Are you Scratching Your Head and Asking "What Is Web Conferencing?
To fully understand exactly what is web conferencing; one needs to be conversant with the Internet and the World Wide Web. Due to immense geographical distances, time constraints, and numerous other limiting factors, people cannot be physically present at places they are required to be. In many instances, their activities would be better suited with face-to-face interaction.
In such a situation, web conferencing serves as a very useful resource to people conducting business in the global market place. It makes it possible to create a virtual meeting room, allowing people, each present at that moment of time in different places that could be as far away as the United States, Spain and Australia, to be seeing and talking to each other as if they were physically present in the same meeting room in real time.
Conferencing allows people to be at two places at the same time; One in their office, and the other in a meeting/conference with other(s) at the other end of the world. This would be a simple answer to “what is web conferencing”
Simple web conferencing can be text based chats in which one can invite another to converse through text messages in real time. In more sophisticated applications there can be seminars and presentations made to hundreds of delegates at the same time, making use of audio and video facilities. When it is a one-way communication, as in the case of a presentation for a large number of people present at different locations, the term used is webcasting.
Web conferencing leads to elimination of traveling, saving time and costs. The return for investing in web conferencing is measurable not only in terms of money, but also in the increased efficiency levels of people, in knowledge distribution, and increased opportunities for sales and marketing.
Using the Internet For Conferencing Has Huge Advantages
Among available conferencing technologies, it is only web conferencing that allows real time two-way audiovisual communication. It is a desktop technology offering instant access to others similar to the way a telephone does.
Anyone wanting to initiate a web conference may call; send an e-mail or an instant message to the person with whom he wants to initiate the web conference. If the person is not available his computer will be able to record the attempt that had been made at contacting him. When the person returns, he can contact the caller and set up the web conference, accordingly.
Remember, web conferencing is about interacting with others in such a way, so as to mimic being in the same room with them. Web conferencing is fast replacing traditional business travel and telephone conferencing.
Web conferencing today is a business tool that has gained wide acceptance, expanding beyond sales and marketing to other areas such as training, distance learning, investor relations and customer service.
Beyond business purposes, learning how to set up a conference call has gotten so simple (and sometimes conference calls are free), that it can be used for personal communications as well. Such as tucking in your little one or saying goodnight to a loved one using online video.
