Web Meetings

Web meeting applications can enhance your message, allow interactive troubleshooting, foster collaboration and reduce travel expenses. They can also be very easy to set up.

Web meetings can be used for customers, employees or suppliers. Shown below are some examples where web meetings can be beneficial.

• Marketing

  Hold a webinar (live web presentation) to a group of potential customers

• Customer Service

  Provide direct customer support that enables participants to view or control each other's computer.

• Employees and Suppliers

  Hold meetings or training sessions.

Considerations

• Frequency of Use

  Estimate the number of meetings and the average durations for cost estimates.

• Audio

  Some services build in audio as long as participants have a microphone connected to their computer. Otherwise, you will need to use your phone or a conference call service to talk with each other.

• Remote Computer Access

  The desktop sharing feature only allows remote access to the computers of meeting participants if they give permission. If you want to be able to connect to a remote computer without a user present, there are products and services called remote access applications. For example, you want to be able to access your computer at work from home or when you are traveling.

• Video

  Is it sufficient to show only a computer screen or do you want to include participant web cameras?

• Number of Participants

  How many participants do you expect to have?

Features

• Remote Computer Access

  Participants can view a remote computer's screen and take control if needed.

• Instant Messaging (IM)

  Participants typically call in to a conference call number but in cases where you don't want to stop for questions it can be convenient to let users instant message questions.

• Audio

  Participants typically call in to a conference call number but some offerings include using voice over IP so that participants with a microphone and speakers can avoid using the telephone.

• Markup Tools

  In case you want to emphasize something on the presenters screen many web meeting applications include annotation tools that can show up like a red pen.

• Recording

  Record your presentation or meeting so other people can watch it later.

Implementation Options

It is possible to run your own in-house web meeting software. However, there are so many affordable solid and inexpensive services that we are only focusing on Internet services for this overview.