Conference calling, videoconferencing and web conferencing
The availability of teleconferencing means meetings can now take place without the need for everyone to travel to be in the same space. This can save organisations time and money, cut their emissions and increase productivity as staff are released from the need to travel while at work.
What is teleconferencing?
Teleconferencing means using technology to communicate with other people at a distance, singly or in groups.
All the locations involved in the meeting need to have the right equipment for the particular type of teleconference being convened, but it can be an ideal solution if you have a number of sites and your staff spend a large amount of time travelling between them to attend meetings.
It can also be useful if you have teleworkers or if some attendees at meetings would otherwise have to travel long distances.
Web conferencing
Web conferencing uses the internet to conduct live meetings or presentations, providing both live pictures and sound. As attendees sit at a computer, it's easy to exchange documents via email during the meeting.
Web conferences work using a downloaded application on each of the attendees’ computers or a web-based application where everyone logs in to private web page to enter the conference. Some companies provide monthly subscription or pay-per-use services.
Web conferencing is low-cost as it uses existing connections and standard office computers. It can be ideal for teleworkers or home workers who will usually have the equipment needed as part of their teleworking setup. You may need to purchase a web camera and a PC headset.
The disadvantage of web conferencing is that sound and video quality can be poor if internet connections run slow. Lower-specification PCs may also struggle to cope with the processing of audio and video data.
Conference calling
This method uses only audio technology to communicate and can be organised using normal phones.
If a speaker-phone is available, a remote worker can 'dial in' to a meeting place where other participants are gathered without the need to use a conference calling service.
For meetings with multiple users in different locations, conference calling services are offered by various companies. You simply book a time slot, indicate the number of attendees, and the service provider will give a special number for everyone to call to join the meeting.
If yours is a large organisation with multiple phone lines, your in-house telephone system may already support conference calling. Conference calling is also possible using computers via some internet telephony services.
Videoconferencing
Videoconferencing uses broadband telephone, fast data, wireless or satellite connections to bring people at different sites together for meetings using both audio and video.
This can be as simple as a conversation between two people in private offices (point-to-point) or involve several sites (multi-point) with groups of people in large rooms at different locations.
Videoconferencing systems range in price from around £50 to £15,000 depending on their size and features. High-end systems may be offered on a contract basis, along with installation, technical support and training options.
The advantage of a dedicated video conferencing facility is that it provides better quality sound and picture than web conferencing. The disadvantage is that they are generally more expensive than other options and may require additional technical support and upgrades to data connections.
However, when the savings from business travel and increased productivity are considered, a videoconferencing system can easily pay for itself, particularly in larger organisations.
