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Web conferencing is making big waves in the last few years. Through web conferencing meetings, consultations, collaborations, presentations, orientations and other business matters can now be done even if the participants are geographically dispersed.

Web conferencing offers different features that enable all of these possible. File, document, application, even desktop sharing are available. Instant messaging, polling, surveying, recording, and playback of meetings is also readily available. VoIP is also another feature almost present in all of web conference programs.

VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. This is the method of transmitting analog audio signals through the internet. Analog signals are converted in digital data so it can be transmitted through internet connection. VoIP can turn a standard internet connection into a way to place free phone calls.

VoIP enables the user to make phone calls from anywhere with broadband connectivity. There are also VoIP soft phone providers. A soft phone is client software that loads VoIP service onto the desktop or laptop. It would display an interface on the screen that looks like a traditional telephone. Microphone or headset is a requirement to place phone calls on the soft phone.

Adding VoIP into web conferencing is like merging data and audio in a more convenient system. But there are some doubters on the affectivity of VoIP in web conferencing.

There are advantages and disadvantages for using VoIP. VoIP dramatically cuts the costs allotted for voice minute charges. Adding audio and voice in web conferences enhances the effectiveness of the meetings. Requirements for VoIP set-up is also minimal, like personal computer, broadband connection and a communications headset or other audio input device.

Before VoIP web conferencing, companies and businesses pays a lot of money for international calls using landline connections. But with VoIP, companies can save hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. By using a phone adaptor (ATA), the VoIP technology can travel anywhere. The user just have to connect their phone adaptor to a broadband connection to use it.

Two persons are not the only people that can speak on the phone line. With VoIP, setting up a conference for the whole teams in real time is possible. More calls can be handled on one access line. VoIP also has several features like Caller ID, Contact Lists, Voicemail, etc.

Meanwhile there are people who cast doubts over the VoIP use in web conferences. The voice quality is one of the biggest question over the use of VoIP. The biggest issue is echo, especially if the participants are using speakers and microphone instead of headsets.

Another consideration is that VoIP is dependent on electricity or wall power. For normal telephones, if power goes down, the phone is still working. With VoIP, no power means no phone. Since VoIP also uses computer and internet, it is susceptible to worms, viruses and even hacking. To resolve this issue, VoIP developers and providers are already working on VoIP encryption.

For worst case scenarios, a computer crashing in the middle of the call will also mean no phone. VoIP phone system is entirely dependent on personal computers and the broadband connection.

VoIP and web conferencing are still very young and developing technology. There are sill room for improvement to further improve the efficiency of VoIP. Similar to other emerging technology, the start is always the jittery part. VoIP service providers are still facing a lot of challenges to better improve the services they are offering.

Popularity: 6% [?]

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The web conferencing technology is making business lives easier. With web conferencing: file sharing, document sharing, application sharing, instant messages, recording, VoIP, desktop sharing, etc. are parts or features of the web conference system sold on the market.

Compared with the prices when web conferencing started, you can say that the price went down considerably. Before, web conferencing is only available for big companies. But right now, there are providers catering to small scale businesses or little people.

There are several options to get the web conferencing service. Service providers have several options you can choose from. Pay as you go is the most common set-up of web conferences. It is commonly used by people who do not use web conferencing technology often. Price ranges from $0.08 -$0.40 per minute per participant for the web portion. Another $0.08-$0.25 per minute is being charged for the audio.

Another option for the web conference service is getting a plan where there is already a fixed number of seats that can be used for a certain amount of time. This costs a monthly fee of around $50 -$200 per seat. Taken into consideration about the prices would be the overage charges, additional seats and minutes. There can also be an extra set-up charge which can be around $0-$100.

If web conferencing is always being done in the company, the best way is to get a package for unlimited web conferencing for the month. Prices range from $150 per month and can reach until $3,000 per month.

There are companies that purchase licensed software that can hold their entire company and use it internally. These companies would normally have in-house web conferences. Purchasing the conferencing software, the price may be at $5000 dollars or tens of thousands dollars. This does not include the annual maintenance and other service fees.

To further contribute and enhance your web conferencing experience, there are add-ons or additional features that you can avail for extra price of course. Web cameras are very important part of web conferencing. A web camera normally costs at around $50 – $100.

Other features include confirming reservations, assisting with interactive features and speaking with the moderator through a private line. An operator-assisted web conference costs $1000- $5000, depending on the participation of the operator in the project.

Recording and archiving- another great web conferencing feature- is also available for additional fees. Recording and archiving is a great way of storing documentation of the meeting for future reference. This feature is available for $50 -$250 per meeting.

Aside from comparing prices, there are also several pointers to identify the best web conferencing program suitable for your needs. Reviewing the pricing plans is also an important factor, there are providers that required to be paid on a rate-per-person. However, there are providers that gives an option of paying a flat rate monthly for unlimited web conference service.

Keep in mind the possible locations of people who are going to be included in the web conferencing group. If the service provider limits or is unable to ensure that these locations will be tapped by web conferencing, then it is not for you.

To get the best service fit for your needs, make sure that you are armed with relevant and detailed questions about the service these providers are offering. Don’t get overexcited and join a provider just because they are the most popular in the market.

There are many web conferencing service providers out there, all you need is patience to get what you need for a reasonable price.

Popularity: 5% [?]

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Web conferencing makes business life easier. With the web conferencing technology, business cut their travel costs and other logistics expenditure by cutting down face-to-face meetings and replacing it with web-based conferences. Web conferencing enables people physically and geographically separated to conduct meetings, presentations, consultations and collaborations.

There are numerous web conferencing vendors in the market nowadays offering new features and services. Here are some of the common features of web conference programs:

• Web conferencing programs use common applications like Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Adobe Flash Player to create graphic presentations with enhanced audio and video streaming. For PowerPoint presentation sharing, the presentation is compressed in the presenter’s computer and then sent to the server. The server then sends it to all the participants, caching it in the presenter’s computer. This allows the presenter to change the presentation slides.

• File sharing, document and application sharing allows the presenter to share a selected document with the participants. Documents or files created in Word, Excel, layouts in graphics program can be shared. File sharing is the same as the PowerPoint presentation sharing.

• Web page viewing allows the presenter and the participants to launch a browser and make it visible to everyone. Web page viewing is mainly used to check a competitor’s website, testing of the new website with technical and creative teams, and conducting software product tours.

• The moderator can also hand off the control of the flow of the discussion. One of the participants may run the meeting.

• Desktop sharing is also another great feature of web conferencing. Desktop or screen sharing allows the presenter to display everything that’s on his computer screen to be seen by the participants in real time. The presenter can also allow his desktop to be controlled by any of the other participants.

• Whiteboard encourages brainstorming and other on-the-spot creative process. With this feature, web conferencing provides text and drawing capability. Participants can illustrate or outline projects or ideas in the whiteboard.

• Most web conferencing providers have a window dedicated in viewing the roster of attendees of the conference.

• There are also backup systems. In case the first server fails, the conference is seamlessly moved to a second server. All the meeting materials are stored so that the important data will not be lost.

• Recording allows online archiving of the actual meeting. This is a reliable source or point of reference. Only the moderator determines who are allowed to access the recording after the conference.

• Instant messaging is also an important communication feature offered by web conferencing vendors.

• Aside from text chat or instant messaging, audio communication is in the form of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). This allows users to make telephone calls over the world wide web.

• For the security of the conference, web conference providers are using Secure Sockets Layer for full meeting security. Meeting attendees require a conference security code to access both live conferences and recorded meetings.

Web conference service providers are promoting different kinds of feature for their conference products. Knowing the right web conferencing program to use would rely on the objective for using this kind of program. Once the need and the ability are drawn, then the solution will be easier to find.

Popularity: 5% [?]