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Meeting In A Box
The big guys are doing it, why can’t you? Hold your next meeting over the Web,
that is. The costs are lower than you might expect and the benefits can be great.
The increasing dominance of the Internet in the daily life of business has made
"gee-whiz" technology affordable for the small business owner.
As reported in the June 1, 1998 edition of Electronic Commerce, the management of the
British Petroleum Co. (BP) held a meeting to discuss the future of the company and the oil
industry. Traditionally, attendance would be limited to only a few key participants, but
this time that meeting was not held behind closed doors. BP used the Web to increase
participation by 47,000 employees.
While most employers do not need to involve 47,000 employees in a meeting, you can use
the Web to connect 10 or 12 people together to share information and ideas. Products like
White Pine Software’s CU-SeeMe and 3Com Bigpicture Video allow up to 12 people to be
pictured simultaneously in full color and live audio. Other software manufacturers also
offer video-conferencing software. Microsoft’s NetMeeting and Intel Internet
VideoPhone have similar products.
- The desktop conferencing software offers several benefits.
- Reduced Costs. Web meetings do not require meeting rooms, catering, or equipment rental.
- Improved Attendance. Attendees do not have to travel to a central site, a boost for your
travel budget’s bottom line.
- Greater Participation. Utilizing E-mail or discussion groups allows each voice to be
heard.
- Sharing Documents and Ideas. Participants can each access the same spreadsheet or use a
shared whiteboard to communicate ideas.
What does it take to hold a meeting over the Internet? If you have bought a computer
within the last 18 months, you probably have enough computing power already. Now all you
need is a digital camera, microphone, and speakers or headphones. Your computer should
have a sound card and you will need an Internet connection. The package (camera,
microphone, and software) can be set up for between $250 and $400 per user. When you
consider the potential savings in travel costs and the lost productivity during the hours
spent traveling, you may find that desk-top video conferencing is the right solution for
you.
For larger companies that want to expand desktop video conferencing to include larger
numbers of participants, an industry is developing to provide such a service. Companies
such as AudioNet and CNBC/Dow Jones offer a variety of services from simple discussion
boards to Web-based audio conferencing. The level of sophistication ranges from static
graphics to full-motion video broadcasts.
These companies can provide Web servers to handle Web events without affecting the
corporate servers.
Start small. Try video conferencing between two or three desks. Work out the bugs and
evaluate the product. You will not get broadcast quality video and audio over a modem but
you may find that the technology is just right for sharing information and ideas where
overcoming the distance between meeting participants is the challenge.
Robert D. McRae is senior vice president and information services
director for Associated Industries of Florida
Sept/Oct 1998 -- Florida Business Insight, PO Box 784, Tallahassee, Fla.
32302
(850)224-7173, insight@aif.com
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