In this day and age when so much is available on the internet it's amazing that anyone still opts to pay over the odds for something that they could get far cheaper or even free online. Voice calls, video calls and conference calling can all be done over the internet and in many cases at no cost; yet a significant amount of computer owners with internet access still revert to using costly phones for their voice communications.

But, it's not just a cost issue. For example, have you ever tried to organise a conference call using traditional telephones? It's such a major logistical exercise that it's easier not to bother. You have to pre-book your slot and it costs money. Granted, for some of the participants who subscribe to premium telephone calling plans there is no charge but others will be charged at the prevailing local rate.

In addition, before you can use the pre-booked slot all participants have to read through an email, in which the phone company invariably tries to sell you add-on services, just to find the access codes needed to join the conference.

As a result, it is much easier - and cheaper - to use an online VOIP service. With most major providers you simply click on contacts you wish to invite to the conference call and they join in if they want to - it's as easy as that! Up to 10 people can join in and if you need to include someone who does not have a user-id for the service you are using you can still call their landline number at significantly lower rates than landline costs to invite them to join. That also applies if you wish to invite mobile phone users to the conference.

The conference calls feature is also a godsend for small and medium sized businesses with offices in several different locations. Call quality is the same wherever you live, it makes no difference whether everyone in the conference call resides in the same street or on opposite sides of the world.

Charities, for whom every penny spent on running costs means one less for their cause, are also avid users of internet call conferencing. For example, the trustees of Festival Medical Services, who provide emergency medical cover at music festivals with volunteers drawn from the medical profession, use online conferencing to keep abreast of the charity's management issues. It is a vital cost-effective communication tool for the South-West based charity and it allows them to spend significantly less on telephony charges than they did in the past, meaning they can spend more of their money on charitable causes.

Its not just businesses that can benefit from conference calling either; Internet call conferencing is also extremely useful for families spread across the country or globe that need to organise a wedding, for example. They can all get online to discuss the arrangements rather than having to make a series of time-consuming phone calls.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Adam_Singleton

For a small business trying to decide on a network solution which will be required to support video conferencing .... the journey can be aggravating.

Basically ..... Give me an open check and I will spend every dime on bandwidth pipes. Give me a fixed budget and I will squeeze every dime of bandwidth with compression techniques and accept the quality trade off.

Therein lies the dilemma ..... bandwidth vs quality.

So this is really not a question of bandwidth, but QoS (Quality of Service).

If you're willing to accept some risk in QoS to keep your budget under control.....there are options open to you.

With the bandwidth, you would scale to the number of users using the video/multimedia streaming network. About 384kbps per active connection per direction is the scaling for basic video conferencing(320x240). For 640x480 double it, and for 1080i HD 3-7Mbps for each feed.

LAN - Local Area Network, the one you buy and build

WAN - The one you lease and pay for, DSL etc

DSL - Digital Subscriber Line, 3-7Mbps

VPN - Virtual Private Networking, key technology for your solution

For your LAN network topology you want Ethernet at each video conferencing location. This is standard for most all LANs. Your WAN or Wide Area Network connection is the one that needs speculation. Just 10 years ago your choice would have been either a few T-1's at 1.5Mbps each, T-3 at 45Mbps, or Fibre for near limitless bandwidth depending on the above calculated bandwidth need.

Today's internet backbone is much more developed and can handle VPN over cable/DSL very well. VPN is creating a virtual software driven dedicated connection over a broadband connection like DSL.

Many (Linksys) network routers come with VPN capabilities. This should be the first solution attempt because it is exponentially cheaper than any other way. All you would require is a VPN router (Linksys $100) and 3-7Mbps DSL/Cable at each video feed location. Don't forget to get static IP's for each DSL location so you can make your VPN a permanent structure of the internet.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Lemm

There's no question that webinars are taking the market by storm. With soaring gas prices, skyrocketing airfares, and business owners under pressure to trim costs, webinars and online meetings are fast replacing face-to-face meetings. And costly travel.

But not all webinars are successful.

Here are 10 top reasons webinars fail:

1) The presenter is incompetent.

Holding a webinar is not the same as having a meeting. You have to familiarize yourself with the web conferencing platform so you can easily guide your guests and have productive back-and-forth feedback. Practice at least once to make sure you're ready for your live webinar.

2) Equipment is not in place

Make sure you're not fumbling with how to operate the equipment - or complaining throughout the webinar.

If you have a low quality, low pixel web camera, your video will be grainy.

3) Slow or unreliable internet connection

Poor internet connectivity is the MOST common problem for webinars and web conferencing providers.

High speed of 56K or above, or TIVO will give you the best quality webinar.

4) Presenter gives up too quickly

You shouldn't give up on webinars or web conferencing just because of one bad experience. As with everything in business, some webinar providers are more user friendly than others. And more affordable.

5) Advertising

You have to advertise and build marketing buzz to attract customers to your webinar. Make it entertaining and easy to attend.

6) Ability to Entertain or Close the Sale

It takes a LOT of training and practice to be a a good speaker, or a top sales person. Make sure your webinar material engages and entertains your audience. Use visual material from pre-loaded websites, pictures, and funny stories to make your point.

7) Convenient Time

Have your webinar when it's convenient for your target audience - not when it's convenient for YOU.

8) Ability to Get Along With Other People

If you're painfully shy, then chances are your webinars will be a painful flop! Recruit or hire someone who is comfortable around people and easy going to hold your sales or marketing webinars. Remember, you only have one chance to make a great impression!

9) Unique Selling Proposition

A webinar is not really that much different from a print ad.

You have to grab guests attention with something that will benefit them.

Center your webinar around helping your guests. Make their life easier, healthier, or wealthier! If you help your guests - they will help you by becoming a customer.

10) Good Old Fashioned Luck

Some times you just have BAD LUCK! But don't let that stop you. Try, try again.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sonja_Mishek