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How Does Web Conferencing Work?
The term “web conferencing” can
be a set of features, a type of
activity and a type of software.
But basically, web conferencing
refers to anything that falls
under corroborative conference
that happens online between two
or more people in different
locations.
It doesn’t matter whether they
are within a building or worlds
apart as long as they are
conducting their meeting through
the internet.
Web conferencing can use audio,
video, text or combination. It
can happen in real time or in an
asynchronous environment,
depending on the system the
attendees use.
But web conferencing is not
just a process of communicating
by simply sending and receiving
information while seeing the
person you are talking to.
What make this system special
are the features that it has.
A web conferencing system may
have some or all or the following
features:
White boards are just like the
white boards in a typical office
conference room. White boards can
be set up in a way where participants
can see your notes in real time or
in a way where anyone can actively
participate, add notes or make
changes on the board.
Desktop Sharing allows other user
to connect to your computer and
check your system for any problem.
This is a common feature that is
used by computer system specialists
and technicians.
Text Messaging is basically the same
with the usual text messaging
feature. You can send and receive
questions and answers in real time.
Messages can be limited between 2
persons or can be shared to the group.
Text messaging may substitute audio
conferencing if the latter is
impractical.
Scheduling programs make web
conferencing easy by aiding the user
to send alerts to other participants
about the meeting and synchronize or
make changes on the group’s web
conference calendar.
PowerPoint Presentations (Windows)
and Keynote (Mac) can be used to
present, in real time, to your web
conference group for added impact.
Co-browsing allows 2 or more users
to browse one website simultaneously.
This is a very helpful costumer
service tool as it enables the seller
to walk a client through details of
the product on the website. This is
much similar to a costumer
representative assisting you when
you walked into a shop or a store.
File sharing capability is not exactly
similar to sending and receiving files
through email. This feature gives the
group the capacity to upload files on
a shared workspace that can be
retrieved by other authorized
participants.
Private meeting room on designated URL
can be used to conduct meeting without
requiring all participants to download
or purchase particular software. All
they need to do is to enter a specific
URL to join the conference.
While security has become a major
issue when using URL, web conferencing
system vendors have some security
measures to their software to make it
more private and keep unauthorized user
from reading your files.
Record, store and play allow attendees
to record the entire conference and
play it back later. These features also
benefit those who were not able to
attend the meeting.
Surveying can be used if the meeting
relies on feedbacks from the participants.
Surveying allows recording and easily
tabulation of different responses.
With the basic audio and video features,
web conferencing mixes with any of these
elements to make meetings more realistic –
the feeling that you are “actually there”
where you can see, hear and exchange
notes with other attendees.
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