The Webinar Blog

ON24 Supports Self Service SaaS Solution

ON24 issued a press release today announcing a new version of their hosted webcasting technology. The new service is labeled Webcast Center Pro (WCC Pro) to distinguish it from Webcast Center Enterprise (WCC Enterprise). The basic operation of the two versions is the same, but Webcast Center Pro removes a few "bells and whistles" (according to marketing communications manager Cece Salomon-Lee) in favor of a lower price and easier entry point for smaller webcasts.

The promised comparison page between the two versions was not yet active on their website when I wrote this, but Cece led me through the main differences.

WCC Enterprise includes extensive customization as a service offering to make the viewing console, lobby area, and registration pages completely match a company's web look and feel. WCC Pro will allow customers to do their own more limited customization - basically adding a logo to a predefined template and adjusting some of the color selections on the page.

ON24 hosts recorded events for viewing after the live webcast. WCC Enterprise includes three months of hosting in the base package pricing. WCC Pro reduces that to one month.

ON24 includes an initial maximum audience size that is covered in their base price. Events can easily expand to allow more participants, but at additional cost. The Enterprise base package allows rooms of up to 250 people when using streaming audio and 100 people when using telephone audio. Pro reduces the base package capacities to 50 with streaming audio and 25 with telephone conferencing.

ON24 does not publish "rack rate pricing" (to use a hotel term), but Cece said that the new Pro option can let companies get started with webcasts for as little as $600, with pricing increased to match greater audience sizes and event durations.

This distinction in solution packaging matches similar approaches by web conferencing providers such as WebEx, Adobe, and Citrix. Choice is a good thing and ON24 is smart to give their customers additional options to suit their business and budget requirements.

Technorati Tags: ON24,Webcast Center,webcasting,webcast

CIO Magazine Looks At Virtual Meetings

Esther Schindler has written a long column on CIO.com discussing tips for "Running an Effective Teleconference or Virtual Meeting." I was one of the people interviewed and quoted in the article.

Esther covers a lot of ground, taking a look at telephone conferencing, video conferencing, and web conferencing. There are certainly commonalities between the communications methods and tips that apply to all three, but a meeting leader should be aware of the differences as well and make an effort to work with and within the capabilities of the chosen medium.

It's worth a read, just to remind yourself of some common mistakes we all make that frustrate participants. You may pick up a pointer or two that you had overlooked in your own meetings.

Technorati Tags: Esther Schindler,CIO,virtual meeting,web conferencing,collaboration

Uses Of Web Conferencing

Web conferencing is a tool. It's what you do with it that makes it interesting. I give a lot of public presentations on tips for delivering structured, one-to-many webinars. That reflects the fact that I come from a marketing background and I do a lot of work helping companies with marketing and lead generation events.

Inevitably after each such presentation, I get questions from attendees asking me for advice and best practices on other uses of the technology.

"What are some tips for people leading collaborative meetings?"

"Can you give me a list of best practices for remote training?"

"Our company gives live product demonstrations via web conference. How can we do it better?"

I'd love to help everybody with long lists of free advice, but sometimes I'm too busy working with my Webinar Success clients on their virtual training classes, group meetings, sales demos, and lead gen webinars! So I tried to do the next best thing... I created discussion forums dedicated to each of those topic areas on the Web Conferencing Community Forum.

If you navigate to www.wcc-forum.com and scroll down to "Event Types" you'll see folders dedicated to collaboration, employee communications, investor relations, press/analyst communications, publicity and marketing, sales demos, and training/education. These rooms are great places to ask questions and share your expertise with your peers. Since they aren't associated with any one vendor or technology, you have access to a wide range of people in all areas who have experience and opinions that can benefit you.

I also scan the boards and I'll contribute my two cents when it seems warranted. I think our collective wisdom is an untapped gold mine. Remember, using the community forum is free, unsullied by advertising, and doesn't add you to ANY marketing list. It's just sitting there and waiting for you to take part.

Technorati Tags: Web Conferencing Community Forum,web conferencing,webinar,sales demos,sales training,e-Training,remote training,web meetings,collaboration,investor relations,employee communications,marketing,virtual learning

New Web Conferencing Tips For February

I have two new webinars coming up this month with information and tips for web conference hosts and presenters. Each is completely free and completely new.

On February 14, I'll be co-hosting an educational session covering ways to construct effective and compelling PowerPoint presentations for use in web conferences. My guest star and co-host is Cliff Atkinson, author of "Beyond Bullet Points." Cliff has a unique approach to the creative process when designing a slide set. He and I will trade ideas on focusing your content, telling a coherent story, and melding audio and video information successfully. We'll also look at what it takes to get your audience to understand and remember your message.

Adobe is sponsoring this event as part of its "Luminary eSeminar Series" for Sales and Marketing. You'll have a chance to see Adobe Acrobat Connect in action. Registration requires creating or using an existing ID on the Adobe website. It's an extra step the first time you register, but it makes it easy to return and see other events. Click here to go directly to the Adobe event registration page.

One week later, on February 21, I'll give a public repeat of the presentation I gave last week at the iLinc Customer Summit. It's a how-to guide describing ways to make your web events "Better Than Being There." You often hear conferencing vendors talking up the power and advantages of their software, but this presentation goes into details about the steps you need to take and considerations you might not have thought about. If you are trying to justify the use of web conferencing in your organization, this should give you some great ammunition.

iLinc is sponsoring the event because the in-room presentation went over so well with their Summit attendees. Now you have a chance to get the benefits without having to pay for travel or attendance costs! You'll also get to see iLinc's conferencing software in use. You can register on the iLinc website by clicking this link.

Technorati Tags: webinar,web conference,web conferencing,web events,web sessions,Ken Molay,Cliff Atkinson,Adobe,Adobe Connect,iLinc,Beyond Bullet Points