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What to look for in choosing a web conferencing service
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Free Download - You wrote the release - now to get the story published By Joe Gagliano |
I like to shake people's hands and look them in the eye as we talk, so the notion of conducting online meetings didn't immediately resonate. What I didn't realize, as most everyone thinks, is that online meetings are not really meant to entirely replace conventional get-togethers - they provide a way to improve communications beyond the exchange of emails, documents, pictures, etc. In the marketing communications field, for example, innumerable drafts of press releases, data sheets, advertisements, and other documents are exchanged. What the online meeting helps to do is accelerate the process. Say you draft a speech for a client and get back an edited version for review - did the client almost like what you submitted or did she nearly toss it in the recycle bin? It's much easier to gauge reactions through online meetings, not only through the spoken word, but also through body language. There are now many companies offering a service for online meetings. As a newcomer, I had to familiarize myself with the vernacular of the business, and I had to understand what was important and what was merely fluff (not easy, even for someone who's generated enough fluff). After talking with more seasoned users of online meeting services, I came up with my own check-list:
1. Are there restriction on who you can web meet?
Apparently, most of us operate our computers from behind a firewall, and corporate users are most likely to have robust firewalls. Plus there is something called Network Address Translation, or NAT. Suffice it say that both can present obstacles when trying to meet online.
2. Can I really see, speak to, exchange files with, whiteboard, with all participants?
There are many solutions out there, some of which fall under the web meeting ‘lite' category. We can't all drive a Rolls-Royce, but if it costs the same as a lesser car, then why not?
3. Is it easy to set-up?
Nobody wants to start making support calls half a world away to set-up a web meeting - it tends to negate the reason for using the service in the first place. What you must remember is that the people you're going to meet need to set-up their own computers, and there's no guarantee that everyone knows the difference between a static and a dynamic IP address. Anyone who knows how to use Windows should be able to get the meeting going - although meetings held through a browser are subject to the vagaries of updates, which may necessitate fixes to the set-up.
4. Is it safe?
Of course it's safe - there are some huge companies offering the service, right? Actually...no. It's safe in the sense that you're unlikely to pick a virus or a worm during a web meeting, but if you want to make sure your communications, even if intercepted, cannot be deciphered, then there may be a problem. For example, most web conferencing services operate through links that are not password protected.
5. Can I web conference and videoconference using the same service?
This is not the most pressing requirement, but it would be good to have the option.
6. Is it fair and logical?
It's one thing to have a moderator, but do the other participants get to have their say? In the context of a web meeting that mean access to the various tools and the right to participate as an equal.
Armed with my check list, I went through more offerings than I thought existed. My own investigation led me to a young company in Silicon Valley named AdriaComm. It met satisfactorily with all the conditions of my check-list, and was the only one to deliver desktop-to-desktop security, without the need for Certificates, through the encryption of all communications - video, audio, text, file transfer, etc. I was also made aware that their solution is project-oriented and supports "presence awareness", that is once a person is logged in, he or she becomes available for a conference trough a single click. However, AdriaComm is in the process of changing from offering a service to selling its product outright to the Military and to the healthcare industry. It would seem that state secrets and HIPAA privacy (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) requirements demand strict security in all communications, including web meetings and web conferencing. You may still get to use their service, but if you use the check-list above you shouldn't go far wrong.
What to look for in choosing a web conferencing service - To learn more about this author, visit Joe Gagliano's Website.
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Kim CastleWith nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website |
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Bryan GarnerI am a Veteran of the United States Marine Reserve and retired as a Sergeant of Marines. I was deployed to Fallujah, Iraq, in 2006, and Ramadi, Iraq, in 2008. I have been working at Credit Alliance Group Financial Services company since 2007. I have had the opportunity to work in all the departments and have a real understanding on the key business concepts and how it all works. I enjoy helping people out with their debt problems and providing them an honest outlook on all their options, not just here with us. I believe if you have a good product, why not stand behind it and also show what your competition has to offer and let the consumer decide. - Visit Bryan Garner's Website |
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Jesse HoppsJesse Hopps founded Demand Metric in October 2006 and is the active President & CEO, focusing on sales & product development. Prior to Demand Metric, Jesse worked as an independent consultant specializing in Internet Marketing and Business Continuity Planning. He began his career with the Info-Tech Research Group in London, Canada, where he helped contribute to their explosive growth. Jesse holds a business degree from the University of Western Ontario and lives in Panama City, Panama. - Visit Jesse Hopps's Website |
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