Magdi Mikhail asked:




There was a time that people had to send messages via a telegram or through the post office to get their message across. The telephone changed all that when you simply have to call the other party. Now that we are in the digital age, we get to hear and also see the person and this is perhaps just one of the many advantages of video conferencing.

So what are the other advantages of video conferencing? For one, it increases productivity. This happens as offices in various places are able to talk with one another to brainstorm and make fast decisions.

Second, video conferencing saves money because you don’t have to pay for the airfare or traveling expenses for one employee just to get the work done. Studies have shown that it reduces fatigue and stress brought about fro the travel so you don’t feel pressured when a job needs to be done there.

Very close to money is that video conferencing saves time. You don’t have to sit on an airplane or drive a certain distance just to meet someone when you can have the conversation in the boardroom and talking to the person on the other end as you seen them through the screen and hear them through the speakers.

Apart from the corporate world, educational institutions can also benefit from video conferencing as students who want to earn a degree through distance learning can use this medium. Instead of just listening to the lecture being given by the instructor, students will be able to ask questions thus enabling visual participation.

Video conferencing can also be used to transmit files and documents. There are companies that can provide what is known as real time information exchange so you don’t need to use the fax machine anymore or send these through email.

The health care industry can also use this technology to their advantage. This allows both the doctor and the patient to review the examinations that have been done and also send this information to colleagues in other places if the hospital or clinic where this was conducted does not have the proper facilities.

The law can also benefit from video conferencing as witnesses can give their statements before the court without compromising their safety. A good example of this was used a few years ago when some Afghans gave their testimony regarding a military inquiry into an alleged incident.

In all of these examples, you can see that it increase productivity and saves the user both time and money.

The only thing you need are the equipment to make this happen and the technical support that goes with it to make sure everything is working.

There are a lot of companies that provide this service. In fact, you can even download one into your computer as there are a few free services available like Yahoo messenger and Skype. Corporations on the other hand need something better as the free ones mentioned have limitations in what they can do for the person.

This new technology has evolved after years of research and development. Given that there are a lot of advantages associated with video conferencing, we have to make the most of it. If you haven’t tried it yet, perhaps this should be introduced where you work especially if it has offices in other states.

Gail

Frank Owen asked:




How Video Conferencing Can Support Education

Video conferencing technology is all the rage among corporations. Recently educational facilities have begun taking advantage of video conferencing technology to support learning and education. Video conferencing equipment can help facilitate instruction and provide distant learners with a host of resources and access to content providers, teachers, librarians and more.

More and more teachers are adopting video conferencing as a method of enhanced communication and instruction. Many California schools are using video conferencing to connect with one another and produce networks carrying large volumes of video and text data to educational facilities, teachers and students. Other people that benefit from video conferencing technology include librarians who can use video conferencing to develop strategies, provide resources and improve the quality of their service and delivery.

Video conferencing And Learning

Video conferencing facilitates learning by allowing remote or distant learners to meet regardless of their location. Students can take classes at multiple universities. In essence classes that are not available at one location may be available at another through video conferencing. Video conferencing can also benefit non traditional students who are not able to attend classes during normal hours.

Video conferencing can also be used as a career or employee training tool. Many colleges are now collaborating with local businesses to offer students certification and business training. Expert subject matter delivered from individuals in the field is easily delivered to students using this new technology. Student can also take advantage of mentoring services offered by companies in distant locations using video conferencing technology. The possibilities are virtually endless.

Beatrice

Ricardo Trinidad asked:




The Impact of Video Conferencing on Education

Given the importance of education, it’s no wonder that many technologies find some of their best uses to be in the classroom. One technology that has seen a great amount of use in schools and colleges is video conferencing, which is a method of transferring audio and video in real time between individuals in different locations. Video conferencing allows students to speak with journalists, politicians, scientists, and a variety of other influential people, as well as allowing teachers and professors to interact with students who are in classrooms at different schools or sometimes even in different states or countries. Video conferencing can even allow different groups of students to interact with each other, allowing them to take part in joint projects or to share cultures that they might not otherwise have access to.

Video Conferencing in the Classroom

When most people think of video conferencing, they think of it in terms of major companies speaking with overseas partners or offices which are located across the country. Video conferencing technology isn’t confined simply to business use, of course; a number of primary, secondary, and post-secondary schools make use of video conferencing in some or all of their classrooms in order to allow their students to partake in a wide variety of experiences. This technology can allow the students to interact directly with other classes or important figures who have set aside time to speak with the students in various schools. In some cases the video conferencing events take place in a number of schools simultaneously, so that as many students as possible can take part and have an experience that they will never forget.

Teaching Across the Miles

Another important use of video conferencing is to allow teachers to communicate with students in different locations who might otherwise not be able to attend classes with that particular teacher or in the subjects that they wish to learn. This is especially popular in a college or university setting, and allows satellite classes to be set up in outlying areas so that the main school can provide their classes to students who may be an hour or more away. This can also allow teachers to easily schedule guest speakers or other teachers from schools across the country or around the world to interact with their class or to provide opinions or input on topics which are being discussed or subjects that are being taught.

Unique Opportunities

As students have more access to video conferencing, they may find themselves having a greater access to unique opportunities as well. It may be possible to take part in special programs via a video feed, which many students would not be able to attend due to distance, cost, or the program being limited to a specific number of people. By adding a video component, programs and opportunities such as these could be opened up to a practically limitless number of people.

Of course, other opportunities may be opened up for students by giving them this sort of exposure to video conferencing technology as well. As the students gain a better understanding of how the technology works and the situations that it can be applied to, they will be better prepared for future situations in the business world in which they may have to work with similar technologies or come up with ideas for how to improve their company’s communications network.

Jessie

kruugs asked:


Tonight when I was using my web cam to take part in some online conferencing. The other people said my audio was choppy and lagging. My video was lagging too.

I am use wireless internet with a low signal strength. Could that be the problem? Any other suggestions?

Help would be sooooo appreciated, because I am doing online schooling and couldn’t participate fully in tonights class.

THANK YOU.

Suzanne

ariesera asked:


What are the disadvantages and/or limitations of using video conferencing for meetings and interviews?

Grace

meee agaaan asked:


Im in the market for a CHEAP used laptop. I would use it mainly for MSN messenger (video and voice) and some internet browsing. What are the RECOMMENDED (not minimum) specs i would need to run these programs fairly efficiently…RAM, processor, operating system etc etc.Brands and online stores that sell would also b a big help. Thanks!

Anita

Carlos Montenegro asked:




There was a time talking on the phone was the fastest way to communicate with internal and external customers. This has changed thanks to video conferencing technology because you don’t only get voice but visual as well.

During the early days, picture and audio quality was not very good. With the latest improvements in technology, these barriers have been overcome and more people are already using it.

The biggest benefit of video conferencing is that it reduces the cost of traveling. No longer do you have to fly off somewhere to have a meeting when you can do all that in the conference room. This can also be used by law enforcement to get the testimony of a witness, to teach students who are enrolled in distance education and a lot more.

Video conferencing technology is not possible unless you have the proper equipment. These include the Codec, the camera, microphone, network connection, stands or charts, terminal adapter and the acoustic echo cancellers. Let’s talk about each of them.

The Codec is one of the most important components because this is what compresses the information sent and received you are able to understand each other.

The camera is what you look into so the other party is able to see you while the microphone is what you speak into so they can hear you through their speakers.

The terminal adapter is needed so you can transmit data into the required format so just like the Codec, you will be able to communicate with the other person.

Lastly, is the echo canceller that is usually hung in the ceiling that is designed to provide clarity and depth to the resonant frequency response of your audio sub system.

Since its inception more than10 years ago, some of these machines are much smaller and more efficient than their predecessors. The price of the equipment has also gone down so you are sure to find something that is very affordable for your budget.

Once the technician from your desired provider installs the system, you can run this machine on your own as it is very user friendly.

But despite the trend, there are those who are concerned about this technology.

For one, since you see the person on the other end and vice versa, some are concerned that no eye contact gives the wrong impression that you are not interested in what the individual on the other end is saying. The same goes for body movement as some people believe it or not, are not comfortable being in front of the camera.

These issues will be overcome in the future as companies who are providing video conferencing technology are coming up with ways to solve it or after the user gets used to talking to someone while in front of the camera.

Video conferencing technology has an impact in business, education, law enforcement, in medicine and other fields. You have probably used it also at home to talk to friends and loved ones because there are software applications that allow you to do the same thing.

Using video conferencing technology does not only save money but it also increases productivity and at the same time builds relationships because it breaks down boundaries caused by distance and time zones. It is truly one of the marvels of the digital age.

Allen

Vinodh Pushparaj asked:




Online collaboration has begun to evolve from just being the Wow factor to something core that every business has to invest and have a plan for. Internet has changed the way we work and live, it has made virtual offices and work from homes possible. Web conferencing is one big tool that increases the productivity of the employees and the company as such. There are multiple products in this web collaboration segment out there from companies starting with Cisco, Microsoft to PresentPlus.com. These online conferencing products enable live meetings to happen in a virtual conference room. This is a Sci-Fi dream just a few decades ago, now it is a reality in high resolution video beamed across continents. The advent of high speed Internet and fantastic QoS (Quality of Service) implementations in the backbone networks has enabled these highly productive multimedia conferences. Typical conferences has always included a dull one way non-interactive lecture style over the phone meetings, remember Charlie’s Angels. Now it has evolved into something highly feature rich and highly productive.

Web conferences “NOW” enable online sharing of your presentation material and additional documentation that is needed for the meeting. Additionally it provides the collaboration aspects like shared white boards and live synchronized presentations. The other main core components are the audio, video and text collaboration. The traditional PBX audio has been replaced with the reach VOIP audio features and video has evolved from dull one ways to active speaker- grid solutions. Video has evolved so well that now you can have custom views for each person in the conference, each person can choose the endpoints or cameras they want to watch in addition to the capabilities like automatically getting the video from the active speaker in the conference. One of the much used features is the integrated text chats with emoticons. What a fantastic feature this is, along with the public chat modules the users get to have their own private chats. While you are in the online meeting you can chat with your co-worker on specific questions and get something cleared without interrupting the overall meeting. This is one thing that is uniquely possible in online conferences which is really an annoyance in real face to face meetings. How many times have you really wanted the mute button for the private conversation between 2 guys in a group meeting in parallel to the main speaker? This text capability has found really some interesting and useful twists like real time polling and online question submissions. Think about it, you can keep sending the questions you want to be answered in the final Q/A as and when it strikes you. These are typically added to a queue which can feed as the source for the Q/A session that typically follows the preso or meeting. This is very useful in lecture style meetings. Enough said about the features and let’s take a quick look at the business side of things.

Web conferencing products allow the businesses to setup virtual global office ready to meet with business prospects and clients at any time anywhere. When I say anywhere I mean contact any one through these online collaboration products having a rich experience like the face to face meeting without the costly Flight and Hotel expenses. These also present a great opportunity to telecommute without distancing yourself from your colleagues. More so often it happens that folks who telecommute are forgotten by most colleagues, these video and other real time capabilities gets these telecommuters closer to the rest of the team. One of the killer uses is webcasting which is organizing live events and broadcasting these events to employees and customers who are not able to attend the event. This is added with the capability to record these meetings with unlimited playbacks. Without much investment in terms of capital equipment you can get them as online services on a need basis from some of the good companies. One such company with many web conferencing offerings is presented to you below.

Floyd

Tom Cruz asked:




When you are ready to use video conferencing in your business, you need to find a reliable video conferencing company. It is much simpler and easier for everyone if you choose a company to host the software for you and provide web login to your employees. That way, the conference can be accessed from any computer, anywhere in the world as long as the proper log in information is supplied.

When you search for a video conferencing company, you will come across a wide range of options and prices. Remember that cheaper is not always better. You want a company that has a strong track record for uptime and that will present your company in the best light. You do not want to use a free option that will shove ads in the faces of your attendees.

On the other hand, there is no need to overpay by going with a video conferencing company that provides features and services that you will not ever use. You must carefully balance the company’s reliability against the price and services offered.

Many of these conferencing companies offer free trials which is a great way to take the system for a test drive to determine if it is a good fit for you. In fact, it is a good idea to test out a few choices to get a feel for what the various options are.

Some of the best video conferencing companies for businesses are Cisco, WebEx, and Adobe. All three of these are well respected brands that offer a variety of features that would be suitable for businesses of any size.

Cisco offers a high-end service for corporations, media, and educational uses. With the proper equipment, participants appear life-size and life-like. Although high tech, it is simple enough to use that no tech department is needed. Their video conferencing solution can be integrated with collaboration software making this one of the top picks among high level corporations.

Adobe offers conferencing along with collaboration. Their service won an Editor’s Choice award from PC Magazine because of all of the useful features it provides in one package. You are able to provide live video conferencing along with real time collaboration that allows you to easily set up meetings and virtual classrooms. Adobe offers a thirty day free trial so you can test the system to see if it is right for your company.

WebEx is a conferencing company suitable for small businesses and individuals. It is priced under $50 per month yet gives you many features. It does limit you to 25 participants at a time, but the meetings can be recorded and viewed by others later. It allows for up to six-way live video conferencing as well as document sharing and collaboration. Their service can be accessed from any computer or 3-G mobile device.

As you can see there is a video conferencing company suitable for all levels of business owners from million dollar corporations to mom and pop operations. The three above are popular choices but there are many others available to choose from. Video conferencing is a boon to all businesses today no matter if it is used to make sales, train employees, or allow for collaboration. Thankfully it is affordable and easy to use as well.

Melinda

Dan Richmond asked:




If you want to make money in an online business, then you need to find a product or service that is fresh, up-to-date and that hasn’t been beaten to death with hundreds of copy-cat affiliates. Web and video conferencing are relatively new applications, and becoming a reseller of online conferencing services could be a good way to start up or add to an already existing online business. Let’s take a look at the prospects for this type of online enterprise.

First of all, web and video conferencing is an up-and-coming field of activity. Business is becoming increasingly globalized and many companies now have staff or clients located in distant locations, sometimes in other countries or on other continents. Online meetings are being used by some of the leading enterprises, but there are many more organizations that have not even begun to take advantage of web or video conferencing.

This is a huge market waiting to be tapped, and with the increasing penetration of broadband use both in the workplace and at home, the market grows larger with each passing month.

Just as there are relatively few companies using web and video conferencing, there are comparatively few resellers or affiliate sellers of these services to compete with. If you would like to get into this business then you should do an online search for web conferencing resellers or affiliates, and choose a program that you can effectively handle.

Typically, affiliate programs for these kinds of services are easy to enter. In many cases all you have to do is sign up and get an affiliate code or url and paste it onto your website and you are in business. However, if you want to be an effective affiliate for web and video conferencing, or for that matter, any other product or service, the best way to sell it is by using it yourself and really knowing what it is all about. Only then can you truly recommend the product in a convincing way.

A step above an affiliate is to become a reseller. Usually this requires a comprehensive training in the web and video conferencing system and there may also be an entry fee attached to becoming a reseller. Whereas affiliates simply refer potential clients to the conferencing service, Resellers are responsible for signing up the clients themselves. The advantage though, is that a reseller is likely to get a higher percentage of the signup and monthly subscription fees paid to the conferencing service by his or her referred clients.

If you are successful as a reseller then you will earn a residual income for as long as the people signed-up by you subscribe to the conferencing service.

Whether you decide to become an affiliate or a reseller, the key to cashing in on the coming boom in online conferencing is to study the market, know the product thoroughly and then place it before your web visitors or mailing list audience in a compelling and convincing manner. Another key factor to success is to make a timely move, a product or service that is “new” today will be commonplace tomorrow.

Kimberly