Web Conferences Versus Video Conferences...

Web conferences allow users to attend 'virtual' meetings
from all over the world. All that's usually required is an
Internet connection and the software if a particular client
is being used.

Video conferencing will allow two-way audio and video so
that participants can see and talk to people in real time.
In many ways, it's reflective of the technology glimpsed in
the future of videophones, but on a larger scale.

The effectiveness of videoconferences lies in the ability
of participants to observe and react to the body language,
facial expressions and intonations of voice. While web
conferences are still limited somewhat in this feature.

Conversation is possible in both mediums, though it takes
some experience with web conferencing to make it personal.
Though it is true that web conferences are about the
dissemination of information and not the socialization of
individuals for business purposes.

There is an international standard for videoconferences and
this allows diverse software to communicate easily. There
is usually one standard location for a video conferencing
server that takes in all the information and then
distributes it to the other conference locations.

This can be expensive depending on the number of
connections. Also, the hardware that this requires includes
video cameras (or a web cam), microphone, and speakers in
addition to the . hard line connections and hub server.
Web conferences are limited by only the requirement that an
Internet connection be available.

Web conferences can run to tens of thousands of users, but
the number of users in a channel limits videoconferences by
the capacity of their own server. Web conferences are more
flexible because they can run over most any Internet
connection but videoconferences require broadband.

There are broader costs in utilizing video conferencing
beyond the initial expense of setting up the connections to
maintaining ISDN lines.

Both types of conferences answer needs in the business
community. Ultimately an end user, in most cases the
companies that require these services, will have to decide
what serves their own interests. For some, the cost of
video conferencing is going to be prohibitive versus the
value it returns.

Still others may value the personalization of video
conferencing. While it's true that web conferencing has an
edge because of its relatively low initial costs, this too
could vary upon usage.
===========================================================
Find out why web conferencing can slash your companies
travel and communication costs. Discover all you need to
know about voip, and how to use this breakthro technology.


** Attn Ezine editors / Site Owners ** Feel free to reprint
this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your site
so long as you leave all links in place, do not modify the
content and include my resource box as listed above.