Online Collaboration

Online colla­bo­ra­tion is a great way to bring people from all over the planet to one virtual loca­tion to discuss problems, solu­tions, and ideas. More and more busi­nesses are turning to colla­bo­ra­tion online to be able to reach out to a greater portion of the popu­la­tion. Web confe­ren­cing is a great place for pre-sales marke­ting, online sales trai­ning, and work meetings.

How does Online Collaboration work?

Online meetings are virtual based confe­rences that are used to conduct live presen­ta­tions. A web confe­rence consists of a number of diffe­rent parti­ci­pants, sitting at their own computer, connected to each other through the Internet. This is made possible by either a down­loaded free desktop sharing appli­ca­tion that has been put onto each of the indi­vi­dual compu­ters that enables appli­ca­tion sharing in real-time across the Web, or a web-based program that allows the parti­ci­pants to join the online colla­bo­ra­tion by clicking on a link. This special link is usually sent out through email so that the person can click on it and enter the web confe­rence.

One form of online colla­bo­ra­tion is a webinar. As a specific kind of online meeting, webi­nars that are usually a form of one-way desktop sharing. This consists of a speaker and an audi­ence. These webi­nars are great for trai­nings and distri­bu­ting infor­ma­tion but have very limited inter­ac­tion. To make webi­nars more colla­bo­ra­tive, many busi­nesses have included segments that allow for a ques­tion and answer period. Most web-based programs have a lot of diffe­rent features to make the net meeting very custom. Most programs have a virtual white­board that can be written and drawn on. They also have slide shows and the ability to talk over real-time audio. VoIP tech­no­logy has made it possible for comple­tely Internet-based audio, which is very conve­nient for last second online meetings.

What are the benefits of Online Collaboration?

Internet confe­ren­cing has brought many bene­fits to large and small busi­nesses alike. First of all, web colla­bo­ra­tion has elimi­nated the need for compa­nies to send top execu­tives out to diffe­rent bran­ches of the company to do trai­nings. These trips can take up a lot of time and money after you add up all the travel, lodging, meal, and trai­ning expenses. Online meetings have allowed global and national compa­nies to train their employees all over the world without ever having to leave their offices. Another bonus is that most of these online confe­rence provi­ders have tech­no­logy that allows you to record and save the trai­nings and meetings for further use. This is great to have on hand for new employees. As small busi­ness soft­ware, online colla­bo­ra­tion tools allow free­lan­cers and sole traders to export their hori­zons and work with employers and clients across the world.

Another benefit to online colla­bo­ra­tion is the ability for compa­nies to take custo­mers through in-depth walk through of programs and products. This ability to reach a customer at their own home is a great marke­ting tech­nique and allows the consumer to feel safe while rese­ar­ching the product.

Finally, online colla­bo­ra­tion soft­ware can be used for the after-sales period, if the customer needs assi­s­tance with the product or service, they can be reached via remote support.