Online Meeting Software

Web confe­rences are beco­ming a staple in busi­ness inter­ac­tions throug­hout the world and have made online meeting soft­ware a must have. Online meetings are an easy way to be able to bring people from around the world toge­ther to discuss ideas and make decis­ions. Many compa­nies are meeting on the web to train, present, and counsel their employees as well as their clients. Because web confe­ren­cing has become such an important part of global and national busi­ness, it is important to make sure that you have the right online meeting soft­ware to help support these commu­ni­ca­tion efforts.

What does Online Meeting Software do?

It provides a place where indi­vi­duals can gather from around the planet to give and receive online trai­ning. Most soft­ware allows desktop sharing, virtual white­boards and discus­sion screens as well as an audio compo­nent, and some even have web confe­rence capa­bi­li­ties. This soft­ware allows compa­nies to hold an online meeting when­ever they please, and will send out invites with special login codes to be able to join the web confe­rence. It provides a private meeting place for those that are invited to attend.

What features should you look for in online meeting software?

A virtual white­board is a stan­dard feature in most web confe­ren­cing soft­ware because it allows you to discuss ideas using drawing tools and text. This is great way to colla­bo­rate and brain­storm to get things done. Surveys are also good for gathe­ring infor­ma­tion because they allow you to survey the parti­ci­pants before, during, and after the net meeting. The soft­ware will store the infor­ma­tion and reports will be made so you can view it after the meeting is finished. Polling is another good feature you should look for because it allows you to ask a ques­tion during the meeting and allow a few seconds for the audi­ence to respond. Most of these polling tools have an option for multiple-choice ques­tions, which is great to see real-time results. Others have polling in text format to help with trai­ning. Polling features usually store the infor­ma­tion as well for future reference.

More advanced features to look for include remote support capa­bi­li­ties that enable users to remo­tely control another’s computer keyboard and mouse which is ideal for project colla­bo­ra­tion. There are two diffe­rent forms of this, point-to-point and multi­point. Point-to-point allows two sepa­rate points to see each other and commu­ni­cate, while multi­point allows many diffe­rent parti­ci­pants. Other features include the ability to store and record your meetings and put them in the archives.

The best way to pick online meeting soft­ware is to first know what you require to make your meetings effec­tive. Once you have iden­ti­fied your needs you can find the soft­ware that will fulfill your requi­re­ments. Keep in mind that along with other soft­ware for small busi­ness solu­tions, there is also free online meeting and free web confe­rence soft­ware available for use.