Hosted Web Conferencing

The Internet Era is here and it brought with it new developments in technology which in turn spurned the growth of IT applications. And perhaps one of the most important advancements that were a logical next step to incorporating the Internet in the world of business is hosted web conferencing. But what exactly is hosted web conferencing? And what makes it appealing to the corporate world?

Hosted Web Conferencing: A Definition

First, let us define the concept. Hosted web conferencing is a term used to refer to a meeting between groups of individuals via the Internet. In it’s simplest of form hosted web conferencing is like being there without actually leaving your office. What actually happens is that the participant of the hosted web conferencing sits in front of their computer which, with the use of the Internet, allows them to attend a virtual meeting room.

Basic Features

Often, hosted web conferencing is accompanied by voice, transmitted via VoIP (Voice over IP [Internet Protocol]) or phone, or video with the use of a web cam or streaming media. A most basic feature of hosted web conferencing is file-sharing. This allows you to send, receive, or swap files from their computers with other participants of hosted web conferencing.

Basically, a hosted web conferencing event is just like any meeting where a host presents an idea to the members and uses the computer as a type of visual and aural aid. Multimedia comes into strong play here as the more media is incorporated into a presentation, the more interactive the discussion becomes. Polls, surveys, and Q&A sessions also helps with increasing interactivity in hosted web conferencing and most software packages available out there offer such capabilities.

Another interesting feature that has recently been incorporated into hosted web conferencing is the whiteboard. This allows you, whether you’re a participant or a presenter, to mark your ideas down on a virtual whiteboard. Plus, you can underline, bold, or encircle key concepts (called annotation) on a certain slide for emphasis.

Other Features of Hosted Web Conferencing

* Slide Presentation – Most hosted web conferencing software uses PowerPoint as the main presentation application.
* Application Sharing – This is similar to file sharing but where file sharing allows you to share files of your computer, it is only to a certain extent. With application sharing, you and the rest of the hosted web conferencing participants can cooperatively manipulate an application like a spreadsheet for instance on the presenter’s computer.
* Web Co-browsing – With this feature, you are assured of always being on the same page as the rest of the participants.
* Annotation
* Text Messaging
* File Sharing
* Polls and Surveys