There are two technologies that are making a revolution in
intra-organizational communications: They are telephone conferencing
and web conferencing. Using either web or telephone conferencing,
companies and non-profit organizations are now able to hold many more
meetings than ever before. The newest web conferencing systems
incorporate both online and telephone conferencing and this will surely
speed up the growth of virtual conferencing.
Most online conferencing systems allow participants to see one another
using web cams and monitors, and to speak and hear one another via
Voice over Internet Protocol (VOiP) using a headset or a microphone and
speakers.
But what happens if one of the would-be participants does not have the
right kind of headset or microphone? And what happens if one of the
would-be participants does not have a high speed Internet connection or
is away from his/her computer? In previous conferencing set-ups, the
person who didn’t have the right equipment might miss the audio or even
the whole conference entirely.
This particular problem has now been overcome by integrating telephone
conferencing along with web conferencing. For example, if participants
do not have the right kind of headset or microphone, in addition to
everyone being able to watch the conference online, a teleconference
can be used that will allow all participants to hear and talk to each
other via standard telephone connections. With some systems, the
call-in number and security code for the conference call are even
posted within the video/web conference meeting room.
Similarly, when a company holds a combined telephone and web
conference, an employee or staff member can take part in the audio
portion using the telephone conference connection even if they are away
from their computer or away from a broadband Internet connection.
The combined service will make it easier for companies that are already
accustomed to telephone conference calling but have not yet made the
jump to online web conferencing.
Online web conferencing adds many more features to a normal telephone
conference call such as Powerpoint presentations, instant polling and
surveys, application sharing and real time notepads for online
brainstorming, but some organizations may be holding back from going to
web conferencing due to the possibility of leaving behind some of their
participants. The new combined teleconferencing and web conferencing
systems solve this particular problem and will probably help to
accelerate the already rapid growth of web conferencing around the
world.
