Web meeting software can be an excellent addition to any business. But you need to be on the lookout for these make-or-break decision points when choosing one for your business. But let’s quickly take a look at the good news…
Conferencing via the web cuts down on travel expenses and the time wasted traveling from point A to point B. Also web meetings allow you to get started on time and down to business without the normal delays associated with face to face meetings. There are however some important things you’ll want to consider when using an online conferencing system.
Be wary of attendees having to download software to their computers in order to join in. This could delay the start of your conference if they have trouble installing it. It’s much better to go with a web based system for the attendees, like Gotomeeting. This avoids any problems that can arise with viruses or just plain old computer difficulties.
Make sure the system is secure, I mean like Fort Knox secure. You may be transmitting some very expensive documents and information. It should use SSL (secure socket layers) and 128 bit encryption, which is the same security you’ll find used in online banks, like Bank of America. Your meeting should be just as secure.
Interaction with the participants should be a top priority. The purpose of a physical meeting is to interact with each other to come up with new ideas, or set up plans of action. An online meeting should be no different. Your web meeting software solution should be able to do everything that a face to face meeting does. Also, your colleagues should have the ability to take notes.
A chat function included in the web conference can help you get instant feedback that will keep the meeting flowing along smoothly. It can also serve as a good review for the participants. The software should be able to output a copy of the chat log in various formats so that every participant can review it on their own.
A split screen or multi-frame function should be available which allows you to divide up the presentation screen into parts. One part could be the chat window, another could be video of the current speaker, etc. Flexibility is key to getting all of the information to your participants just as in a real meeting.
Be sure to take all of these aspects into account when choosing a web meeting software for your business. You want your conferences to be very similar to your board room meetings, without all the hassle of having to be in one place at the same time. I’m certain that once you set up your software and start using it, you’ll never want to go back to the traditional board meeting style conferences of the past.
Tags: web meeting software
Good advice!
Thanks for the informative article. Will look more into this.
Pretty great that conferencing technology has come this far that we can have web meeting software like this. Especially with our dependence on oil. Could cut back a whole lot of travel costs. My 2 cents.
Web meeting software? What’s the best one to get? That’s really what I want to know.