The Management Consulting Group

Why should you have video conferencing? Is it worth the investment? There are many reasons why you should utilize video conferencing software. The simple fact is that it is quite reliable and quite handy. But, that is not usually enough to have you open your wallet. Yet, there are other reasons why this may be the next investment that you make for your business. Video conferencing is an excellent means of communication.

Besides being a very high quality way of communicating, it also opens the door to live, clear understandings of what is being said. There is little doubt that in a video conferencing situation that you will not know and understand just what the other person is saying. Your message is delivered with a full awareness of your means simply because seeing is believing. Yet, this too is only one reason to consider it.

Video conferencing is also very capable of connecting you with other establishments. If you can not manage your company in one place because you are managing it someplace else, video conferencing can keep you connected. By doing this, you can effectively be in two places at once.

There are excellent quality video conferencing systems out there. Many of them are well worth the dollars that they cost. And, because technology continues to grow, you’ll find that prices for video conferencing will become more competitive. It is the way of the future. Is your company in the future? Using video conferencing can help to insure that it is there.

We highly recommend bringing your company up to date and to use this pioneering technology. It doesn’t need to be expensive, or difficult to set up if you contact specialists in this area. There are many information portals now devoted to the subject and we reading about it at one of these. Try googling for “video conferencing info” and you will be surprised by the abundance of information on the subject.

For more information please see http://www.video-conferencing-info.co.uk My video conferencing site

If you are thinking about getting into web and video conferencing, then it is important to know what is required to operate any proposed conferencing system. Some systems run on proprietary software and need special equipment, while browser based systems usually do not require the installation of special software or equipment. Many organizations and individuals will find browser based solutions easier to use. Here are a few reasons why this is so:

1. They work on all operating systems. Do you have some users on Mac and some on PCs? Do you have some users who have Linux? If you want to connect all of these people together in one conference it may be impossible if you have to install special software to run your conference. In this case a browser based system that can run on all operating systems and all browsers allows you to connect with all of your staff or clientele without any worries about what kind of computer they are operating.

2. You don’t have to download and install software. Sure, people are becoming more computer-literate as time goes on, but downloading and installing software and getting the software to run properly can be an obstacle to some people. The good news is that with many browser based systems there is no software to download, because the installation is done on the technology provider’s host computer. Participating in a conference is as easy as going on line to view a website.

3. People anywhere in the world can go online and join the conference. With no equipment installation and no software installation to take care of, the door is open to widespread participation in your conferences. The only thing that you have to do is to notify your people and provide them with a url and a password and they can join in.

4. There is no problem with firewalls. Most offices and many individuals protect their computers and networks from hackers by using a firewall. This is good for security but can become a problem if you are trying to join people together in a conference. Many web and browser based systems are not affected by firewalls and no special instructions have to be given to conference participants whose computers may be protected by firewalls.

All of these factors add up to one very strong advantage of using browser based conferencing systems: they allow you to get maximum participation in your online events. With little or no technical obstacles, such systems make it easy for large numbers of people, using diverse equipment and with varying degrees of computer skills, to take part in online meetings. So, take a look at the various conferencing packages on the market at the present time and pick out one that is both easy to use and powerful enough to meet your communications needs.

Dan Richmond is CEO & Co-founder of MegaMeeting.com. MegaMeeting provides Web Conferencing & Video Conferencing solutions for individuals, businesses and educational institutions. For more information, or for a free live demonstration, please visit www.MegaMeeting.com/ or call (818) 783-4311.

Video Phone Conferencing generally refers to a two-way communication system in which two or more persons at different locations engage in face-to-face communication. It’s a kind of video as well as audio conferencing, in which both the people can view as well as hear each other. Earlier Video Phone Conferencing was supposed to be a costly affair, and only the big corporate houses were able to afford it. But now prices are on the way down, because with the Internet anyone can afford Video Phone Conferencing. This makes it possible for the two businesses to discuss any deal or product.

Video Phone Conferencing generally acts as a bridge between two persons who are geographically separated. This technology is not only used for business meetings but also used for conducting interviews or giving lectures. Video Phone Conferencing is also used within the organization with the help of LAN for an immediate telepresence. If we go into broader terms, then Video Phone Conferencing can be divided into two types: point-to-point conferencing and multipoint conferencing. Point-to-point Video Phone Conferencing is the communication link within one location, whereas multipoint conferencing is a link between any two locations.

Video Phone Conferencing connects people and ensures successful communication between them. While planning a Video Phone Conference there are several points to be kept in mind. These points can range from technology to clothes to the way of talking. Try to avoid all the unnecessary and distracting actions, as it can act as an obstacle between the ongoing conversations. If possible, make sure that the mike, speakers, camera and all necessary equipment are in proper shape and without any flaws. As it is a very straight and formal communication, try to set the questions in advance so that there is no wasting time. Another important point is to wear clothes that are not too dark or too light. Avoid wearing intense colors, as they can give a very jarred image.

Video Phone Conferencing is the technology that helps you talk to a client sitting on the other side of the globe. It has proved to be a boon for the corporate houses who want to take a slice of the world business pie, and take their business to next level.

Phone Conferencing provides detailed information about phone conferencing, audio conferencing, free phone conferencing, phone conference services and more. Phone Conferencing is the sister site of Telephone Headsets.

Irrespective of the service provider, at the end of the day, the user may find that conference call services are the most cost effective way to arrange a trans-continental business meeting.

Conference call services are service providers facilitating conference call facilities to all those who want to perform an audio or web conference at a short notice. The clients can avail their services for a definite fee - that may vary from service provider to provider - and the users in turn are offered the best of services and support all through the session. The costs of a session are generally affordable, especially when compared with the expenses of a business travel and hotel accommodations, but may vary from one provider to the other. But, irrespective of the service provider, at the end of the day, the user may find that conference call services are the most cost effective way to arrange a trans-continental business meeting.

The conference call services – as offered by the conference call service providers – vary from simple audio conferencing to web conferencing, and each comes with different schemes and special offers. Audio conference call services or audio conference calls are for those who want to communicate things verbally, the same way as one does in a round table meeting, without any visual data exchange. On the other hand, web conference calling involves not only talking, but the participants can also see each other and share a document or parts of a document online if wished so. Audio conference call services are usually charged on a per minute basis while online conference calls levies a fee on a per seat per month basis. It may be $100-150 for a web conference session on an average and $60 for audio conferencing. Concessional rates may be offered to those who are using these conference call services quite frequently.

The communication domain is a fast changing one and hence it is only a matter of time before newer and better technologies emerge and replace the existing ones. In other words, web and audio conferencing, as it exists now, may be substituted by newer technologies in the near future. But until that happens, business will continue to rely on conference call services for their mass business communication, as a cheaper alternative for the costlier business travels, since conference call services are easy, cheap, and effective.

Our experts have executed a research to find the best conference call services. Find the results only on www.leandernet.com/Conference_call/Conference_call.php . More valuable conference call info on www.leandernet.com

You may think you understand video conferencing pretty well until someone who
isn’t at all familiar with it approaches you for a simple definition. When they
ask, “What exactly is video conferencing?” you could suddenly realize you’re at
a loss for words.

The simplest definition of how video conferencing works is simply by the
integration of video, audio and peripherals to enable two or more people to
communicate simultaneously over some type of telecommunications lines. In other
words, you are transmitting synchronized images and verbal communications
between two or more locations in lieu of them being in the same room. How video
conferencing works is a little bit harder to explain than answering the
question, “What is video conferencing?”

Millions of people use video conferencing every day around the globe, but
very few people know just how the technical aspects of the process work. The
main ingredients of successful video conferencing are video cameras,
microphones, appropriate computer software and computer equipment and
peripherals that will integrate with the transmission lines to relay the
information.

The analog information recorded by the microphones and cameras is broken down
into discreet units, translating it to ones and zeros. A Codec encodes the
information to a digital signal that can then be transmitted to a codec at the
other end, which will retranslate these digital signals back into analog video
images and audio sounds.

The theory’s the same, the transmission has changed

In the earlier days of video conferencing, T1, ATM and ISDN lines were used
almost exclusively but were really only practical for room-based video
conferencing systems. These dedicated lines were expensive and only large
corporations tended to have the facilities and money to invest in this type of
set-up.

As the Internet became more a part of the everyday lives of all businesses,
however, it changed how video conferencing was conducted. The TCP/IP connections
of the Internet are much less expensive and can carry large quantities of
information, including video packets for conferencing, relatively easily.
Because of this, video conferencing has become much more prevalent in small
businesses and in desktop packages that can be set up with software for
computer-to-computer networking.

Compression makes video transmission practical

The problem that arises when you convert analog to digital for transmission
is the loss of clarity in an image. Analog signals are a continuous wave of
amplitudes and frequencies showing shades and ranges of color as well as depth
and brightness. When you convert to digital, which is strictly 0’s and 1’s, you
then need to develop a grid to represent values, intensities and saturations of
different color values so that the image can be interpreted and reformed at the
receiving end.

This vast amount of digital information requires huge bandwidth and means
that the time it would take to transmit video images would be impractical for
most applications. That’s where compression is crucial. When determining how
video conferencing works, one of the most important elements is the compression
ratio.

The higher the compression ratio, the more quickly the information is capable
of being transmitted. In many cases, however, this also means some loss in
clarity or audio/video quality. For instance, a compression ratio of 4:1 would
be terribly slow but have a fantastic picture quality. But by the time it was
transmitted, everyone at the other end would probably have left the room for a
cup of coffee. Lossy compression discards unneeded or irrelevant sections of a
signal in order to transmit only the essentials, speeding up the transmission
time significantly but sometimes resulting in loss of quality.

Compression can either be intra-frame or inter-frame for material that is
repetitive or redundant, such as that wall behind the conference participant.
Since the wall remains static and never changes, this image is redundant and can
be eliminated from transmissions to an extent with proper compression.
Intra-frame compression assumes the redundancy will be present in parts of a
frame that are close to each other. Inter-frame compression assumes that there
is redundancy over time (i.e., like that wall). Either of these can achieve a
fairly high degree of accuracy and reduce the bandwidth needed for transmittal
of signals.

A newer version of compression/decompression is SightSpeed technology,
developed by Cornell University. SightSpeed compresses only images considered
essential and eliminating what is considered ‘filler,’ relying on the brain to
fill in the decompression at the other end. Based on an artificial intelligence
model, SightSpeed achieves compression of about 90:1, compared to the typical
15:1 for video conferencing.

Any video conferencing session you use will provide compression of the
transmission signal. The key is determining the balance between speed and video
picture quality that is right for your needs.

Point to point video conferencing

Point to point video conferencing is just what it sounds like – a link
between two different points on the planet, or two different video conferencing
terminals. It could be between an office in New York City and a conference room
in Munich. Point to point video conferencing can easily be initiated by someone
on one end contacting the other end as though making a standard telephone call.
There are no special arrangements to be made other than knowing that the
participants will be there.

Multipoint conferencing is more complex

Multipoint conferencing is more complicated because it has to coordinate
several different locations simultaneously. Since you can’t be in direct contact
with several places at once while they are all in contact with others, you need
one source that will tie them all together. In video conferencing, this is
called a multipoint bridge or multipoint conferencing unit (MCU).

An MCU enables multi-location video conferencing by providing a sort of
“central processing center” for all of the locations through which all the
information flows. The MCU receives all information from the various locations
and then sends it out to each location. In some cases the MCU is located on a
particular PC, and in other cases it is located on a remote server (the most
common structure, particularly for more powerful MCU networks).

Audio is usually sent and received simultaneously in all locations with an
MCU with no problem because of the relatively small bandwidth needed for
transmittal. It is broadcast in what is called “full duplex” mode, meaning
everyone can talk and hear at the same time with no cutting off when one person
or another speaks.

Video transmission, however, can be broadcast in a number of ways with an MCU
depending upon the quality of the software and the complexity of the system.
Some common types of video transmission for video conferencing include:

• Continuous Presence video conferencing, which allows up to four
  conference sites to be seen simultaneously on split screens. This is usually
  used if you have a small group or individuals in separate locations and will
  primarily be seeing close-up shots.
• Universal Control video conferencing is controlled by the
  initiating conference site. The primary site determines who sees what at all
  other sites.
• Voice Activated video conferencing is by far the most common type
  used today. The image with these systems shifts to the site that is currently
  activating the microphone so that you can always see whoever is speaking.
  However, if there is a good deal of background noise participants should mute
  their microphones when they aren’t talking in order to avoid the image jumping
  about needlessly.

Overcoming the language barrier

Obviously, communicating through video conferencing can’t be achieved unless
both ends of the conference are “speaking the same language.” That is, whatever
is being transmitted electronically will need to be reassembled properly and
heard and seen clearly at the other end. The Codec system (Coder-Decoder) is
useless if both ends aren’t using the same virtual language to interpret the
signals.

The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) developed a set of standards
in 1996 dubbed H.323 to outline specific guidelines for Video Conferencing
standards and protocols so that compliance and support across networks would be
easier to achieve and maintain. Since then, many manufacturers and developers of
video conferencing tools have adopted the H.323 guidelines as their own.

Web conferencing solutions such as Click to Meet, Lotus’s SameTime, and WebEx
also offer corporate solutions that are based on Internet video conferencing.
These systems have shared protocols that can be downloaded and used anywhere at
any location for subscribers through the Internet. These are becoming more
popular with companies who like the convenience and user-friendliness. They will
no doubt become more and more refined over time, vying with and perhaps
surpassing the H.323 standards.

Overcoming firewall issues

There are, of course, obstacles to overcome when you take a look at how video
conferencing works. After all, you’re sending vast amounts of translated data
either directly or through a gatekeeper system (the MCU) that is switching and
transferring information between a variety of computers. Just about any business
these days has a firewall system to provide security and protect the system from
potential viruses. Trouble is, many firewalls also block the transmission of
data for video conferencing.

Recent innovations have largely circumvented these problems by designing
firewall solutions that recognize video conferencing signaling requests and allow
the information packets to bypass the firewall or router without disabling the
firewall protection for other traffic. Even with this, however, there may be
occasions when packets are dropped because of heavy traffic on the system, so
investing in a firewall system that can handle substantial traffic is essential
to quality video conferencing performance.

How video conferencing works will certainly evolve over time and improve in
the coming years, but a basic understanding of what it is and how it works now
will help you make the best choice for you when you’re ready to begin using
video conferencing yourself.

This article on the “How Video Conferencing Works” reprinted with
permission.
Copyright © 2004 Evaluseek Publishing.

About the Author
Lori Wilkerson is a full-time freelance writer who loves her job because it
gives her the opportunity to learn more about the world every day. Right now,
she knows a little bit about almost everything, and a lot about
video conferencing,

video teleconferencing, and

desktop video conferencing. She has two dogs who are spoiled
and one teenager who is not. She does her video conferencing in pink bunny
slippers.

There are around ten audio conferencing service providers in the Australian market, three years ago there was a great deal of difference between them. Now it is not so easy to spot the difference. The following looks at the main areas to consider when selecting a conferencing service provider.
Conferencing Service Provider = CSP

Product Suite
Most conference calls now take place using on-demand services because it is the most convenient and cheapest way to meet. All CSPs provide this.
There are some small differences between providers but they are so small that 99% of users will be able to use any service. They are pretty much interchangeable.

CSPs all have long lists of features but the reality is that few users utilise anything beyond muting a line, playing back the names of the attendees and locking the meeting.

A few years ago operator managed was an important service but is now offered by fewer CSPs. It’s use is really limited to people who can afford to pay a premium over automated services or have really big meetings.

Support
When it comes to support, the biggest factor is the type of conferencing platform used and where it is located.

Good service providers use extremely reliable platforms made by a small number of manufacturers. You should expect to hear one of these names, Avaya, Compunetix, Polycom, Presscom, Spectel or Voyant. If you don’t, the CSP is probably using less reliable equipment.

To provide the maximum level of redundancy a conferencing platform should to be co-located with a telephone company’s voice switch/exchange. So in Australia look for names like: Telstra, Optus, Macquarie Telecom, Primus, MCI/Verizon or AAPT.

These are basic facts for the conferencing sales person, you can probably draw your own conclusions if they cannot provide an instant answer.

What Kind of Support Do They Offer?
The very least a customer should expect is that there is a speedy response to an enquiry, service issue or account query. If there are service issues they should be addressed and resolved as quickly as possible. The person dealing with any of these should be readily available and knowledgeable.

Do I Trust My Service Provider?
Companies are often very good at selling but weak at delivering. If you have an issue does the CSP tell you what you need to hear or you what you would like to hear?

Are they easy to work with?
This is commonly a big issue for the services provided by the telephone companies who are rarely known for great customer service.

Price
Not so long ago this came in as a distant third in the selection process after product suite and support. Today, with almost identical services on offer, price becomes a much more important factor.
There is a huge range of prices in the market. The telephone companies have the luxury of being the most expensive. They are typically chosen because it saves shopping around.

Do I Like Working With My CSP?
Only you can judge this. Your CSP should provide the product suite you need at a realistic price. They should be easily available and responsive, giving honest recommendations. It should be assumed that the service is reliable.

Product Differentiation
Again, not so long ago there were real differences, now the differences for most users are unimportant. Of course in the land of marketing there will always be a new must have feature that a sales person will endeavour to convince you is or will be absolutely necessary.

For more articles on how to buy teleconferencing, visit www.HotAirConferencing.com.au

Ian Wells is the CEO of HotAir Conferencing. He has been in the conferencing industry for 12 years, working in Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and the UK.

He established the first specialist conferencing services in Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and is widely regarded as the founder of the Asia Pacific conferencing industry. Ian has been the General Manager - Asia Pacific for MCI Conferencing which was the largest service provider in the region during his tenure and the Managing Director, Australia for Genesys Conferencing. For more articles abouy teleconferencing go to http://www.HotAirConferencing.com.au