the information with an outside party. Meeting managers can typically see who has logged into the meeting as naming is required, but this does not guarantee who is actually participating at the other end of the phone line.

Most established conferences services offer account establishment via the Internet, and payment can be arranged by company credit card. Once the account information is provided and saved, the user has access to the meeting tools and begin use almost immediately. Let us help you get FREE price quotes from industry leading service providers, just complete our simple form above. It takes less than 1 minute to complete.