WEBconferences are just like normal meetings but they are conducted virtually over the Internet. Presenters can give PowerPoint presentations, consult documents, use interactive on-screen graphics and even vote or display the results of collaborative efforts.

This eco-logic axis, is a new challenger on the WEBconference industry, Tele-efficiency, who supports it. Their service, better known as Conferenceware, is registered in the technological ecosystem. It integrates with Outlook in order to plan a meeting and to invite contacts and with Skype a voice over IP worldwide network. It includes a free audioconference service, in which the participants just make a long distance call, with accesses in North America and Europe, even better, free, with Skype.

According to the Forrester consulting firm, the WEBconference market has had a 28% annual increase in the last 5 years and this progression should continue until 2011, going from 700 million to 2,8 billions a year. Better know for its applications on the public WEBinar, the eMeeting applications should experience in themselves the strongest increase mainly among the multisite companies, those regarding knowledge as well as associations.

The cost of WEBconference services is usually based on per-minute and per-participant rates and, therefore, these services are very expensive. However, Conferenceware offers a free 30-day trial period followed by a fixed-rate quarterly or annual service contract that includes an unlimited number of meetings. Companies that use WEBconferences can reduce their traveling costs and improve the synergy of their meetings, since the latter can be held at any time, anywhere and even at a moment’s notice.

Conferenceware has been launched simultaneously in three languages; French, English and Spanis, in 15 countries on all 5 continents. The address of its international English portal is .tele-efficiency.net. With an interface available in several languages and that can be personalized with a company’s image and logo, Conferenceware fosters cultural exchanges and international cooperation. An on-line demonstration is available at .demo.conferenceware.info. It should be borne in mind that the prospect of events such as an avian flu epidemic could lead companies to adopt WEBconferences as part of their continuity strategy.

Problems

Of course, the users have to read the training material; understandably, the reading can be monotonous. However, producing step-by-step videos for the purpose of instructing does not make economic sense. This is especially difficult if the user seeking assistance is extremely ill-informed.

Solution

An after-sales service team puts together technical demonstration online to explore and explain the problem. A panic button on the WEB site connects the client to a meeting room from where the presentation is made, simultaneously, by an agent. The agent might ask the client to go to a specific page of a knowledge database; for example, the one that describes step by step all the steps required to complete anoperation. Also, the usual questions, the FAQ (Frequently Ask Questions), are put together on prerecorded help clips that the clients can consult, as free service, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Results

The audio-visual is without doubt the most powerful of all media. The television and cinema are proof enough for this. The level of comprehension is manifestly superior as is the level of satisfaction of the clientele. By converting part of the technical assistance requests to self-service, the cost per client can be lowered, thus enabling more resources to be available for the more difficult cases. Thus, with us, long distance technical support, in telework, is available just a click away.

Problems

Nevertheless, reviewing a proposition with the client will actually save time for everybody as compared to just emailing or using rapid delivery services. Coordinating the responses to bids that involve many different resources within the company (but which are not always available) in conjunction with the deadlines that approach rapidly is, without doubt, a Herculean task. Our services give you the edge here, with the added advantage that the sales team will not be the last to know if a competitor makes a borderline maneuver.

Solution

In some cases, it is more appropriate to conduct a virtual meeting with a prospect, a client, a distributor, or a partner. Through web conference, a PowerPoint presentation, a software demonstration, or consultation of a document may be done online. Also, it is a great way to review and reinforce a proposition already sent to a client by email. Thanks to the presence indicator of the voice over IP software, Skype, other colleagues can be reunited, according to their availability, in order to produce a bid offer. Finally, an alert on the competition allows the exchange of all information related to, and needed for, the sales force.

Results

Reducing the traveling time of representatives proportionally increases their sales time, thus allowing them to focus better on the task. The level of stress that goes with answering a bid diminishes with better coordination, resulting in the improved quality of a proposal, which may be evident even to the client’s eyes. Sharing of experiences among the sales team members, regarding the competition, better equips them to neutralize arguments and to go ahead successfully.

Problems

In such a situation, a training method that is a continuing formation adapted to the ever-changing needs of the firms would be illusory; also, efforts to manage all the information within an organization as back-up data would be unrealistic. Often, consultation with employees is usually nonexistent, too. Hence, it can be safely concluded that the research result which says that clients’ loyalty is directly proportional to employees’ motivation is true.

Solution

Pedagogical methodology has profoundly evolved during the last ten years. Virtual classrooms have appeared, with long-distance training. Closer to us, “coaching” has become a common practice. Both these methodologies can make use of the web conferencing technology. By constantly recording the training sessions as well as the meetings, information can be made widely available to everybody. Usually, these concern better practices or strategic visions that can be shared. Also, thanks to the polls and votes during a web conference, the management gets to know the personnel’s opinions which they can actively implicate.

Results

First of all, optimizing training to integrate new employees shortens the time needed for them to fully develop their capacities and to perform better. Profit targets are met faster as costs get reduced, as well. Moreover, the organization’s efficiency in the developing of exchanges and the sharing of best practices improves, too. This has a considerable impact on profits. The higher the individual motivations pyramid, the more the people will feel the need to belong, to be appreciated, and to accomplish something. In short, the key is bidirectionality.

Problem

The key people are committed to organizing brainstorming sessions and focus groups, and in conceiving and validating concepts. Press conferences, sometimes lasting several weeks, are also held during product launches. For the fruition of these efforts, the prospects have to be carefully identified as qualified. Otherwise, these efforts will be futile, and the team will have to begin again without being able to capitalize their exchanges and use them repeatedly.

Solution

The marketing team announces on their WEB site the online presentations (WEBinar), for which the visitors have to register in advance. The brainstorming sessions among colleagues, the focus groups, press conferences, and product launching are done long distance during webconferences. In addition, these events are completely recorded, both voice and images, and then copied by different means and placed on the WEB site, the local network, and on CD or DVD in order to be reused or replayed for new prospects, employees, and partners.

Results

The added advantage of WEBinars is that the participants are identified as qualified beforehand. It’s only later on that they are considered as prospects for the sales team - this produces better “closing” performance from the team. The time devoted to events is significantly reduced. The response rate of the prospects is faster. The audio-visual archives integrated through the years represent priceless collateral material that can support sales. In addition, we have the power of multimedia to the performance of polymedia, on different kinds of supports, regardless of the time.

Problems

Moreover, the absence of a management representative at a meeting (albeit due to an important situation such as negotiating an important contract) is not uncommon. Consulting your colleagues helps you to take better decisions for the company. To conveniently hold meetings anytime and anywhere (also in small groups), make use of Tele-efficiency’s superior service.

Solution

The statutory meetings that are planned by the president are automatically scheduled in his Outlook calendar, after which he asks the participants to confirm their availability. During the meeting, he introduces the other presenter who gives a PowerPoint presentation and submits a document on the screen, which is also transmitted to his coworkers. If there is

an absentee, the meeting is integrally recorded, both voice and images, and emailed to the absentee, along with the hyperlink and password so that it can be replayed. The voice over Internet software, Skype, along with the instant messaging presence indicator, allows the members of the management team to know, at a given moment, their coworkers’ status, i.e., if they are with a “connected,” “no show,” “not available,” or “do not disturb” signal.

Results

If some of the management personnel are frequently traveling, they can participate in the meetings via the Internet from their hotel room, airport, or an Internet caf

As recently as a decade ago, most business was conducted either via the telephone or in person. Business travelers were constantly on the go, either driving to nearby cities, flying around the country, or traversing the globe. The costs associated with business travel were astronomical, both in terms of actual travel expenses and in terms of employee downtime and unavailability. With the advent of the Internet and video conferencing, however, the face of business has changed dramatically.

Although conference calling has been available for years, there are times when a phone conversation simply isn’t good enough. Video conferencing used to be prohibitively expensive, involving either meeting at a telecom company’s facilities or setting up complicated systems in-house. Today, however, video conferencing via the Web is available to virtually every company, no matter what the company size or budget. Indeed, it provides amazing flexibility, enabling businesses to create instant meetings with clients or employees at other locations, as well as to hold large-scale events.

If you are in the market for teleconferencing solutions, there are a number of factors to consider when deciding which provider to use. Needless to say, you want to partner with a provider that has 24/7 customer service, that has competitive pricing, and that has a technologically advanced conference calling system. Beyond that, you should ensure that they have myriad tools to meet all of your video conferencing needs.

For example, you should be able to assign roles during web conferencing. There is a conference host, presenters, and participants. The video conferencing solution you choose should have the capability to switch roles, to expel disruptive participants, and to open or close the “doors” to the conference.

Another vital feature is document sharing. A sales team or a training team, for example, should be able to easily incorporate PowerPoint presentations into their web conferences. Similarly, collaborative work is enormously facilitated when Microsoft Word or Excel documents can be shared.

Application sharing can also be an integral component to successful video conferencing. You should consider a provider that enables an application to be viewed by everyone in the conference, and that - if desired - allows both the presenter and the attendees to remotely control the keyboard and mouse.

Another important feature is shared Web browsing. Whether for demonstration purposes, training endeavors, or regular meetings, it’s important that everyone in attendance is literally on the same page. Video conferencing that incorporates shared Web browsing keeps everyone’s attention on the matter at hand, and bypasses the need to communicate complicated URLs.

Whiteboard functionality is also extremely helpful in web conferencing. Just as a whiteboard facilitates mapping out ideas in an in-person meeting, it can serve the same purpose when used remotely. Taking notes, making key points, and brainstorming can easily become a routine part of Web-based meeting.

Perhaps one of the most exciting aspects of Web conferencing - and a critical function to consider when selecting a provider - is seamlessly integrated, multiparty video. Seeing all of the meeting participants in real time adds both breadth and depth to any online meeting. With the best providers, the host can control video settings ranging from the size, quality, and frame rate to who may or must view the video.

There’s little doubt that video conferencing will continue its trajectory in replacing business travel. The right video conferencing provider can dramatically cut costs while increasing productivity - a definite win-win proposition!

When I was working for a large corporation some time ago, we installed one of the first video conferencing systems to cut down on the amount of travel. Turned out a lot of the staff saw business trips as a perk that let them go travel for a day or two even if it was just for a 30 minute meeting. Later, when I had my own small business, I tried to use video conferencing to communicate with partners and contributors, but again I saw that they did not want to give up traveling, staying at hotels, and doing some sight seeing while on their business trips.

That was then and this is now. Things have changed. I used to enjoy business travel myself and actually look forward to spending time in an airport or on a plane. But that was before airports became virtual fortresses where travelers are treated like criminals and there are dour-faced security folks who take the fun out of everything. And before flight attendants became grumpy dispensers of tiny bags of peanuts. And before hotels began charging a king’s ransom for a night’s stay. And, most of all, before run-away fuel prices that affect everything from driving a car to flying to taxi cabs to anything else that’s requires energy to heat, cool, manufacture or use. Yes, the situation is getting pretty bad.

Fortunately, video conferencing can greatly ease the pain. The technology has evolved to a point where there’s an audio or video conferencing solution for just about any need and any budget. Video conferencing has become enormously flexible, and it no longer requires a large capital investment as it did in the past when companies installed their own systems. These days there are video conferencing service providers that can handle anything from instant strategy meetings to information and training sessions, and all the way to large-scale multi-national events.

How does it all work? You find one of the leading videoconferencing service providers, set up an account via an online application, select whatever conferencing options you need, and then invite your conference participants. Stay away from conferencing providers that try to lock you in with long-term contracts like the phone companies do. You should be able to come and go as you please!

What kind of equipment do you need? That depends on the kind of conference, but in general any modern computer with a high-speed Internet connection can handle video conferencing. If your conference takes place in a boardroom or some other larger venue, you may want to use large flat screens or projectors for maximum impact. Video conferencing service providers can help you determine equipment needs.

An additional benefit of today’s video conferencing offerings is that they are highly adaptable and customizable for numerous types of applications. Training sessions may combine one-way video conferencing with PowerPoint presentation playback, whiteboarding, the ability to call in with questions, instant messaging between participants, and more. Sessions can also be saved so that they can later be accessed by those who may have missed the live conference. There are also industry-specific conferencing solutions that may include document sharing, private chat, desktop sharing, special privacy provisions, or whatever other requirements there may be.

With travel becoming ever more expensive and video conferencing technology ever better, more sophisticated and more affordable, using it is a no-brainer.