Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Secured Web Conferencing The Cost Effective Way By:Kevin Peck


In due course, web conferencing has proved its worth over traditional audio or video conferencing. In those situations, where the basic meeting format is that of back and forth information flows, web conferencing is just second to face to face meeting.

However, security has always been a major concern with web conferencing. Mere SSL or AES encryption protocol cannot guarantee you complete access security though they are well known as industry standards. Corporate houses cannot ignore this viable communication media and at the same time cannot entirely depend on it for this very reason.

There are so many other problems in traditional web conferencing. The attendees who needed to deal with 3D CAD design, flash graphic design, and other similar collaborations of image based applications, had to fight hard to make the meeting effective up to the minimum level.

Another big problem with traditional web conferencing had been that the attendees had to download and install meeting client software. That is not all. The attendees needed to download Java, flash installations and others to support the client software. The whole process was tedious, time consuming and expensive (in some cases you need to pay monthly usage charges for your meeting client software).

Even after ignoring all these problems, you can not be sure that your meeting is held in a 100% secured atmosphere.

What next?

Here comes "on premise web conferencing appliances", a secured and easy to use conferencing tool for corporate communication. Just install the appliance and you are ready to start the conference - round the clock.

With these appliances you do not need to pay any monthly fee or you do not need constant IT support. To add to this there is no way that a firewall, proxy server or anti virus can block it. And thus you get a hustle free and smooth conference.

This appliance is supported by all the platforms like Mac, UNIX, Linux or Windows. To add to this, you can attend the conference using your iPhone too - thus you can stay connected even while you are on the move.

The best thing about "on premise web conferencing appliances" is that you can use your firewall to protect access security of web conferencing attendees. Alongside, with some of these appliances, you get the facility to Remotely Access your computer.

To sum up, "on premise web conferencing appliance for web meeting" provides you a simple, easy to use, cost effective and secured conferencing tool for internal and external meetings.

Kevin Peck is a freelance writer and works for a video conferencing company. For more information on secured on premise web conferencing appliances for web meeting he recommends you to visit http://www.rhubcom.com/ or http://www.gomeetnow.com/

Oops Mind Your Teleconferencing Etiquette By:Nahshon DeMore


Good manners is always appreciated anywhere and is a matter of common sense and consideration for others, combined. In the workplace, protocol remains basic despite the changing modes of doing business. So, do you know your teleconferencing etiquette?

Starting the conference

There is not much difference from the old-fashioned meeting procedures and the present practice for teleconferencing. As always, everybody should be on time and ready with their reports. It is unprofessional and inconsiderate to arrive late for meetings, and that's exactly the same with teleconferencing.

If you are charged to facilitate a teleconference, do some tasks ahead. Part of your assignment is to prepare the venue and the equipment. For the venue, select a quiet place because background noise can be picked up by the speakerphones. While you are it, check the speakerphones if these are working, so these can be fixed or replaced days before the teleconference.

Proceed to prepare email messages. If it is the usual people meeting, you know who to inform through email the date and time of the teleconference. An omission is a costly mistake, as well as a slip of teleconferencing etiquette.

The information sent should include the agenda of the meeting. This will give the participants the time to arrange their schedules. Before the date, you call each of them reminding them of the meeting, as well as to give them the dial-in number and password.

On the Day of the Conference

There's nothing irritating like a late facilitator. Be an hour ahead of the appointed hour, enough time to give the venue a once over. You can also review your brief. The brief, pre-approved by the chairman, should contain instructions for all participants before the meeting is called to order.

Greet participants that come on line and when everybody is ready, read the instructions or announcements. Request the participants to mute their speakerphones until it is their turn to speak because a speakerphone can pick up the tapping of a pencil and paper shuffling. Such background noise can be distractive and a violation of teleconferencing etiquette.

During the Teleconference

During a conference call, do not interrupt unless the speaker is done talking. There are no visual prompters in a teleconference, so this teleconferencing etiquette must be observed.

Teleconferencing etiquette demands that those taking part in the teleconference should avoid making distracting noises, especially if their speakerphones are not on mute mode, and no calls should be put on hold while a discussion is going on.

Before the meeting ends, the Chairman should ask if there are other businesses to be taken up. This is your cue, as facilitator, that the agenda was already taken up. That's the reason why you should be all ears during the conference.

End of Teleconference

Announce that the meeting is over, so people will not linger waiting for further notice. Extra billing is charged if people still linger on their speaker phones; hence, your announcement that the meeting is closed. As facilitator, you must always be the last person to hang up because this is also part of your teleconferencing etiquette.

Mind your teleconferencing etiquette during audio conferencing. Visit Audio-Conferencing-Guide.com for your conferencing needs and to know what is VoIP.