Desktop video conferencing for remote presentations and file collaboration.
When it comes to teaching, there is little substitute for face-to-face contact. The trouble is, it’s not always possible to travel to every office and train each person individually. Fortunatley, collaborative software gives you the chance to conduct teaching and training remotely. Below, we’ll discuss some of the main features you can use, and recommend products. Take Control One of the most popular e-learning situations is showing people how to use software. Conducting training in an ‘over-the-shoulder’ way can really help your trainees to learn. Some possible uses - Record and Replay Most software we review on this site has the ability to record meetings, and that content can also be replayed by your trainees or yourself. Some collaborative software (notably Live Meeting) has the option for you to store those recordings on the server, which means anyone you grant access to can download the recording at a later date. You might also consider more complex scenarios where a training event consists purely of recordings, which can be accessed one by one. Remote Classroom Although it stretches slightly into the realm of full-blown video conferencing, there’s also the opportunity to broadcast video in a classroom, or record classroom-based teaching which can then be broadcast online. Some software is better suited to it than others, but this is fast becoming a popular way to use video conferencing software. What are your options? Most of the software we’ve reviewed on this site has the capability for basic e-learning situations, and as we stated before the most common e-learning useis for IT training where they all do a great job. Microsoft Live Meeting Live Meeting professional is in our opinion the most feature-rich solution for e-learning. If you’re doing anything more than simple IT training, then you’ll appreciate the ability to create public event pages, and also set up your own tests which you can then login to see results. A well-thought out package. Read Overview – Microsoft Live Meeting Read Review – Microsoft Live Meeting Citrix Goto Meeting Dubbed as one of the simplest to use, GoToMeeting is very easy to get up and running and it’s possible to run very quick e-learning sessions with this application. Your participants do need to download a small client, so it’s not entirely web based. Again though, it’s easy to set up. Overall, although it doesn’t have all the features of Live Meeting, it’s simple and fast to use. Read Overview – Citrix GotoMeeting Read Review – Citrix Goto Meeting DimDim Alternatively if you want something that doesnt’ require any software at all and can be conducted on any computer with any browser, then definitely consider DimDim. It’s very fast and has a lot of features considering it’s browser-based. Recording training is also a possibility with DimDim. The price is also a standout feature of this – typically costing far less than many of the other similar applications, and aimed at small businesses and professionals. Read Overview – DimDim Read Review – DimDim Beam Your Screen Sometimes all you really need to do is show someone your screen and phone them up to talk through it. Simples! Beam Your Screen doesn’t have some of the advanced capabilities of Live Meeting, but it will let you conduct very basic IT training sessions. It’s pretty fast to get up and running and is browser based, but there’s no video link. A telephone conference bridge is provided. Read Overview – Beam Your Screen Read Review – Beam Your Screen Webex Market leader Cisco in fact has many different products suited to different environments. Their standard product Webex copes with e-learning quite well, and lets you set up training events and show your video. There’s also free-phone audio conference bridging if that’s required – otherwise you can use your webcam and microphone. Read Overview – Cisco Webex Read Review - Cisco Webex
0
Live Meeting is a web-based video conferencing software solution that integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Office products including Outlook, Powerpoint and Excel. It allows you to meet colleagues, suppliers or clients virtually for one-to-one video chats, or larger webinar situations. Live Meeting can be easily tied into larger scale events, conferences or training events. It’s also ideal as software for e-classrooms, and can be a lifeline for remote teaching and training. A single license can allow you to conference with up to 1250 people at any one time, so please explore this site and request a free trial when you’re ready. Two minute overview video: You can do as little or as much as you like with Live Meeting, from basic tasks such as having a video conferece with someone, to more advanced things like setting up real world conferences or organising an online webinar event. It’s pretty powerful and we believe it’s one of the most comprehensive solutions out there. Q&A People can ask questions in meetings, and the administrator can control who gets the floor. Whiteboard Allow colleagues to brainstorm with each other, illustrate ideas or annotate diagrams. Handouts Give participants the chance to download a document/handout so they’ll know the agenda for your meeting Events Set up larger scale events and training schedules Polls / Surveys Monitor attendance and participation (particularly useful for e-learning situations). Also gain valuable feedback on your meeting or conference. Video and Audio streaming Easy to use and works very well with Microsoft Outlook Integration Organise meetings straight from outlook – although you can also use the client, or your own email client. Also available – Lotus Notes plugin. Cross-platform compatibility Use the web-based version of Live Meeting to allow anyone to access your video conference, regardless of whether they’re running Windows.
Off
Now that bonuses are off the cards, many employers are wondering how to improve staff retention without adding to the payroll burden. One fantastic way to help staff loyalty is to offer the opportunity for staff to work at home. But if you’re relying on email and a phone line, communication can very quickly break down. It’s not surprising that home-working has taken longer to take off than anticipated: many colleagues view their home-working colleageus with suspicion, and bosses are often reluctant to free thier employees from office-bound desks. Live Meeting provides an excellent solution, since it allows people to interact with office-based employees much more easily. Some of the ways Live Meeting can be specifically useful to home-workers include:
Much better than relying on phone contact, Live Meeting provides a more robust means of communication. Use your webcam (supplied) and microphone to see the other person while you explain something, or while you present material.
One of the problems traditionally associated with working in different locations has been the inability to collaborate effectively on documents. Live Meeting lets you share a programme or document easily, and make changes together in real time. At the end of your meeting, the document is saved in a central location, and when you re-open the virtual meeting room, your file is there waiting for you.
Because Live Meeting ties into Microsoft Office so well, you can easily schedule meetings by using Outlook. If you’re using Outlook’s shared calendars features, it’s easy to set up Live Meetings when you know your colleagues will be free. As soon as you request a meeting, the invitation is sent via email and automatically put in the calendar if accepted. See this post for more about the Outlook integration.
Now that bonuses are off the cards, many employers are wondering how to improve staff retention without adding to the payroll burden. One fantastic way to help staff loyalty is to offer the opportunity for staff to work at home.
But if you’re relying on email and a phone line, communication can very quickly break down. It’s not surprising that home-working has taken longer to take off than anticipated: many colleagues view their home-working colleageus with suspicion, and bosses are often reluctant to free thier employees from office-bound desks.
Live Meeting provides an excellent solution, since it allows people to interact with office-based employees much more easily. Some of the ways Live Meeting can be specifically useful to home-workers include:
- Set up face-to-face meetings with a webcam
Much better than relying on phone contact, Live Meeting provides a more robust means of communication. Use your webcam (supplied) and microphone to see the other person while you explain something, or while you present material. - Share and collaborate on documents easily
One of the problems traditionally associated with working in different locations has been the inability to collaborate effectively on documents. Live Meeting lets you share a programme or document easily, and make changes together in real time. At the end of your meeting, the document is saved in a central location, and when you re-open the virtual meeting room, your file is there waiting for you.
- Allow home workers to link-in to office meetings Live Meeting also provides the ability to link real-life meetings with off-site colleauges. Using Roundtable, a meeting can be set up which will provide a live video link of all participants. Anyone with a Live Meeting license can then join the meeting and participate. For more about Roundtable, please see this post.
- Outlook calendars integration
Because Live Meeting ties into Microsoft Office so well, you can easily schedule meetings by using Outlook. If you’re using Outlook’s shared calendars features, it’s easy to set up Live Meetings when you know your colleagues will be free. As soon as you request a meeting, the invitation is sent via email and automatically put in the calendar if accepted. See this post for more about the Outlook integration.
Roundtable is a 360 degree webcam that’s designed to be used with Live Meeting. In a nutshell, the Roundtable camera can simultaneously film anyone sitting around a table (hence the name), as well as record their sound. When one person speaks, the camera automatically shows that person’s face in the main window of a Live Meeting. During a video conference using Roundtable, all participants can be seen simultaneously on the bottom of the console. The advantages of such as system include: Microsoft have released an amusing advert to demonstrate the product, and seeing Roundtable in action is a far better way to understand how it works! In this example, two real-life offices are linked by a single license of Live Meeting using two Roundtable cameras, laptops and projectors.
We’ll be setting up your free trial of Live Meeting in the next 24 hours. In the mean time, please download our set-up guide to help you get started.
Live Meeting is availble in both standard and professional editions. The features are shown in the table below:
15 1250
Standard
Professional
Outlook Integration
Launch from Instant Messaging
Online Attendee Registration
Public Events Page
Custom Branding
Training & Meeting Assistance
Powerpoint Sharing
Distribute Handouts
Desktop & Software Sharing
Remote Application Control / Support
Interactive Whiteboard
Share Notes During Meeting
Q & A
Virtual Breakout Room
Polls & Surveys
Handout Distribution
Webcam / Mic Integration
Roundtable Compatible
Audio Streaming via PC
Secure, Encrypted Connection
Maximum Attendees
Full Technical Support
Attendee Reports
Record & Archive Meetings
One of the great things about Live Meeting is how easy it is to use; especially if you’re already using other Office products such as Outlook. Live Meeting comes with a free Outlook plugin, which will enable you to start a meeting straight from your Outlook client. You can also use the plugin to create invitation emails, and send to whomever you want to attend your meeting. The email generated automatically includes all access details for the meeting. The attendees you’ve invited have two options if they want to join your meeting. Either they can download the Live Meeting client and install it on their Windows machine. Otherwise, they can use the web client, which can be used by anyone with an Internet browser and a broadband connection. Although this route does not allow certain features, it’s particularly useful for a webinar situation when a larger group of people may be attending without wishing to use every function of Live Meeting. Click above image to enlarge : The plugin for Outlook adds three buttons to your Outlook client which can be used to launch the Live Meeting client, or schedule future meetings. Click above image to enlarge: Once you’ve scheduled a meeting, a calendar event is automatically posted. Especially useful if you’re using Outlook’s shared calendars feature. Click above image to enlarge: Instantly create invitation emails using the Live Meeting toolbar in Outlook. This gives the exact details for your meeting to anyone you send the email to. Schedule a Live Meeting just as you would set up an ordinary meeting in Outlook. Easy!
If you’re running a conference or any kind of scenario where you’ll be scheduling a number of Live Meetings, the public events page may be very useful. In short, the public events page can be set up within the Live Meeting conference centre, and allows you to publish details of your Live Meeting (or series of Live Meetings) online. You can create the agenda, and then email all possible participants the web address of your events page, where they can go to sign up for your Event. This page is also where your guests can download a recording of the meeting, and any associated files such as handouts, shared notes and powerpoint slides. Click to enlarge Wondering what Events are all about? Read this post to find out more about Live Meeting Events.
Not only does Live Meeting allow you to have one-to-one meetings on the fly with colleagues and clients. The video confefencing software can also be used to set up larger-scale events with more attendees. Events allows you to manage these larger-scale scenarios. If for instance, you’re planning to conduct a series of Live Meetings on different days, set up an Event to schedule all the Live Meetings and then simply send an email to all possible attendees, which points them to your Public Events Page. Alternatively, if you’re staging a series of talks and want to allow online access, simply create a Live Meeting for the time when your real-world event is going to happen. There’s more about that in this post about why you might consider tying Live Meeting to a real-world event. Click above image to enlarge : The Events page lets you create an event easily. You can schedule Live Meetings, customise the branding of your events page and set up questions / tests for attendees. When the event is set up, just paste your list of email addresses into the relevant box and all potential attendees will be notified of the event.
Quite often, not all participants are able to attend a lecture or talk. With some of the more advanced video conferencing software packages, you can broadcast the events in a real world conference via the web. It’s actually easier (and probably cheaper) to do than you think. The advantages are as follows Software for connecting your conference to the world: Microsoft Live Meeting With events pages and attendee registration options, a smart conference organiser would manage an entire conference using this system. Broadcast your meetings, set access privaledges and use features like Q&A to screen questions from the virtual floor. Read Overview – Microsoft Live Meeting Read Review – Microsoft Live Meeting Webex Cisco contains many of the same features as Live Meeting, and you can use it to set up an event using the Event Centre in much the same way. This allows you to invite up to 3,000 attendees to your conference. And much like Live Meeting you can also set up Q&A sessions, polls and follow up attendance with emails and surveys. Read Overview – Cisco Webex Read Review – Cisco Webex