What You Need to Know
Can networked conferencing be a suitable substitute for live meetings?
Live meetings should always be the first choice if you need face-to-face contact or if you aim to motivate people by giving them a dynamic experience. However, time constraints and the cost of staging live events can make networked conferencing a far more cost-effective solution for routine meetings or events that need to reach large numbers of people.
Doesn’t networked conferencing encourage even more meetings?
Networked conferencing certainly makes it easier to arrange meetings, and more meetings can be a good or a bad thing, depending on conditions at your company. Increasing the number of meetings may actually improve the quality of communication.
Which is better: videoconferencing or Webcasting?
Each technique has specific benefits. Webcasting over the Internet is a more cost-effective means of reaching a large audience and does not require the use of sophisticated videoconferencing equipment. However, it is not a secure medium, so if you are discussing confidential information at your event, there is some risk that security may be compromised.
Videoconferencing is probably more suitable for an internal audience, provided your company has access to the necessary equipment. Low-cost, PC-based systems have made videoconferencing more accessible, but it is not such a universal medium as an Internet-based solution like Webcasting. However, Internet Protocol (IP)-based networking, which is rapidly becoming the global standard for networking, can provide a secure environment for reaching people who are linked to the network.
What to Do
Know the Benefits
- Improved Time Management. With a networked conference, the time needed is only that required for the meeting itself; travel time is eliminated, allowing busy executives and project team members to spend that time on other tasks.
- Reduced Costs. The real cost of conventional meetings can be determined by adding the salaries of people traveling plus outlays for travel, food, and accommodations. Especially in an organization that operates internationally, the cost savings obtained through networked conferencing are very high.
- Enhanced Communications. The freedom and flexibility of networked conferencing means that the organization can quickly and easily arrange meetings whenever communication is necessary—for briefing sales teams, reporting, training or coaching, reviewing progress, or dealing with project issues. Senior executives can communicate easily with people throughout an organization by broadcasting annual reports, for example, or news about significant corporate changes.
- Reduced Distribution Costs. When its costs are compared with those of staging meetings or taking a roadshow to different locations, Webcasting becomes an attractive proposition. More and more companies are considering how they can use Webcasting to improve their internal and external communications.
- Reduced Time to Market. Project teams can speed up the product development process by using networked conferencing for progress meetings, milestone reviews, technical evaluations, or routine meetings. Networked conferencing is ideal for simultaneous engineering projects where different specialists may work in separate locations. They can exchange information and work on problems at short notice, reducing project delays and overall lead times and giving an organization a significant competitive advantage.
Consider Enhancing Conferences with Webcasting
Businesses can now extend the reach of their meetings by Webcasting over the Internet. Webcasting services allow companies to stream traditional audio and video conferences over the Internet or over an IP-based network, incorporating multimedia content and adding interactive capability such as slides, polling, and messaging. Any unexpected increase in participant numbers is not a problem, as a Webcast can reach very large numbers of people in many different locations using sophisticated streaming media.
Webcasting is being used for seminars, focus groups, investor relations, press conferences, financial reporting, training, employee announcements, and product launches. Nor is it confined to the corporate environment; it is being used to broadcast live and archived events such as sports, news, and concerts. Audio and video clips can be accessed on demand by users around the clock. The programs are broadcast over broadband, giving superb, TV-standard quality.
Use the Power of Streaming
Audio and video streaming is transforming conventional broadcasting and enhancing the distribution of multimedia material to consumer and corporate audiences. Before streaming media were developed, the only way to view video or hear audio on the Internet was to download an entire file, which could be a lengthy process, especially over a dial-up connection. Streaming cuts out this delay by continuously downloading content in the background while audience members are viewing or listening; what the audience experiences is a seamless presentation.
The technical requirements are simple, as audience members need no complex videoconferencing equipment. Anyone with an Internet-connected computer, Web browser, and media player can view a Webcast. New computers increasingly incorporate media players, and this, together with the increasing prevalence of broadband connections, makes Webcasting a very accessible medium.
Include Interactive Multimedia Content
Webcasts can combine live and recorded video, with multimedia content such as presentation slides or Web tours. Interactive capabilities, such as question-and-answer sessions and audience polling, create a rich and engaging experience for participants. These new capabilities can help businesses turn a standard videoconferencing system into an Internet broadcasting tool, ideal for conducting seminars, remote training, employee updates, and large meetings.
Check Performance over Different Internet Connections
Conference participants may have different types of Internet connection, modem speeds, and media players, so it is important to review the transmission in different environments to ensure that participants are able to play the audio and video. Check the performance over different types of connections using slower and faster modems, as well as broadband. The companies that provide streaming technology have their own proprietary compression algorithms, which differ in performance.
Make Sure Participants Can Access the Material
Determine what is required for participants to view or hear material and whether there are any restrictions. Ask these questions about what participants will experience:
- Do they have to download special software to play the content?
- If so, how long does it take to download?
- Does the Internet browser have the capability to play rich content? (Not all browsers do.)
- Do company Internet security systems prohibit rich content?
What to Avoid
You Provide Poor Content
When companies stage live events, they aim to create an exciting experience. Companies rarely put such effort into networked conferences, even though the latest Webcasting technologies support a wide variety of multimedia and interactive content. It is important to use the full potential of the medium, because the goal of many events is not just to inform but to motivate people to take action.
You Broadcast Confidential Information
Distributing material over the Internet poses security risks because the Web is a public medium. The Webcast should not include confidential information. Although videoconferencing is more secure, it may also be broadcast over public networks. Only private links between individual sites or Virtual Private Networks based on IP networking can be regarded as secure.
You Don’t Promote the Event Effectively
Simply putting an event on the Internet provides no guarantee of reaching the target audience. To attract specific customers or prospects, make them aware of the Webcast through e-mail or conventional direct mail and telemarketing techniques.
Where to Learn More
Books:
Rayburn, Dan, and Steve Mack.
Spielman, Sue and Liz Winfield.
Web Sites:
International Webcasting Association: www.webcasters.org
Web Conferencing Zone: www.web-conferencing-zone.com
