The Webinar Blog

Flashy News From ON24

It's a busy day for ON24. They just announced a new Adobe Flash version of their main webcasting console, and introduced a completely new product - A virtual show platform.

The Flash-based webcast console is supposed to be available in mid-July. It joins a very limited number of webinar/webcast platforms that use Flash to allow greater cross-platform accessibility along with more flexible layouts of the content and viewing/presenting tools.

According to Adobe's marketing releases, Flash is installed on more than 98 percent of all computers with Internet access. Now that's what I call market penetration. The great thing about running an application in Flash is that the software doesn't care what the underlying operating system or browser is. A person using the application in Internet Explorer on a Windows machine should have exactly the same experience as a person running it in Safari on a Macintosh, or Firefox on a Unix/Linux computer. And the user doesn't have to download and install your application as a formal step with installation windows, confirmations, and the like.

I have occasionally run into Flash webcasting problems with users on locked-down computers (such as in labs or secure financial institutions) that won't allow the Flash player to download and install. Some companies also have a policy against allowing Flash on user machines because they don't want their employees playing Flash games.

I haven't had a chance to play with the new interface ahead of its release, so I can't comment on the user interface. The press release mentions that it should let meeting organizers show new types of content including "dynamic images, audio, video, and animation." I asked ON24 whether the new release would support PowerPoint animation effects and they said that the slide upload and conversion process has not changed... All slides are still converted to static images for display within the webcast. They also said that the first version would effectively match the existing console interface in look and feel and functionality. But the company is willing to work with clients to provide custom interfaces for their unique needs and preferences.

I did have a chance to demo the new ON24 Virtual Show application. A few companies have implemented the same concept, but as with Flash webcasting, it's still relatively new and in limited availability. The idea is to duplicate the experience of visiting a conference or trade show with online representations of public lobby areas, message boards, exhibitor booths, communications and networking opportunities, and presentation rooms. ON24's display looks very pretty, with the ability to use different "convention center" layouts and backgrounds, including custom ones based on graphics the customer supplies.

The virtual exhibitor booths allow attendees to get information from different companies taking part (or product groups, business units, etc), including downloading collateral, asking questions of online representatives with chat sessions, or viewing recorded presentations.

Of course with my area of interest, I wanted to find out about how ON24 webcasts fit into the picture. Providers schedule and set up the live webcasts with the show's organizer. Then the webcasts are listed in a virtual program schedule as if they were talks being given in auditorium rooms. Program listings can also include prerecorded on-demand presentations. You can group presentations into different program tracks to segment them by interest, and you can even display user ratings (obviously only useful for recorded presentations or repeats of topics that others have had a chance to see already).

It all seems to hang together very nicely from my early glance at the technology. This product is not designed for casual webcasters, but is appropriate for larger organizations that need to let people see lots of different information sources on different topics. A company might use it to show off business partner applications (and could charge those partners to exhibit). It might be used for customer summits where customers around the world can interact with different product group booths (the interface supports multiple languages). And of course there is the opportunity for the big show consolidators to run a virtual show as a revenue generating business as they do with live convention center shows, charging exhibitors and attendees for the privilege of  bringing together supply and demand in one space.

Technorati Tags: ON24,Flash,webinar,webcast,web meeting,web conference,web conferencing,virtual show,virtual tradeshow,virtual conference

How Much Contingency Planning Is Enough?

I gave a web seminar with Adobe today. Following all proper best practices, I was on the line a full half hour early. Checked my audio levels with the operator. Dialed in on a second backup telephone line in case my first line dropped. Had a copy of my slides in hardcopy in case my computer died. Made sure my moderator was ready to take over and help out if I lost connection. Checked that the phone call was properly streaming over VoIP for participants who wanted to listen on their computer speakers. Everything felt good.

And then with two minutes to go before show time, the audio conference provider suffered some sort of catastrophic failure. All lines were dropped, for speakers and attendees. Nobody could dial back in... We just got busy signals.

In a typical situation, that would be the end of story. We'd write a text message on the web conferencing window canceling the event due to technical difficulties beyond our control.

But in a case of unbelievable backup planning and preparation, the product manager from Adobe calmly typed in an alternate conferencing number we could all use. It didn't have quite the same operator assisted features we had on the primary account, but we were able to link it to the VoIP stream, get the attendees onto the new line, and carry on with our web seminar with minimal interruption and loss of time.

I was astonished. Not many people have a second audio conferencing carrier in their back pocket for an emergency of that sort. But from now on, I'm going to keep a backup conference number and participant code handy for client events. Just in case.

 

Technorati Tags: Adobe,webinar,web seminar,web conference,web conferencing,contingency planning,audio conferencing

A Personal Webcam Backdrop

Long-time readers know that I am no fan of webcams for business presentations in public webinars. It's almost impossible to create a professional video image that matches audience expectations created by our collective exposure to commercial productions such as television programs and high end studio webcasts.

But my antipathy does not apply to webcams used in collaborative sessions with people you already know. Why not invoke a little more personal interaction in your virtual meeting? Goodness knows, video is a hot selling commodity today in the web collaboration space.

One of the many problems with setting up a good space for video is getting rid of distractions in the background. I remember watching a professional presentation instructor give a webcast from his office. His webcam broadcast not only his image, but the desk of a fellow worker behind him, who came and went during the course of the webinar. It was immensely distracting and I found myself concentrating on my attempts to see what was on the other guy's computer screen!

When I work from my home office, I am plagued by the same problem. I have bookcases against the wall behind my chair that are filled with knickknacks and paperwork. They don't look very good as a backdrop to my video meetings.

Being a handy guy, I created a jury-rigged solution. Multiple trips to Home Depot and quite a few dollars later, I had built myself a backdrop that I can construct behind my chair. It's made out of heavy wood platforms, PVC pipes, a sheet, holding clips, and some plumber's fittings. Pretty ingenious, if I do say so myself. But it's a pain to set up and take down, and I have to find storage for all the long pipes between uses.

All of which is a long introduction to why I was fascinated and excited by the announcement of a new product to help people block out background distractions when using a webcam. It's called The WebAround, and it's available from a website of the same name: www.TheWebAround.com.

The idea is simplicity itself. It's a lightweight nylon disk with a springform circumference. It springs into full flat shape when you take it out of the bag and then twists back down into a compact disk for storage. You may have seen the same concept used for car windshield sun shades or for beach gear. There is a wide elastic band that slips around the back of your chair to hold the disk upright behind your head. Voila... Your meeting attendees can no longer see behind you!

I got a sample from the company's first production run. Everything is exactly as shown on their website (which is so chock-a-block with photos that I won't duplicate them here). The WebAround comes in blue or green. Mine is green and I'd say that's not my favorite choice. When I see my image on camera in front of a solid green background, I feel like someone forgot to turn on the digital overlay effects on a green-screen! That's what happens when you think like a video producer.

It fit over my very wide chair back without problem, but the elastic isn't big enough to stretch around a fully padded thick executive chair. The company suggests putting the elastic facing forward, against your back. This positions their company logo very prominently next to your head. I think it's overbearing and way too large a product placement. Consumers pay for the product... They shouldn't be forced to advertise it as well.

I chose to turn it around so the elastic faced the back of the room. That accomplished two things. It got rid of the giant logo sticking out from the side of my head, and it placed the fabric between my head and the big wide headrest on my chair. I hate the way my headrest looks on camera, and it was wonderful to be able to cover it up. The fabric is thin enough to mold between your body and the chair without a problem.

The WebAround website also mentions that if you are sitting on a stool or backless chair, you can wear the elastic around your waist as a personal piece of backdrop apparel. I tried it and felt foolishly like a Vegas showgirl with a giant fabric circle sticking up behind my head. But it worked. You might use this for video blogging on location where you don't want the background in your shot.

The disk comes with a nice little thin nylon storage bag, and while it takes a few practice tries to get the hang of twisting the disk back down into its compact storage size, you'll learn quickly enough.

I really like the concept, and at a purchase price of thirty dollars, it's within the reach of just about any home or business video practitioner.

Is it perfect? No, there are a few drawbacks you should know about. When you open the disk, the nylon tends to sport some wrinkles that show up well on camera. I can't imagine that it's safe for ironing (it feels like it would melt), so this is something you simply have to live with. None of the sample images on the company's website show any wrinkles.

As mentioned, the product logo is too large and prominent.

The material needs to be thicker or denser. When I turned it around, I could see through it to the dark outline of my chair's headrest and the dark backside of their logo patch. I got a note with my sample indicating that they already realize this and that future batches will be made with a higher gauge cloth.

But those downsides are more than offset by the ease and convenience of setup and storage, along with the obvious utility of such an item. It's a lot handier than my six-foot backdrop frame!

 

Technorati Tags: WebAround,webcam,videocast,webcast,webcasting,video blogging,web video

Kisses From Honey Bunny?

That's probably one of the stranger headlines the Wall Street Journal has run. Dana Mattioli has an article in Tuesday's Wall Street Journal where she lists some of the ways people get in trouble on webcasts and webinars. I'm one of the people she contacted for anecdotes and tips, and it's certainly nice to see "Ken Molay, president of Webinar Success" in the pages of such a prestigious publication. But I can't keep from grinning at the inevitable way a long interview gets boiled down to a pithy quote or two by the time it gets to press.

I thought it might be a nice idea to expand on the tidbits in the article for the benefit of interested readers. Dana spent a lot of time talking about the ways in which the camera can make you look foolish in a webcast, and it's all true. If you really want to present a polished and professional image to your audience, you need some specialized training and a fair amount of practice in camera techniques. These are quite different from stage presentation tips. How many times per minute should you blink? How do you keep yourself properly framed in the shot? What do you do with your hands? How do you work with a script or notes when speaking to the audience? What types of clothing work for the camera and which ones give you problems (hint... narrow stripes are a no-no!).

Having a checklist of camera tricks isn't enough either. Just as with any other kind of learned skill, it takes practice to get comfortable. At first you will find it difficult to concentrate on all the technical pointers and on your content (which still takes priority, in case you thought I was dismissing it in favor of technique). It's like learning to drive a stick shift... You can spend so much time worrying about balancing the clutch and gas that you forget where you are trying to get to.

But as Dana illustrates in her examples, video is not your only potential source of embarrassment. You can run into trouble by not thinking through what your audience may be able to see or hear during your web conference. Even though you know that you should turn off the sound on your computer, it's easy to overlook in the last minute rush to get everything ready for the start of your session. I use a checklist to make sure I'm not overlooking simple and obvious things. In the same way that a pilot manually checks off the same items he has gone through on thousands of previous flights, I check that my second phone line is disconnected, that my instant messenger is disabled, that my cell phone is turned off, that my email is shut down, and so on. I also make sure I know exactly which steps I need to do in order to get my audio and web recording going. Is my audio line set up to mute the audience and allow all the speakers to be heard?

One of my favorite embarrassing things to see on a web conference is when the presenter shares his or her desktop to show off a software demo and the display background is set to a silly or personal picture. Or there are icons all over the desktop for computer games. You can be blind to the way your computer screen looks because you see it every day. But think about the impression it gives to your business audience. Clean up those spare icons... You can move them to a folder and then pull them back to the desktop after your presentation.

This is going to get way too long, so I'll just summarize my main tips by saying that you should take nothing for granted, think about what the audience will see and hear, practice and test everything ahead of time, and make a checklist to ensure you don't overlook anything.

Oh... And don't forget the value in getting professional assistance if you need it!

 

Technorati Tags: webinar,web conference,web conferencing,videoconference,videoconferencing,presentation skills,Wall Street Journal,Dana Mattioli

Webinars About Webinars - Don't Miss Out!

If you are reading this early enough on Thursday, you have one last chance to register for today's free webinar on how to construct and deliver live software demonstrations via web conferencing. I've invited demo expert Peter Cohan to join me in my monthly guest speaking slot with Adobe. We'll be sharing tips and showing practical examples. The easiest way to get to Adobe's registration is via my Webinar Success Upcoming Events page.

If you can't make today's event, you might want to join me next week as I present my Six-Step Program For Better Webinars. ReadyTalk is sponsoring this event, and once again the information is completely free. Click on the banner below to get more information and a link to register.

 

 

Technorati Tags: webinar,web conference,web conferencing,web seminar,Peter Cohan,software demonstration,Adobe,ReadyTalk

iLinc Releases Version 10

iLinc put out a press release today announcing the release of version 10 of their web conferencing software. Hosted clients should automatically see the new release the next time they log in.

I got a demo of the new release last week. Frank Gartland, the VP of Product & Technology for iLinc, took me through the new features in this release. Most of the improvements are evolutionary rather than revolutionary (to fall back on a well-worn cliche), but they should make life easier for iLinc users.

The company is bullish on the use of live camera feeds in conferences. They have boasted of their ability to display video feeds from multiple participants for quite some time. The new release adds some improvements in the display of these video windows, with the capacity to dock and undock a strip of camera feeds controlled by each participant or by the session leader. They made some cosmetic improvements in the way you see your own video feed as a part of the session, doing away with a potentially confusing "picture in picture" mini window.

There are some other cosmetic changes to the viewing console for participants. The meeting info (meeting session number and phone number) show up in the title bar at the top of the frame. That's a nice obvious reference point for people trying to join. They added some basic audience status indicator icons that participants can set, such as "Applaud," "Raise Hand," and "Step Away."  This has become a fairly common implementation among web conferencing products, for reasons that completely escape me. I would love to hear from any of my readers who have found occasion to use an "Applaud" icon during the course of a conference or formal event.

There is a minor change to slide navigation that seems inconsequential on first glance, but I absolutely love it... The drop-down menu that lets you navigate to any slide in your uploaded deck now displays long titles with the ellipsis in the middle of the text instead of at the end. I wish everyone would do this. Why is it useful? Consider the following slide titles:

• Engineering the Dream: Planning
• Engineering the Dream: Design
• Engineering the Dream: Production
• Engineering the Dream: Feedback

The common way to shorten these is to show the first several characters and then an ellipsis. There is no way to tell which slide is which when you see:

• Engineering the Dr...
• Engineering the Dr...
• Engineering the Dr...
• Engineering the Dr...

But with iLinc, you now seem something like this:

• Enginee...Planning
• Enginee...Design
• Enginee...oduction
• Enginee...eedback

You have a much better chance at figuring out what the shortened title refers to.

iLinc also cleaned up their administrative functions, grouping them into a single access point on the web, with better navigation between items. iLinc offers a massive amount of administrative control and flexibility, so this is a welcome change. Unfortunately, only experienced iLinc administrators will understand what I'm talking about.

The much-hyped iLinc Green Meter got some upgrades as well. Administrators at your company can configure variables to be used for calculations, such as average MPG for auto travel and pricing to be used to estimate cost savings. The meter is also available for display within meeting sessions so that moderators and participants can applaud their eco-friendliness.

I continue to welcome the concept of the green meter and its usefulness in raising awareness of environmental concerns, but the engineer in me shudders at the way it displays exact numeric results as if the underlying computational assumptions were valid for anything more than gross approximations.

There are also improvements to audio handling during web sessions. You can choose from integrated telephony from providers such as Premiere and ConferencePlus, you can use VoIP communications, or you can tie together phone and computer audio in a meeting.

It's nice to see continued research and development paying off in more functionality and ease of use for web conferencing leaders and attendees.

 

Technorati Tags: iLinc,Frank Gartland,webinar,web conference,web conferencing,web meeting,web seminar