Web conferencing, or online conferencing, is a method of
using the Internet to conduct live meetings, trainings, or presentations
among two or more users in two or more locations. Participants in web
conferences receive the content and interact with presenters and/or
other attendees while sitting in front of their computers and being
connected via the Internet. In its broadest sense, the term Web
conferencing includes the broadcasting of audio or video content to
recipients with little or no audience interaction (Webcasts); to
presenting of a lecture or workshop that may include partial or full
interaction between the audience and presenters (Webinars); to live
meetings that are fully interactive (Web meetings).
Web conferences involve real-time audio and/or video sessions. In the
early years of the Internet, the term "web conferencing" often was used
to describe a group discussion in a message board and therefore not
live. The term has evolved to refer specifically to live or
"synchronous" meetings. However, there may be an option of having some
or all presentations recorded, such that some participants can choose to
view them at a time more convenient for them (on demand). The sessions
may be conducted via a web-based connection, which requires attendees to
simply enter a web site address (URL) to enter the conference, or the
connection may be via a downloaded application on each of the attendee’s
computers.
The development of the technology of web conferencing offers people the
ability to conduct real-time meetings across national borders and
geographical distances. This, in effect, helps to bring the people of
the world closer together, allowing them to address issues of common
concern. Furthermore, in cases of natural disasters, human rights
abuses, environmental disturbances, and other pressing issues, this
technology allows human beings in different parts of the world to more
quickly find common means to address such problems.
Overview
Web conferences range from simply two individuals communicating from
their home offices, to meetings among board members and/or staff of
multi-million dollar corporations, to large association conferences with
thousands of attendees. Among features commonly utilized in the
meetings are slide show presentations, live or streaming video,
real-time audio communications, public or private text among
participants connected to the meeting, vender exhibitions, networking
events, polls and surveys, and poster sessions. Screen sharing may allow
participants to see anything the presenter currently has showing on his
or her screen.
By connecting people online, web conferencing allows economical meetings
among people located at different places without the cost and time
involved in physical meetings where everyone gathers in one place. File
sharing, collaborative web browsing, and application sharing are also
easily supported over the Internet. As a result of the efficiency of
this method, there is an increased reliance on web conferencing in place
of the traditional face-to-face meetings.
Types of web conferences and terminology
There are three different types of Web conferencing: Webcast, Webinar,
and Web meeting. However, there is considerable overlap among these
terms.
Webcast
A webcast is an online “broadcast” whereby audio or video content from a
single source is transmitted over the Internet to many
listeners/viewers using streaming media technology. The media file may
be distributed live or on demand. The term webcasting is usually
reserved for referring to non-interactive linear streams or events.
Hundreds of listeners/viewers may view the Webcast simultaneously, but
there is limited or no interaction among this audience.
A webcast is the “Internet counterpart to traditional radio and TV
broadcasting” (PCMag 2010a) and the largest "webcasters" include
existing radio and TV stations who "simulcast" their output, as well as a
multitude of Internet only "stations." Virtually all the major
broadcasters have a webcast of their output, from the BBC to CNN to Al
Jazeera to UNTV in television to Radio China, Vatican Radio, United
Nations Radio, and the World Service in radio.
Today, webcasts are being used more frequently and by novice users. Live
webcasts are allowing viewing of presentations, business meetings,
seminars, and so forth for those that telecommute rather than attend.
Such sites offer live broadcasting as an affordable solution to public
speaking events that expands the viewing audience to anyone that has an
internet connection.
Live sporting events, both local and national, have also quickly become
frequent webcast subjects. With regard to smaller events such as Little
League, amateur sports, small college sports, and high school sports,
webcasting allows these events to have full audio or video coverage
online when they may not be able to book standard radio or TV time.
Websites like Meridix Webcast Network, Texas Sports Radio Network, and
others allow local schools, teams, and broadcasters to produce their own
webcasts, which also have the advantage of being accessible to anyone
with an Internet connection (i.e. relatives several states away), unlike
the range and market limitations of terrestrial radio and TV.
Webinar
A webinar is a particular type of web conference, involving a lecture or
workshop presented via the Internet. Webinars typically are one-way
events from the speaker to the audience, with limited audience
interaction (such as in a webcast). However, the term also includes
those seminar events that have partial to full interaction between the
audience and presenters, including question and answer sessions.
In some cases, the presenter may speak over a standard telephone line,
while pointing out information being presented onscreen, and the
audience can respond over their own telephones, speaker phones allowing
the greatest comfort and convenience. There are web conferencing
technologies on the market that have incorporated the use of VoIP audio
technology, to allow for a completely web-based communication. Depending
upon the provider, webinars may provide hidden or anonymous participant
functionality, making participants unaware of other participants in the
same meeting.
The term webinar, combining Web and seminar, is a neologism—a newly
coined word that may be in the process of entering common use, but has
not yet been accepted into mainstream language. The term "webinar" was
registered in 1998 by Eric R. Korb (Serial Number 75478683, USPTO) but
was difficult to defend; it is currently assigned to InterCall.
Web meeting
A web meeting is a particular type of web conference in which there is
high interaction possibilities among the participants. In a meeting, two
or more people come together for the purpose of discussing a (usually
predetermined) topic, often in a formal setting. In a web conference,
such gatherings are conducted with each participant sitting in front of
his or her own computer and being connected to the other participants
via the Internet. This category includes board and staff meetings
conducted over the Internet and large conferences with participants and
presenters interacting. Companies with distant branch or home offices
find this method conducive for discussing without traveling to a common
location, with the participants able to converse and share documents in
real time.
Videoconference
A web conference that utilizes video may be considered a particular type
of videoconference—one in which the content is carried over the
Internet. Videoconferencing is a term that refers to a video session in
real-time among two or more users in two or more locations. Early
versions, before the popularity of the Internet, utilized satellite
communications and traditional analog TVs. Inhouse systems became
popular in the early 1980s. Videoconferencing allows communication among
several end-points, while the terms “video chat” and “videophone”
commonly refer to one-on-one communications (PCMag 2010b).
Hybrid models
Hybrid models are events that are done face-to-face in a particular
location but part or all of the content also carried via Web
conferencing.
Features
Other typical features of a web conference include (Frost and Sullivan 2006):
- Slide show presentations - where PowerPoint or Keynote slides are presented to the audience and markup tools and a remote mouse pointer are used to engage the audience while the presenter discusses slide content.
- Live or Streaming video - where full motion webcam, digital video camera or multi-media files are pushed to the audience.
- VoIP (Real time audio communication through the computer via use of headphones and speakers)
- Web tours - where URLs, data from forms, cookies, scripts and session data can be pushed to other participants enabling them to be pushed though web based logons, clicks, etc. This type of feature works well when demonstrating websites where users themselves can also participate.
- Meeting Recording - where presentation activity is recorded on the client side or server side for later viewing and/or distribution.
- Whiteboard with annotation (allowing the presenter and/or attendees to highlight or mark items on the slide presentation. Or, simply make notes on a blank whiteboard.)
- Text chat - For live question and answer sessions, limited to the people connected to the meeting. Text chat may be public (echo'ed to all participants) or private (between 2 participants).
- Polls and surveys (allows the presenter to conduct questions with multiple choice answers directed to the audience)
- Screen sharing/desktop sharing/application sharing (where participants can view anything the presenter currently has shown on their screen. Some screen sharing applications allow for remote desktop control, allowing participants to manipulate the presenters screen, although this is not widely used.) (Epiphan 2010).