Online Meeting Support Blog

Worker Efficiency & Web Conferencing: The Future

2011-09-12T06:28:00.000-07:00

Web conferencing has now become an integral part and parcel of all corporate communications. For workers as well as for customers that are based in far flung locations, using an instant person-person connection to solve existing problems can be a godsend. To aid in their endeavor, most companies have to get the best processes and equipment that will help them get the job done as quickly as possible. With the best services most companies can ensure high worker efficiency and make certain that most workers can also work from home as efficiently as possible. Turnkey systems that can be installed will work in multiple ways to facilitate the company. A simple list of all the services that most customers can get include-

Turnkey video conferencing solutions with high definition video and tele-conferencing solution.
Multipoint bridges that can work to integrate far flung employees with the existing company server.
Gateway and gatekeeper security and we conferring services that will help to establish gateway and gatekeeper systems.

Customized Needs

Instead of opting for general packages, most tele conferencing companies have started to create individualized services that companies can choose from or modify for their needs. Companies are encouraged to work closely with the web conferring company to create the entire network for the company in the form of network, and end point monitoring, call scheduling, launching, gateway and even concierge services that can be offered to every company and individual company employee.

According to most researchers, companies may make mistakes while choosing their video conferencing systems dependent on the customers will use the system, the internal company use of the system and the use of the system by home based employees. Options that can be available are as follows:

Individual services can be set up for the company that will adjust for heavy loads of tele-presence and video conferencing.
Real time management services are possible where customers can get a system that will set up the process for you. Individuals just need to enter the room and the software will set up the entire process for you. This option simplifies the process of tele conferencing ensuring that almost every person or individual can use the software.
Concierge type call services can be set up where customers and employees ask for a contact and the software will set up the connection
Business to business video and tele conferencing and even webinars can be set up with multiple connections all over the globe.
Integration with the existing software systems and even internet services is possible for the best.

Most of the best webinars will use streaming video and recorded video playback services that are an excellent choice for all companies. Services are streamlined and effective as well as user friendly.

Moving from Face to Face Meetings to Web Conferencing

2011-01-27T09:31:00.000-08:00

Life has evolved, from pagers to mobiles, from phonographs to CDs, and from old-fashioned business meetings to new-fangled web conferencing. The old-fashioned way of getting participants from disparate areas together to get on the same page of an important business matter has given way to a new Gotomeeting solution that accomplishes the same purpose, while eliminating the hassles, logistical costs, and situational unfairness often associated with the physical gathering.

A quick rundown of the basic advantages of webinars:

Simplicity of Access. The ability of participants to travel to attend traditional conferences may greatly differ depending on the territory to be traversed, their financial circumstances and other factors. Web conferencing makes the meeting equally assessible for all parties regardless of location. This flow of me up also eliminates all traffic expenses involved with traditional conferencing.

Elimination of Physical Costs. Beyond travel , face-to-face conferences carry with them other physical costs such as renting the home, accommodations, presentation equipment (projection machines, speaker podiums, etc.) and other materials fees. Web conferencing include only the base Internet connection, and a web conference service fee associated with the software or website account.

Variety of communication. Once in the old-fashioned meeting on the subject to the vagaries of how the room and equipment (if any) is set up, whether or not the format ideally fits the type of data being discussed or shared. An online format, by contrast, can include whatever communication elements are appropriate for the occasion, from video (if continuous images or documentaries are part of the presentation), to chat or PowerPoint (if documents are being exchanged) and so on. Web conferencing beats face-to-face and saving time, costs, and adding custom flexibility to the kind of information that will be communicated.

Dealing With Web Conferencing Problems

Online meetings are solving a lot of problems for businesses that have an extensive network, or who need to circumvent a variety of physical obstacles to connect with its staff. But transitioning to a virtual environment like Web conferencing can carry with it some problems, or create difficulties for personnel trying to adapt to it, among them the following:

Mismatched Application. It's important for the company to select a Web conferencing solution that's appropriate for the size and scale of the business. Some larger companies skimp and try to use an overly simple program that fails to deliver the features needed to deliver all the factors that would be optimal towards fostering the company's productivity. The reverse is also true -- a startup may not need a full bells and whistles application, and all the features may interfere with efficient communication within the organization at their early stage.

Expense. Web conferencing eliminates most expenses involved with physical conferencing, but a monthly base fee is usually required to deliver the virtual equivalent. If accompanied buys a program that is more full-featured than is actually required, it may end up overpaying for conferencing in any event.

Lack of universal access. The promise of Web conferencing is that all staff will have common access to the virtual meeting via an Internet connection. If not all parties are so connected, or not given the same equipment to access the web meeting, the program used may not reach all the expected staff is supposed to.

Badly Designed Meeting and/or Program. Companies are advised to pick a top-of-the-line program that is well-regarded in the industry, and therefore likely to be a well-designed program. Managers of Web conferencing meetings are also encouraged to separate clear rules for how information will be shared or introduced, otherwise the risk is one that the participants may rack up the bandwidth costs of the meeting, or ruin its flow because of interruptions. If organizations take note of these potential issues and correct for them, they may avoid a costly or inefficient conferencing experience.

Plans Unveiled to Expand the Reach of Gotomeeting

2010-07-14T18:07:00.001-07:00

In order to promote Gotomeeting as a viable option for even the most remote geographical locations, a new scheme has been taken up by the wider business community. As well as raising money to cut the deficit, the so-called digital dividend sell-off will stimulate investment in faster broadband links and increase online networking access to rural areas. The sale process has been complicated by various mergers of important software companies, however, and there is also the threat of legal challenges to the process from major competitors around the world. The reason for this is because of the likely heavy demands on video and audio data which is used by Gotomeeting almost on a standard basis.

Further to this, Gotowebinar has similar requirements and this will create a further load which will strain the relationships between these large corporate entities. An instructor from the Department of Web conferencing, innovation and skills to prepare for the changeover did not make it through in the last business session. A similar scheme for Gotomeeting was taken up in Germany, which raised €4.3 billion. The same sort of thing happening in the UK or America would raise many more billions, and this is just what the economy needs at this difficult time.

Media Exposure for Online Meetings is Increasing

2010-07-12T11:51:00.000-07:00

Throughout April, May and June 2010, it was easy to see that a prominent figure in the latest news headlines was web conferencing - and Gotomeeting was specifically mentioned on a regular basis. It may seem as if the media has dealt already with whether we can know the validity of these news reports, so why do we need them? This may seem like a meaningless question, and in many ways it is. However if you are somebody that likes to understand the philosophical implications of the news media with regard to online meeting applications such as Gotomeeting, then you will find the question interesting. Imagine a scenario in which a journalist, who had a vested interest in telling a story about rising profits for a particular online meeting company (like Citrix, for example), wrote an article including that very content but filtered through highly rose tinted spectacles. If the journalist had some influence, it could create a positive effect in the market, which would help the share price of Gotomeeting and its parent company to rise. Have a look at the video below for more details:

It is very important not to underestimate the powerful effect of the media on these market movements, and although it may seem like nit-picking, the fact of the matter is that small effects like this can have major impacts. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why Gotomeeting is showing upward trends in almost every category which is measured with accuracy. Rises of 80% and above were clocked during 4/5 of months in which data was collected. Having understood this, one can only come to several distinct conclusions.

These bear resemblances to one another in striking ways, but the summary which must be drawn from these has relatively little divergence - namely that Gotomeeting will continue to be extremely successful and dominate the market for web conferencing and online meeting applications.

Optimizing Gotomeeting Training for Growth and Success

2010-07-11T17:52:00.000-07:00

It seems necessary to provide some response to the last post in response to some reader comments. In a highly contrasting set of opinions, some people believe that it is the originating level of ability that decides the quality of the Gotomeeting user at the end of the process. People who hold this view maintain that you can teach basics and you can teach the steps you need to go through and the rules you need to stick to if you are to make any online networking venture successful, but you can’t teach somebody that they are going to have to take all the responsibility themselves and they are going to have to provide all the drive to achieve their Gotomeeting goals. According to Annie Harmann, there may be a danger in encouraging individuals to become Gotomeeting professionals

Because not everybody is suited to it and it would be absolutely wrong to encourage the wrong people to do it - also it is not ethical to set up people to fail in the end.

In an attempt to bring some balance to these opposing views, it may be worthwhile to consider some studies have been performed in the last few years. An online networking survey commission has run several research projects to find ways of identifying which Gotomeeting users are most likely to end up being successful. It analysed their backgrounds and influences while they were growing up, and also took traditional business factors into account. Interestingly, the findings have always been mixed and few clear correlations have been drawn from the data. However, the network survey group did identify some factors that are often associated with growth and success. These are larger management teams, previous experience with Gotomeeting, and the willingness to take advice regarding the use of Gotomeeting. It cannot be ignored, however, that the largest factor involved in all studies performed of this type turned out to be chance - so perhaps neither side of the argument has it completely right.

A prominent professor of organisational web conferencing at Sun Tech University management school said that successful users are the sum of all the experiences that have happened to them, and that nurture element is much stronger than the nature element in this regard. The most critical element is drive, and ambition tends to be a more effective motivator than a desire for money. Sometimes, however, when all the ingredients are present, nothing ends up happening which can be baffling to those who believe that innate ability with Gotomeeting is the be all and end all for producing the required results. It is worth considering one thing though - with the appropriate support and the required engagement, Western society could create many more Gotomeeting success stories.

Entrepreneurship in Web Conferencing

2010-07-09T11:10:00.001-07:00

From a global business perspective, it makes sense to ask how - and indeed whether - organisations using Gotomeeting should spend their resources teaching and advising people about web conferencing entrepreneurship. It can help determine what kind of advice and support should be available and even whether companies should be screening to determine who has entrepreneurial potential and who does not have it with regard to the use and successful application of Gotomeeting and the family of other networking applications. A recently established committee ask the experts, web conferencing entrepreneurs and university academics for their opinions.

There is no doubt that there is an aptitude involved and some people have more of it and some people have less. Especially when looking at Gotomeeting, just as some users will be adequate and some will be extraordinary, it's the same all over the market. However it should not be forgotten that the vast majority of people who do turn out to be successful in web conferencing requires significant quantities of training and many different kinds of support along the road, and by definition, the most successful Gotomeeting professionals are made rather than born into the world. As Alan Simpson said in April 2010:

Imagine a scenario in which almost anybody was selected and with enough time and in depth tutoring, was made into a more than adequate user of Internet web conferencing tools.

If the individuals selected had innate aptitude, then the process would be all the easier and the final result all the more proficient in employing Gotomeeting to its maximum capacity. It can be highlighted here that the essential component of the process is not the initial aptitude, but the quality and quantity of the tutoring and training that is applied to the individual. It is also argued many circumstances dictate whether or not networking professional is created. Many believe, for example, that there is no such word as "can't". Determination to succeed is often touted as the ingredient with most influence in matters such as this.