| For organizations that operate on a national | | | | business dealings, there are a few options. |
| or international level, it is often necessary | | | | Often, web conferencing is sold as a service |
| to conduct business meetings with offices | | | | that is regulated by a vendor on a web |
| that are far away from each other. This can | | | | server. The vendor can charge by the minute |
| be accomplished by traveling to different | | | | or for a fixed fee, depending on the |
| locations to meet in person, but if something | | | | situation. However, more and more vendors are |
| needs to be handled spur of the moment, this | | | | beginning to license their web conferencing |
| isn't necessarily the best solution. Web | | | | software, making it available for |
| conferencing has become a standard in | | | | organizations to purchase and use on their |
| interoffice communications for businesses | | | | own web servers. |
| worldwide, allowing organizations to | | | | |
| communicate in real time, without having to | | | | Web conferencing has its roots in the early |
| leave their offices. Web conferencing | | | | days of the Internet. Text chat capabilities |
| software offers a variety of ways in which | | | | have been around almost as long as the |
| meetings and presentations can be given and | | | | Internet itself. Instant messaging, or |
| attended. | | | | web-based chat capabilities, made the scene |
| | | | in the early 1990's. Later in the 1990's, |
| Web conferencing software is used to conduct | | | | peer-to-peer communication (relying on the |
| meetings and presentations over the Internet. | | | | bandwidth of the participants) allowed actual |
| In the early days of the World Wide Web, web | | | | web conferencing to take place. There are |
| conferencing referred to using message boards | | | | many services and web conferencing software |
| in order to conduct group discussions. These | | | | applications currently vying for business. |
| discussion boards were not live, and often | | | | This is due in part to a lack of |
| discussions took a lot of time to carry out. | | | | standardization of web conferencing software |
| Now, web conferencing refers to live or | | | | and technology. Work is currently being done |
| "synchronous" gatherings via chat rooms, or | | | | to establish a standard for web conferencing, |
| using different types of software and | | | | which might include membership and |
| hardware such as web cams. And more often, | | | | authorization management, a means to maneuver |
| VOIP is being used in the place of chat | | | | media mixing, and a means for notice of |
| rooms, which really gives a personal feeling | | | | conference related changes. These standards |
| to meetings. Web conferencing allows issues | | | | will help to guarantee the best possible |
| to be handled with immediacy. | | | | service to users, and help to keep prices |
| | | | reasonable. |
| In addition to chat rooms and VOIP, web | | | | |
| conferencing software provides the capability | | | | The use of web conferencing software seems to |
| to perform a multitude of functions, | | | | have become commonplace in the world of |
| including slide presentations, sharing (and | | | | business today. It enables organizations to |
| amending live) spreadsheets, annotations (the | | | | not only speak to one another in real time, |
| ability to highlight points displayed on a | | | | but allows them to share and modify pertinent |
| screen), text messaging, and file sharing. | | | | information in the form of graphics, |
| Some web conferencing software even records | | | | spreadsheets, and slide presentations that |
| meetings and presentations for documentation | | | | use to require a plane ride or waiting for |
| and easy playback for reference. The trend in | | | | the mail to ship packets of materials and |
| web conferencing today seems to be heading | | | | information. The synchronous (real-time) |
| toward VOIP and web cam usage. | | | | capabilities of web conferencing software |
| | | | make it easier for organizations to operate |
| For organizations that want to use web | | | | on a national or global scale, and help to |
| conferencing software and technology in their | | | | facilitate the success of a business. |