WebConfGuide

Archive for the ‘web conferencing software’ Category

Free web conference solutions basically allow people to communicate and share files such as spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, and charts with other people. Some applications provide even more functionality, and offer features such as whiteboarding, which facilitates discussions comprised of several people at time. Most web conference services are ideally suited for the demands of small business, and they are also widely used for personal purposes. Below are some of the most popular free web conference solutions available.

Unyte
Unyte is a free web conference plug-in developed by WebDialogs, Inc. The application requires both hosts and users to be signed up with Skype and allows for free and secure real-time collaboration. These services are available for $9.95 a month or $99.95 for a full year of multiple desktop sharing. One of the main advantages of Unyte over other web conference services is that only the meeting planner is required to download the software. Skype users can also use Unyte with its secure web-based text chat services, and it offers a simple user interface with easily accessible features.

Vyew
Unlike Unyte, Vyew provides users with a free web conference solution that dos not require any downloads. Vyew offers similar features to Unyte such as screen and file sharing, whiteboarding, and screen capture, which allows users to share the contents of his or her computer desktop with up to twenty other users. Vyew can communicate via Internet or LAN, and up to 10 MB of storage is offered for twenty participants. Vyew does not offer VoIP functionality, so users will either have to resort to text chat or VoIP services such as Skype.

Showtime
Showtime is a free web conference application developed by Powwownow, and it offers a wide range of sharing services including allowing users to share PowerPoint, PDF, Word and Excel files, all of which are automatically converted to PDF files when they are uploaded onto the Showtime’s servers. Just like Vyew, SHARE currently doesn’t offer VoIP functionality either, although users can use the company’s free conference calling services. Presenters also have the option to view the names of each participant onscreen.

Take Your Business To The Next Level With WebEx Web Conferencing Software

In the world of web conferencing software few packages can claim the market hold that WebEx web conferencing software can. The undisputed leader as far as features and functionality is concerned, WebEx is the web conferencing services of choice by businesses and more serious personal users the world over. In spite of their corner on the market however, a new crop of software that offers web conferencing services looms on the horizon, all eager to take on the WebEx market dominance. Let’s see if the current incarnation of WebEx still has what it takes to retain its hold on the web conferencing software market.

Features
At its most basic, WebEx web conferencing software allows you to show what is on your screen to anyone who is also connected. Unlimited connectivity with as many as 25 people is offered for a nominal monthly cost, with the option to upgrade to a plan that allows even more connections.

The WebEx Training Center
WebEx offers users a Training Center, which allows you to offer live video training with as many as 1,000 users. This feature is an invaluable aid in customer support and instruction and will allow you to go beyond the now-familiar email and phone support models. The training center also offers full registration, tracking and reporting features, hands on lab functionality, breakout sessions, and seamless integration with LMS.

Keep in touch with WebEx Event Center
To keep in touch with key members of your organization, WebEx also offers an Event Center which allows you to get instant announcements out to as many as 3,000 contacts. This feature includes full registration and campaign management, a Flash-based user environment, audio broadcast functionality, threaded Q&A features, and an interactive feedback system.

Summary
WebEx offers a wealth of innovative features and enhanced functionality for a wide range of business needs. Even the standard package offers plenty of flexibility and power and with larger capacity offered, WebEx clearly has what it takes to continue to be one of the most impressive web conferencing software packages for a long time to come.

Enhance Your Online Coaching With Video Conferencing

A picture is worth a thousand words so they say, and when that picture is accompanied by audio then it becomes even more valuable. You may be aware by now that the Internet has made it possible for users to exchange data online whether it is text or pictures. With the advent of affordably priced high speed Internet, even video exchange is a reality. This has made it possible for web conferencing to take hold in a big way.

The benefits of web conferencing for instruction and education are vast and virtually limitless, especially with regard to online coaching. This is mainly used for business purposes but that is only a part of the picture–no pun intended. Imagine the possibilities that you can unlock in terms of customer care and assistance with the use of web conferencing and you have only barely scratched the surface of what a web conference can do for your business.

With web conferencing, the task of offering customer support becomes remarkably easy and effective, with efficiency that traditional customer support avenues such as phone and email can only dream of accomplishing. With the use of webcast software, you can walk your customers through the finer points of your product’s or service’s features, making sure that they can understand everything clearly every step of the way. Even more complicated features or more esoteric services can be explained much more clearly with the use of web conferencing.

With customers being the lifeblood of any business, offering web conference will go a long way in inspiring customer confidence and will give them a clearer picture of what your company is all about. In fact, it is probably only a matter of time before online coaching becomes the standard form of customer support. Many companies have in fact begun to make the shift towards this form of after sales services, since it offers a more efficient way of providing customer support without requiring very much in the way equipment investment and manpower hours. If you want to take your business to the next level, you owe it to yourself to look into what web conference software can do for you.

If you are interested in hosting your own Web conference or perhaps a webinar, you’re going to need to have the software in order to be able to do it.  The easiest way for this to take place is to find a hosting provider that is available in case you all of the options that you need.  Two of the Web conferencing software is that we have used in the past include Gotomeeting and Webex.  Here is a brief comparison between these two excellent services.

The first thing that most people look for is a moneyback guarantee, and that really is something that is important.  Both Gotomeeting and Webex offers a 30 day moneyback guarantees which should give you plenty of time to be able to test out the system.  Both of the systems are comparable as far as pricing is concerned, with Gotomeeting coming in at about $10 less per month.  Both also offer a monthly price discount of about $10 if you purchase it for a year in advance.  If you plan on using them regularly, this is an excellent way for you to save a little money.

Most people tend to look more at the features that are available than at the actual price, especially whenever you are only talking about spending roughly $50 per month.  This can be quite an expense for somebody that only runs an occasional webinar or video conference but for people who do it on a regular basis, but the price is going to be negligible.

Both the Gotomeeting and Webex service allow you to share desktops between users.  This can either be done as you, the administrator shows your desktop as a training aid to the other people that are in the room.  It can also be set up so that they are sharing their desktops as well, giving input or perhaps demonstrating how they do something to the rest of the room.  That is what makes both of these services such an excellent teaching tool but it also requires that your visitors mute their phones to avoid background noise.

One of the reasons that we like Webex is because the client application that runs the entire service is very small and can work in a variety of different browsers.  This is an extremely user friendly service so it is an excellent choice for anybody who is running a webinar in which people who are not familiar with online meetings might be attending. Gotomeeting tends to be a little bit more friendly as far as pricing is concerned because you can have unlimited people attend each meeting.

All in all, either the Gotomeeting or Webex services can provide you with something that is very valuable to your business.  We would suggest that you give the online trials an opportunity to allow the services to speak for themselves.  It’s an excellent way for you to test them and to see which one you would like to use for the long term.

Many businesses are not able to keep their heads above water any longer if they are only concentrating in the local area.  Other businesses have a model which necessitates being able to connect with a worldwide audience.  Regardless of which of these categories you fall in, being able to communicate effectively with people from around the world is one of the main purposes of using some of the webcasting services that are available on the Internet.  Here is a little bit about how they operate, a few recommendations and some things for you to keep in mind.

There are really two different ways that these webcast services operate.  The first of these is by having a streaming video which is viewed by other individuals in real time.  This video is typically hosted, either on a publicly or privately available webpage.  If it is open to the public, it is simply a matter of pulling the webpage up in your browser and allowing the streaming video to begin playing.  If it is on a private webpage, you will typically need a username and password in order to enter and much of this is done by invitation only.

Another way of presenting one of these webcasts is by recording the video as you are making it and then offering it as an archive.  This is something that is very important, regardless of whether you plan on offering it later or not.  Any webcast provider that you choose should offer you the choice of recording the webcast so that it can be played back later if desired.  A lot of work and go into one of these videos, as well as time and if you need to show it to somebody unexpectedly at a future date, having a recording can be a lifesaver.

There are many different webcast providers that are available on the Internet, but some of the most popular include Zoho Meeting, connectlive.com and you-niversity.com.  Although there are some differences in the different webcasting services that are available online, many of them are going to offer you enough in order for you to get started.  They also typically use software which is commonly found on many computers so almost anybody that enters into one of the rooms where the webcast is playing will be able to view it.  If they do not have the software available, it will be a simple matter of downloading it and installing it.

The Internet is changing the way that many of us are doing business and more and more businesses are finding it necessary to go with these webcast services in order to stay connected with their customers and potential clients.  By choosing one that will give you the options that you need, you will be able to effectively deliver a presentation in real time which will be just as effective as if you were standing in the room with them.  It may be new technology, but it certainly is something that has come of age.