Video Conferencing - The Pros and Cons of Video Conferencing

Many businesses conduct video conferencing during meetings. Video conferencing allows you to call anyone in the world and not only speak to them, but also see them on the projector or computer screen. Video conferencing is meant for larger audience such as a conference or meeting, rather than serving the needs of an individual.

As technology becomes more advanced, businesses have made video conferencing an important activity during meetings. However, video conferencing has its pros and cons.

Video conferencing advantages:

1. Able to reach anyone in the world and almost immediately. With video conferencing, there is no need for anyone to travel long distance for conferences and meetings. There will be no geographical and time boundary.

2. Works well for a large audience. During video conferencing, PowerPoint slides and visual display can be projected on a large screen for everyone present in a room. This makes it suitable for conducting conferences and meetings with larger crowd.

3. Allow people at different locations to interact with one another effectively and easily. A phone call only allows 2 people to interact with one another. However, with video conferencing, it allows people from different locations to interact with one another effectively. 3 people in Singapore can interact with 5 people in China and another 3 people in the States easily, with everyone able to hear and see perfectly.

Video conferencing disadvantages:

1. Expensive. The price of a good video conferencing system may be a major concern for most people. So if you do not need advanced features, there are cheap options for you to choose from. However, if you know how to make use of those advanced features, you may find that the money you save flying employees and clients around the country will more than makes up the cost of the video conferencing system. Before you buy any system, make sure that you know what your needs are so that you can get the right one for your company.

2. Lost of human touch. Eye contact is very important during a communication. However with video conferencing, eye contact is not easily delivered through the camera.

Now that you have a list of pros and cons of video conferencing, it is now up to you to decide whether video conferencing is necessary for your business. Before you buy any system, make sure that you conduct a thorough research first so as to choose the best system for your company.

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Video Conferencing - Examining The Virtual Field Trip

Video Conferencing Connects People From Around The World

Those familiar with video conferencing might describe it as a virtual field trip around the world. Video conferencing has the ability to connect consumers, employees and employers and students from around the word. Corporate representatives can use video conferencing to meet with world class experts or business executives in multiple fields, locations and within many different industries to expand their knowledge base, network and improve their strategy and procedures.

Students can use video conferencing to meet with experts and instructors in various fields to enhance their understanding of a particular subject or area of interest. Consumers can use video conferencing to explore exotic locations, vacation spots or perhaps investigate a new area to live in.

Benefits Video Conferencing

More and more individuals and organizations alike are starting to realize the benefits video conferencing has to offer. Video conferencing can increase a non profit organizations ability to extend knowledge of their programs and engage in outreach efforts. Healthcare providers can use video conferencing to communicate with experts in their field from around the world, to solve a new case or come up with new treatment ideas or research areas.

Perhaps the biggest advantage video conferencing has to offer the world today is its ability to connect people from around the world so face to face communication results. This will dramatically increase man's networking ability and our ability to explore, conquer, understand, learn and succeed for years to come. Video conferencing truly is the wave of the future, a method for engaging in virtual field trips to any location in the world.

Article by Frank Owen, visit his web site on video conferencing for more information on video conferencing http://www.videoconferencinginsider.com

The Benefits of Video Conferencing For Your Business

Large businesses these days are growing even larger every single day. Many companies run their operation out of several different locations, and that can make things very difficult. Back in the day people from those different locations would have to fly or drive to a certain location in order to meet and discuss things. However, the advancement of technology has changed all of that. Nowadays, video conferencing has made things a lot easier for businesses all over the world. This article will discuss a few great benefits of conferencing via video.

It is important for any business to save money wherever they can. The more money a business can save the more money that ends up in their pockets as well as their employees' pockets. This just so happens to be one great benefit to video conferencing. A lot of money could be spent flying people from many different locations to one location to meet and discuss things. The more meetings a company has the more it's going to cost them when they meet that way. However, conferencing via video allows people to have a conference without spending a lot of money. This is because no one needs to travel anywhere. Everyone can be present at a meeting without leaving their own office!

The old saying of time is money may be old, but it speaks the truth. Being efficient is a great way for a company to save both time and money. If conferences took place from one location with everyone having to be physically present, that would cost the company a lot of time and money. The time it would take for everyone to meet up at a certain location and then go back to their offices after the conference is time not being well spent. That's just another thing that makes video conferencing so great. Having a conference via video allows people to have a meeting right away with no time being spent traveling!

Many companies have meetings with people from other companies in order to work together and be productive. Well, if these people would have to travel across the country or even across the world it wouldn't be as productive as if they had used video conferencing. Since conferencing this way allows people to do things faster and easier, it will obviously increase productivity. Anyone who runs a business knows that productivity is never a bad thing, and that's just another great benefit to video conferencing. It is truly a great way for a company to be more efficient and productive!

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Web and Video Conferencing - The Art of Online Collaboration

With the advent of the Internet, it has now become possible for individuals to keep in touch with people living far and wide for professional as well as personal purposes. For instance, companies now hold their meetings through Internet. This method is termed as web conferencing. It can involve just two people or a business meeting can also be held with a small group of people. With the help of collaboration via web conferencing, it has now become possible for organizations to interact with their customers irrespective of which part of the world they are located in. This is regarded as the greatest benefit of web conferencing collaboration.

Web conferencing helps in making a business more efficient. This modern technology helps in bringing business close to the prospective customers without any need for travel from one corner of the world to another. You can also hold a meeting with your fellow employees who are located in some other part of the world. The web meetings or conferences are conducted online with the help of desktop computers or laptops by connecting them to the Internet. Holding these meetings online also helps in reducing the cost factor to a great extent and is also a wonderful solution for companies using work-at-home employees.

Web conferencing allows you to demonstrate your newly developed product to the prospective customers, hold general meetings with customers, and make PowerPoint presentations. A video or a telephone connection helps in making the communication much easier. It is regarded as an ideal solution not only for the big corporate houses but also for small business organizations.

The Art of Video Conferencing

Like web & video conferencing is also the new buzzword among small and large businesses located in different parts of the world. Like elsewhere, video conferencing Australia is being widely used for different types of corporate activities like management meetings, sessions for resolving problems, briefing and planning sessions, client presentations, interviewing prospective candidates located in some other country for any vacancy, complex negotiations, holding bi-annual meetings with staff, and so on. Like web conferencing, video conferencing is also an effective collaboration tool and helps in saving a lot of money and time required for travelling from one place to another.

Benefits of Web Conferencing over Video Conferencing

It has some advantages over video conferencing like:

Cheaper and more reliable;
Fewer issues related to firewall configuration;
Requires lower Internet bandwidth;
No need for too much lighting and makeup as participants cannot see each other;
Technically, less difficult to set up and use.Advantages of Video Conferencing over Web.

Video conferencing also has some benefits over web. They are:

Live video feed and hence all the participants can view each other in real-time;
Participants usually feel deeply involved as there is a video element.

For any help on video conferencing Australia, check out the info available online; these will help you learn to find the web conferencing collaboration!

Video Conferencing and Education

How Video Conferencing Can Support Education

Video conferencing technology is all the rage among corporations. Recently educational facilities have begun taking advantage of video conferencing technology to support learning and education. Video conferencing equipment can help facilitate instruction and provide distant learners with a host of resources and access to content providers, teachers, librarians and more.

More and more teachers are adopting video conferencing as a method of enhanced communication and instruction. Many California schools are using video conferencing to connect with one another and produce networks carrying large volumes of video and text data to educational facilities, teachers and students. Other people that benefit from video conferencing technology include librarians who can use video conferencing to develop strategies, provide resources and improve the quality of their service and delivery.

Video conferencing And Learning

Video conferencing facilitates learning by allowing remote or distant learners to meet regardless of their location. Students can take classes at multiple universities. In essence classes that are not available at one location may be available at another through video conferencing. Video conferencing can also benefit non traditional students who are not able to attend classes during normal hours.

Video conferencing can also be used as a career or employee training tool. Many colleges are now collaborating with local businesses to offer students certification and business training. Expert subject matter delivered from individuals in the field is easily delivered to students using this new technology. Student can also take advantage of mentoring services offered by companies in distant locations using video conferencing technology. The possibilities are virtually endless.

Article by Frank Owen, visit his web site on video conferencing for more information on video conferencing http://www.videoconferencinginsider.com

The Impact of Video Conferencing on Education

The Impact of Video Conferencing on Education

Given the importance of education, it's no wonder that many technologies find some of their best uses to be in the classroom. One technology that has seen a great amount of use in schools and colleges is video conferencing, which is a method of transferring audio and video in real time between individuals in different locations. Video conferencing allows students to speak with journalists, politicians, scientists, and a variety of other influential people, as well as allowing teachers and professors to interact with students who are in classrooms at different schools or sometimes even in different states or countries. Video conferencing can even allow different groups of students to interact with each other, allowing them to take part in joint projects or to share cultures that they might not otherwise have access to.

Video Conferencing in the Classroom

When most people think of video conferencing, they think of it in terms of major companies speaking with overseas partners or offices which are located across the country. Video conferencing technology isn't confined simply to business use, of course; a number of primary, secondary, and post-secondary schools make use of video conferencing in some or all of their classrooms in order to allow their students to partake in a wide variety of experiences. This technology can allow the students to interact directly with other classes or important figures who have set aside time to speak with the students in various schools. In some cases the video conferencing events take place in a number of schools simultaneously, so that as many students as possible can take part and have an experience that they will never forget.

Teaching Across the Miles

Another important use of video conferencing is to allow teachers to communicate with students [http://www.polycom-products.com] in different locations who might otherwise not be able to attend classes with that particular teacher or in the subjects that they wish to learn. This is especially popular in a college or university setting, and allows satellite classes to be set up in outlying areas so that the main school can provide their classes to students who may be an hour or more away. This can also allow teachers to easily schedule guest speakers or other teachers from schools across the country or around the world to interact with their class or to provide opinions or input on topics which are being discussed or subjects that are being taught.

Unique Opportunities

As students have more access to video conferencing, they may find themselves having a greater access to unique opportunities as well. It may be possible to take part in special programs via a video feed, which many students would not be able to attend due to distance, cost, or the program being limited to a specific number of people. By adding a video component, programs and opportunities such as these could be opened up to a practically limitless number of people.

Of course, other opportunities may be opened up for students by giving them this sort of exposure to video conferencing technology as well. As the students gain a better understanding of how the technology works and the situations that it can be applied to, they will be better prepared for future situations in the business world in which they may have to work with similar technologies or come up with ideas for how to improve their company's communications network.

Ricardo Trinidad, President of Telcom & Data, is a telecommunications professional. Established in 1997, he has molded his company into a top-notch telecommunications provider. Telcom-Data offers telecommunications solutions to those business professionals in search of quality products and superior services. To view his whole line of products you can visit [http://www.polycom-products.com]

What Is Multi-Point Video Conferencing?

There are times when you need to be able to talk with individuals in other locations, both for personal reasons and for business. To convey simple messages you might choose to use a telephone, cellular phone, or even send an e-mail... unfortunately these methods are only effective if you don't need to interact with the parties involved directly or be able to present visual information to them or view what information they might have to show you. In situations such as that, you may find that multi-point video conferencing can be just what you need.

Though the name may sound complicated, multi-point video conferencing is actually a relatively simple concept. When you are using multi-point video conferencing, you are using a series of cameras and displays which are located in different buildings or offices and that will transmit images from each location to every other location in the video conference. This allows for real-time visual communication without the need or expense of travel that would be required for more traditional meetings.

How Multi-Point Video Conferencing Works

Before you can use multi-point video conferencing, it's first important that you have an understanding of how the technology involved works. Basically, multi-point video conferencing uses a series of cameras, at least one in each location of the conference, and transmits the audio and video that is picked up over a computer network where it is received by the other members of the conference. This works similar to a telephone conference call, allowing all members to interact in real time, but instead of simply being a telephone call the members can see what is going on at the other locations and often can pull up additional information from their computer and display it as a part of the conference as well.

Advantages of Multi-Point Video Conferencing

Multi-point video conferencing can do quite a bit to make communication easier for all members of the conference, presenting them with the opportunity to show important information to the other parties involved or to express their meaning through gestures and body language as well as speech. Since most multi-point video conferencing is done via computer, it also has the advantage of being able to transfer files, take polls, and utilize text chatting and other features that also would not be available form a standard conference call. This can give users a new level of interactivity and make their experiences with the multi-point video conference much more productive and worthwhile.

Uses of Multi-Point Video Conferencing

Given how adaptable the technology can be, there are a variety of ways that individuals and businesses can make use of multi-point video conferencing [http://www.polycom-products.com]. When used by people at home, multi-point video conferencing can allow them to talk with several friends or family members at once and have a "virtual reunion" or share important news. Companies that make use of multi-point video conferencing can host meetings with employees, offices, or business partners in other cities or around the world without having to make the travel arrangements needed to get all of the parties involved together. Multi-point video conferencing can be used by teachers who are doing activities with other classes or who teach several classes at different schools as a form of distance learning, or by members of the scientific community who are attempting to share data and complete research with others in different countries. As advances in multi-point video conferencing technology continue to be made, the only real limit on the usefulness of this method of communication is the imagination and creativity of those who will be using it.

Ricardo Trinidad, President of Telcom & Data, is a telecommunications professional. Established in 1997, he has molded his company into a top-notch telecommunications provider. Telcom-Data offers telecommunications solutions to those business professionals in search of quality products and superior services. To view his whole line of products you can visit [http://www.polycom-products.com]

Using Audio, Web, and Video Conferencing for Distance Learning

Using Audio, Web, and Video Conferencing for Distance Learning

Distance learning has been greatly increasing in popularity over the course of the last several years, and as distance learning technologies become more accessible and less expensive it doesn't look like this trend will be stopping soon. By utilizing modern audio and video conferencing technology combined with web conferencing software, you can greatly increase the effectiveness of distance learning for both the teachers who provide the content and the students who wish to learn it. To help you determine whether audio and video conferencing and web technology can help you to improve your distance learning programs, please consider the following information.

Audio Conferencing

The use of audio conferencing in distance learning can be of great benefit to both teachers and students, since it allows them to interact with one another in ways that standard correspondence and e-mail communication cannot match. By using an audio bridge to allow real-time communication with a number of students at one or more distant locations, an educator can converse directly with students so as to answer any questions that they might have while allowing their comments and other input to drive the class discussion in new and interesting directions. Audio conferencing also allows an advanced distance learning setup to be established with relatively low cost and little technical maintenance. The main drawback to audio conferencing is the fact that there is no visual component to the lessons that are being taught; this is where video conferencing comes into play.

Video Conferencing

In a manner that is very similar to audio conferencing, video conferencing can allow distance educators to interact directly with students in real time. As the name suggests, the main difference between the forms is that video conferencing adds one or more cameras into the mix so that students will be able to see as well as hear the teacher or other speaker as well as any materials that they may present. A video conferencing setup may work in one of two ways... there may be a video camera setup which captures the video and audio of the teacher or speaker and an audio setup which captures the responses of the students (meaning that there is one-way video and two-way audio), or there may be video setups on both ends of the conference connection to capture both video and audio (which allows for real time two-way video communication.) The video which is captured and transmitted (be it one-way video or two-way) is displayed on a television or other monitor at the other end of the connection; audio may also be routed into speakers within the monitor, external speakers, or a separate audio conferencing setup.

Internet Conferencing Solutions

Another alternative for distance learning which is growing in popularity combines both audio and video conferencing with the ease and convenience of internet communication. A number of software companies market internet conferencing software which allows users to not only interact directly with those on the other end of the connection, but additional software components may be integrated and used as well. This can be useful for distance learning educators by allowing them to post questions, quizzes, images, or a variety of other components which the students may then interact with and answer. Internet conferencing may feature either one- or two-way video, and utilizes two-way audio to allow teachers and students to converse as needed during lessons. In many cases software features may be customized to only allow certain users to receive specific content as well, so that sessions with multiple student locations may each have content specific to them as a supplement to the material being discussed by the instructor or other speakers.

Distance learning is increasing in popularity while expenses continue to decrease, and it looks like this trend is here long term. To learn how you can take advantage of these products visit our #1 website for Audio, Web, and Video Conferencing.

Video Conferencing in Houston Leaps to 21st Century with Phonoscope

The benefits of video conferencing have been well-known for some time: reduced travel budget, facilitated collaboration, more cost-effective use of billable employee time, access to off-premise experts such as trainers or lawyers, access to employees in other locations, etc. However, until recently, the cost of the equipment, the special expertise needed to operate it, and low picture and sound quality have been major factors inhibiting the widespread use of video conferencing. For Houston and surrounding areas, those problems have disappeared. Video conferencing vendors everywhere have been scrambling to revamp their products in the past few years to make their systems better, more affordable, and easier to use and manage. But no one that I’ve researched has come close to the product that Houston’s Phonoscope offers in terms of price, quality, applications, and ease of use.

Phonoscope has been a technology leader in Houston since opening in 1953 and holds the nation’s largest privately owned fiber optic Metropolitan Area Network (MAN). Phonoscope provided Houston’s first cable television company, and in 1958, began the installation of the world’s first large scale “talk and see” two-way audio/video television network for the Galveston School District—the original video conferencing system. Today, Phonoscope supplies customers with the most innovative video conferencing available at a reasonable price without huge upfront equipment expense. With its massive fiber optic coverage in Houston, Phonoscope is near most business locations throughout the Greater Houston Area, spanning five counties to reach locations such as Baytown, Freeport, Magnolia, Richmond-Rosenberg, Splendora, Texas City and Willis, Texas.

Ten years ago, companies were paying on an average of $75,000 or more for a standard video conferencing system with only enough equipment for a couple of conference rooms. Now you can find room-based systems for as little as $5,000 to $20,000 and then you pay monthly for your broadband service--still fairly pricey for many small to mid-size companies. Enter Phonoscope with no equipment purchase costs. The Phonoscope high definition Video Conferencing System is supplied through the company’s utility services, and the equipment is provided and maintained as part of the monthly service. Phonoscope offers T3 Internet services, allowing video conferencing to transfer through fiber optics, putting their competition at the end of the line in regard to reliability, latency and speed. However, the true value of the Phonoscope’s system is found in the video conferencing applications the company offers: health services, legal services, corporate training, education, and more.

Medical professionals are available by simply dialing a four-digit number to Phonoscope’s Health Service through the video conferencing system. The benefits of this service to companies include employee benefit solutions, such as onsite medical assistance, immediate access to a physician, prescriptions and refills, health profiles, preventative screening, and chronic disease management. The service also provides employees with wellness training, smoking cessation programs, stress management, nutritional counseling and therapy, and a 24 hour TeleNurse. HR departments are aided with healthcare reporting, assistance in obtaining carrier credit for reduced health insurance costs, individualized healthcare plans and tracking of patient compliance, OSHA training/compliance, pre-employment screening, support with integrated data merge in records, and data capture that meets HIPPA guidelines.

Phonoscope has affiliated with a local law firm, Marc J. Krasney, P.C., to offer corporate In-House counsel services, via their Phonoscope units on a flat fee monthly basis. This service is for any company requiring dedicated in-house legal management without the need or resources for an in-house legal department or outside law firm. Gone are the days where you must drive across town and face traffic to meet with your counsel to discuss questions arising out of normal day-to-day operations such as contracting, leasing, corporate law and procedure, and employment law. By simply dialing a four-digit number, companies can visit face-to-face with a lawyer and at the same time review any documents. This law firm also assists with negotiating and signing agreements with customers, suppliers, employees, subcontractors, distributors, and regulatory agencies, and perform Corporate Secretarial Functions. Marc J. Krasney, P.C. can help you prepare materials for director and shareholder meetings, attend the meetings via Phonoscope, give advice on corporate procedures, store your corporate books, and produce minutes.

For lawyers, Phonoscope Video Conferencing System will soon connect their law firm to the Harris County Courthouse so the lawyer can appear via video rather than in person for motion hearings. Phonoscope Legal Service is partnering with key mediators through the Greater Houston area market to allow lawyers the ability to participate in mediation without leaving the office and offers a full service court reporting company with knowledgeable court reporters that will allow the firm to conduct depositions over the Phonoscope network. The deposition is conducted just as if the lawyer were actually in the room with the witness without needless delay typically associated with video conferencing, and the deposition is recorded in real time. Both the video and the transcript will be available immediately following the deposition (in a rough draft form) on a dedicated server accessed through password protected software from anyplace at anytime.

Phonoscope Corporate Training is another valuable application on the Phonoscope Video Conferencing System. Considering that the latest figures show that dealing with poorly performing employees cost businesses in the United States $105 billion last year, employee training may be one of the most important expenditures a company can make in terms of getting a serious return on their investments. The right training can improve employee performance and production, decrease management’s problem-solving time, and improve customer satisfaction. But, that training has in the past been expensive and frequently required that employees be off-site for a number of days. With Phonoscope Corporate Training, companies can reduce the time and money spent on training while receiving quality that offers high ROI.

All Phonoscope services, from cable to internet to High Definition video conferencing and applications, are provided over fiber optics -- at the speed of light!

Vickie Adair is the senior technical writer at Media A-Team (http://www.mediaateam.com) and also publishes as a freelance writer. She writes for http://www.houstonmanufacturers.com, a website for Houston manufacturers, providers, and suppliers, and http://www.natural-products-directory.com, a directory of online business that sell or manufacture organic and/or natural products.

8 Advantages of Video Conferencing For Small Businesses

There are many advantages for small businesses to use video conferencing on a daily basis as an effective tool. For example, you can keep in touch with employees - no matter where they are located. Not to mention cutting travel costs and time away from the office to attend business meetings.

Here are 8 Advantages of Video Conferencing:

1) Meeting online saves on expenses

No longer is it necessary to travel from location to location, paying high gas prices, or expensive hotel stays and food expenses.

2) Save Time and be more productive

You and your employees will be able to get more work done in less time by eliminating the need to travel to other locations to attend meetings. Simply meet and collaborate online - saving a lot of valuable time and energy.

3) Video conferencing Equipment is now affordable

Online conferences is no longer just for large corporations with deep pockets. The only thing you need is a computer, ann internet connection, a webcam/microphone, and a reliable service provider. Even small businesses can afford as little as $49 dollars a month to benefit from the convenience and ease of video conferences.

4) Meet As often as you need

Logistics can make it difficult for employees to attend meetings. With video conferencing, every one can attend in minutes without having to leave your office or location.

5) Speed Up Decision Making

Make faster decisions by including all key decision makers in an online meeting. Even if they're traveling in China!

6) Safety

Commuting long distances in poor or bad weather is risky. And more people are nervous about air travel with the threat of terrorists. Employees are concerned about their safety in traveling to distant locations. Video conferencing eliminates these and other risks associated with traveling.

7) Improves customer relations

Customers can make or break your small business. But it's expensive calling frequent business meetings with your clients. You can drastically cut this cost and still meet face to face with video conferencing. Plus, you can skip the high cost of a conference room.

8) Higher quality of life

Instead of spending your time on business travel, your employees will appreciate being able to attend important meetings from the comfort of their office or desk. This leaves more free time to spend with loved ones, volunteer in the community, or pursue interests and hobbies.

With so many advantages of video conferencing, it's fast becoming as important to business management as your cell phone and laptop.

Start cutting 68% or more off your business costs with video conferences HERE

Plus, 2 FREE web cameras...yours to keep...even if you decide to cancel.

A Cheap Solution For Small Business Video Conferencing

For a small business trying to decide on a network solution which will be required to support video conferencing .... the journey can be aggravating.

Basically ..... Give me an open check and I will spend every dime on bandwidth pipes. Give me a fixed budget and I will squeeze every dime of bandwidth with compression techniques and accept the quality trade off.

Therein lies the dilemma ..... bandwidth vs quality.

So this is really not a question of bandwidth, but QoS (Quality of Service).

If you're willing to accept some risk in QoS to keep your budget under control.....there are options open to you.

With the bandwidth, you would scale to the number of users using the video/multimedia streaming network. About 384kbps per active connection per direction is the scaling for basic video conferencing(320x240). For 640x480 double it, and for 1080i HD 3-7Mbps for each feed.

LAN - Local Area Network, the one you buy and build

WAN - The one you lease and pay for, DSL etc

DSL - Digital Subscriber Line, 3-7Mbps

VPN - Virtual Private Networking, key technology for your solution

For your LAN network topology you want Ethernet at each video conferencing location. This is standard for most all LANs. Your WAN or Wide Area Network connection is the one that needs speculation. Just 10 years ago your choice would have been either a few T-1's at 1.5Mbps each, T-3 at 45Mbps, or Fibre for near limitless bandwidth depending on the above calculated bandwidth need.

Today's internet backbone is much more developed and can handle VPN over cable/DSL very well. VPN is creating a virtual software driven dedicated connection over a broadband connection like DSL.

Many (Linksys) network routers come with VPN capabilities. This should be the first solution attempt because it is exponentially cheaper than any other way. All you would require is a VPN router (Linksys $100) and 3-7Mbps DSL/Cable at each video feed location. Don't forget to get static IP's for each DSL location so you can make your VPN a permanent structure of the internet.

That's the basics. If you need help finding a DSL or cable provider in your area that won't steal your wallet .... visit us at Broadband Nation.

Michael is the owner of FreedomFire Communications....including DS3-Bandwidth.com and Business-VoIP-Solution.com. Michael also authors Broadband Nation where you're always welcome to drop in and catch up on the latest BroadBand news, tips, insights, and ramblings for the masses.

Video Conferencing Public Rooms- Go Public, Go Practical

Your business is going global. You've got people working for you in Bangkok, Auckland, Florence, and Paris. Thankfully for you and the people who work for you, gone are the days of waiting for telegrams to arrive. Nor is there any need for you to yell in competition with inaudible static just to get your message across. In this day and age, modern technology has made it possible for you to connect with real people in real time. Thanks to a wondrous little innovation called video conferencing, you can connect to your liaisons officer in Zimbabwe and talk to him almost as if he were in the same room with you.

Video, What?

Video conferencing technology allows you to utilize the Internet to send or receive audio files and images to any or all of your business associates around the world and vice versa. The quality of the sound and images you send and receive is dependent on the speed of your Internet service provider, so if you don't want your image frozen in mid-blink with half-closed eyelids, high-speed is the way to go.

Can You Afford It?

Video conferencing equipment is usually set up in conference or board rooms. Video conferencing equipment does not come cheap, however. High-tech video conferencing equipment includes LCD screens and projectors, routers, and speaker phones, and would eat up a hefty chunk of last year's profits. If your company can afford it, though, then by all means, purchase all the equipment you need. If you're still cutting corners or just breaking even, however, purchasing video conferencing equipment would not be a good idea.

Make It Public!

Who's to say you can't use video conferencing technology? Even if your resources are not as bottomless as your ambitions, you can still use video conferencing technology. How? By utilizing video conferencing public rooms! Video conferencing public rooms are conference rooms with the necessary state-of-the-art video conferencing equipment you need. They may be rented or leased.

The good thing about video conferencing public rooms is that you can use one for a very small fee. This makes it the cost-efficient alternative to having to set up your own video conferencing room. In video conferencing public rooms, you simply inform operators know what you need, how long you need it for, and when you need it. These operators will take care of everything for you, from the conference set-up to equipment maintenance. Undoubtedly, video conferencing public rooms will save your company not just money but also time and manpower.

Going Public

So, now the next concern is finding the best among the multitude of video conferencing public rooms available. One of the more popular video conferencing public rooms is FedEx's Kinko's. Kinko's boasts of 120 locations worldwide and is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It provides the latest video conferencing equipment. You even have the option of having your meeting videotaped, so you can review the proceedings at your leisure or monitor which of your executives slept while you talked.

Proximity also offers video conferencing public rooms in 3,500 locations worldwide. They can organize video conferencing involving as few as two to as many as 5,000 participants. All you have to do is show up. You don't need to worry about a thing.

Video conferencing public rooms are sprouting like mushrooms everywhere, from shopping malls to hotels and even subway stations. Pluck the right mushroom and you'll be guaranteed seamless and convenient video conferencing no matter where in the world you might be.

Save like you've never saved before through video conferencing public rooms! Visit http://www.Video-Conferencing-Guide.com now and learn more about choosing videoconferencing companies and video conferencing rooms.