Video Teleconferencing

All Aboard the Group Video Teleconferencing Bandwagon!

Remember the days before video teleconferencing when you had tons of travel arrangements to make and hundreds of dollars in expenses to shell out just to attend a three-hour meeting 2,000 miles away? 

Well, no longer - group video teleconferencing is the way to go.  Even colleges have begun to see that video teleconferencing is an economic way for its students to attend classes and professors to meet with their colleagues without ever leaving the sanctuary of their own workspaces.

Group Video Conferencing

Group video conferencing connects individuals with a common purpose with real-time, face-to-face interaction with the benefits of computer and file sharing thrown in.  You can now attend those important, formerly expensive meetings from your own location, in the comfort of your own office environment. 

Now that your company has figured out the same thing that thousands of others have, you've got your basic video conferencing equipment and you're ready to rock and roll. You just need to figure out how to use it.

Lucky for you, most video teleconferencing companies will provide online training to the users of their services.  Listed below are three conferencing service providers who give training, troubleshooting and support for new teleconferencing users.

Infinite Conferencing

 Infinite Conferencing's WebInterpoint group teleconferencing services allow users to host meetings that are scheduled in advance or given on the fly.  It works by using a URL and a password.  You can even record your session for posterity if you'd like.

Infinite Conferencing provides a FAQ page, documents on basic conferencing functions like how to play back your meetings and how to use the touchtone commands, as well as an 800 number for any concerns not addressed on the regular site.

WebEx Meetingplace

WebEx specializes in video conferencing applications for anything from small meetings to large scale events. Along with customer service and tech support, for an additional charge WebEx will provide you with a technician to be on hand for your entire meeting or event to assist with sales or training.

WebEx also has an online "university" in which you can attend a solo training or one led by a moderator.  When you've completed the online training course and learned the ins and outs of the program, you can print a certificate of completion to show all your friends at work.

Microsoft Live Meeting

Microsoft, that good old standby for all things computer-related, would be slipping if they didn't offer competitive video teleconferencing services.  Live Meeting, as with the other services mentioned previously, is an online meeting service and offers features like file sharing and a group whiteboard.

Live Meeting also provides a free online training school.  However, instead of one comprehensive course, Microsoft offers the following specialized topics:

 Getting Started with Live Meeting 2005
 Next Step for Presenters with Live Meeting 2005
 Next Step for Organizers with Live Meeting 2005
 Presenting in a Virtual Environment
 Getting Started with Live Meeting 2005 Registration
 Interactive Workshop for Presenters with Live Meeting 2005
 Getting Started for Administrators with Live Meeting 2005
 Managing Your Rollout of Live Meeting 2005

Be prepared to amaze your colleagues with your expertise in Live Meeting, but also be prepared to carve out 60 to 90 minutes of your time for each course you plan to take. 

Remember, video teleconferencing is the wave of the future, and you have to be educated and informed to ride it effectively.  Take full advantage of the customer service department of whichever company you choose to be your teleconferencing provider.  No matter what your job function, getting noticed as the office pro of the teleconferencing field can't hurt.

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