Video Conference For Everyone - For
Free!
It has finally happened. Video conferencing has
gone
beyond the confines of corporate boardrooms and is now used in a wide
number of applications ranging from education, security and even
medicine.
The main reason for this is that the technology
has
gained so much popular over the years. And this, in turn, is largely
due to free video
conferencing.
With free video conferences, people are given the
ability to meet with others in remote locations without having to incur
either expensive travel expenses or video conferencing facility
rentals. Whether it is a meeting for a small business, a classroom
lecture, or a training seminar, any meeting or conference conducted
with greater ease, despite geographic differences because of free video
conferencing technology.
Just what exactly comprises a free video
conference
setup? The answer may already be staring you right in the face
–
that is, your computer. Given the right technical specifications,
people can use the computers to access the Internet where they can
interact with others in audio and video.
As far as hardware goes, you will need a computer
that
is capable of connecting to the Internet. Next you will need a web cam
and a sound card that will support microphone and speakers. Finally,
you will need to have access to the Internet. High-speed or high
bandwidth connections are recommended because low bandwidth access like
telephone dial-ups will only frustrate a video conference session
participants.
Once you have got the basic setup together, you
can now
begin experiencing video conferences for free. The next step is in
installing video conference software that comes for free.
Yes, you read right. There are actually several of
these
free software available to you. In fact, it could be residing on your
computer right now. If you are using the latest versions of the more
popular instant messaging software like Yahoo Messenger, AOL Instant
Messenger or iChat,
then you are already set up for free video
conferences. That means you can see and hear colleagues, friends and
family without having to spend a single penny on video conference
services.
Besides instant messaging, there are other
specialized
video conference software that is distributed for free. Take for
example NetMeeting by Microsoft. Not only will it allow you to conduct
a video conference, it will also let you share and exchange files among
the meeting’s participants. Some software goes the extra step
by
allowing desktop and application sharing.
Because of these innovations are offered for free,
video
conferencing has made knowledge sharing and collaboration a more
effective and cost-efficient activity. The benefits are far ranging: A
small business can conduct a supplier conference with a client across
the globe; a student in California can consult with his or
her thesis
adviser in New York; access to a cardiologist in a far off city will
not incur expensive communication or travel costs for a farm-town
family.
You would think that by giving away something for
free,
a company stands to lose a lot. But on the contrary, you are actually
seeing a paradigm shift in the way this industry does business. By
giving video conference services for free, users start to feel at home
and adept with the company’s services and that builds brand
recognition and loyalty – something that many companies
value.
So in the end, you are given the advantages of
video
conferencing without the expensive price tag. Companies develop a
relationship with its customers that can bring about better products
and services. That means free video conference services is actually a
win-win situation for both corporations and end-users like yourself.
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