Information

The Technology - How do online meetings work?

Needing no special equipment, online meetings allow you to securely share presentations, documents and even your desktop over the web. You see the visuals on the computer screen and hear the audio over the phone or via your computer.

Typically joining a meeting is simply a case of opening a browser window, going to a web page and entering your name, a meeting number or code and, if required, a password. Very often the person hosting the meeting will make this even easier by sending you a link to click on. If this is the first time you have used a particular online meeting service (eg WebEx or Microsoft Office Live Meeting), there may be a short delay while an application is automatically downloaded. A new window will then open displaying the visuals of your meeting. Depending on how the meeting is set up, you will typically see either a presentation slide, a document or other information in the main window, a list of participants down one side and perhaps a Chat box or Q&A window.

The audio portion of your meeting can either be via your computer or you will have to join an audio conference call. Your meeting host will typically provide you with a number to call and an access code to join the conference call.

Online meeting providers offer a range of features to make meeting online as productive and interactive as possible. For more information on these and other features, contact us, register below, or look at the websites of online meeting providers.

The Jargon - What do all these terms mean?

Webinar, Web Seminar, Online meeting, Web conference, Video Conference, Webcast – confused? Don’t be. Many of these terms are different ways of saying the same thing. What they all have in common is that you see live or recorded visuals on a screen (most often on a computer) and hear audio over the phone or via your computer.

Webinar, Web Seminar, Online Meeting and Web Conference typically describe people sharing live information over the web. The meeting participants see whatever is on the presenter’s computer screen – a presentation, document or spreadsheet for example. The audio portion of the meeting is heard via the phone or via the computer. Participants can take part in a meeting live and interact with the presenter with the use of chat (instant messaging), Q&A, polling and survey features, over the phone or even with web cams. Most online meeting providers also have a recording function enabling the viewing of a meeting after the live event. As online meetings make more use of web cams and VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), the boundary between video conferencing and online meetings (web conferencing) is blurring.

Video Conferencing allows two or more locations to interact via two way video and audio transmissions simultaneously. More recently IP (Internet Protocol) based video conferencing has become possible.

Webcast comes from “web broadcast” and describes the delivery of live or delayed sound or video broadcasts using web technologies. The sound or video is digitised and streamed on a web server. Webcasts were typically only one way transmission. However, as with digital television broadcasts, some webcasts now offer the facility for the audience to interact.

The Costs

With no upfront costs and leading suppliers such as WebEx and Microsoft Office Live Meeting offering an increased range of services and payment options, there has never been a better time to start meeting online.

“Pay as you go” costs start from under 20 pence per user per minute and subscriptions start from under £25 per month (unlimited meetings, single host, up to 10 participants). In addition many suppliers offer a free trial period.

Consider a “pay as you go” meeting of one hour bringing together 2 people costing in the region of £25. With £25 barely buying half a tank of fuel, these people don’t have to be too far from each other to make meeting online pay. Clearly, many businesses see financial benefits from their very first online meeting.  Contact Us to find out how our training can help your business realise the benefits of online meetings more rapidly.

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