Web Conference v. Video Conference

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 P.C.
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.
http://www.web-conferencing-101.com/

About the author:
John Simpson works in software development. Some time ago he was
asked to research voip and web conferencing. Now his company has
slashed their comms bill and travel costs, using web
conferencing technologies.