Archive for the ‘video-conferencing’ Category

conference call providers

Thursday, February 26th, 2009

Conference Call Providers

Writen by Eddie Tobey

Conference call providers are the ones who enable the basic service for conference calls, either on web conferencing software or on a comparative low cost audio conferencing solution for online conference call meetings. They provide advanced teleconferencing platforms for customers to place international phone calls to anywhere in the world. With these features and calling flexibility, the telecom costs can be easily reduced by 90% over the traditional phone companies. This helps businesses to save money on international phone bills.

An organization can have up to 50 people connected on a single call through a conference caller, and be billed the same rate as a regular phone call. They don’t have to pay those high per-minute rates from other telecom companies. Conference call providers use the latest digital routing and switching equipment. Nowadays, conference call providers use full fiber-optic cabling throughout the network, providing callers with the finest quality service available, with a good bandwidth and less noise and transmission errors. There are multiple options to connect to a conference call provider. You can dial into a local toll-free access number, enter your conference code and get connected.

For conference call providers, with Conference Caller Web Dial Out, the calls are initiated via the Internet, are able to be received at any time of the day, 7 days a week. The fully automated system acts as a 24-hour operator, connecting organizations to their international partners and clients.

A lot of these providers are full-service conference call companies offering quality service and low-cost options. These companies provide personalized service for all of your conferencing needs. Affordable conference call provider rates, obviously, are preferred by most businesses. Reasonable pricing is the growing trend in the conferencing industry. Conference call providers are battling for their share of the marketplace. One must be sure to discuss and negotiate the best deals from their providers.

One should note that many providers offer a limited selection of conferencing services. Most of the companies specialize in one or two services, like audio, video, web, or data. Web collaboration software, video equipment, and conferencing phones are also offered by some companies.

Conference Call provides detailed information on Conference Call, Conference Call Services, Audio Conference Call, Conference Call Providers and more. Conference Call is affiliated with Cheap Conference Calling.

audio visual equipment

Monday, February 23rd, 2009

Audio Visual Equipment

Writen by Jimmy Sturo

Whether you are in the media industry or simply need to make effective presentations either in school or at work, you need some basic know-how of different types of audiovisual equipment in order to use them to your advantage. Read on to find out what the latest audiovisual presentation tools are and to see how they can work for you.

The latest in audiovisual presentation technology is the plasma monitor, which is now common not only in advertising agencies but in boardrooms and university halls. These monitors are cleverly thin but never fail to deliver clear images and clear sound in any setting - whether it is a crowded theater or a private conference room. Many plasma monitor models feature very useful on-screen menus that let you easily adjust images. They also come with built-in speakers that can stand alone but can also be augmented with external high-fidelity units for bigger presentations. What’s more, a plasma monitor is highly compatible with any computer system - just hook it up to your laptop and flash your audiovisual presentation clearly, so that even audiences from a distance can appreciate your work.

An LCD projector is an upgrade to the old acetate projector; LCD projectors allow even rookies to share professional-looking presentations anytime, anywhere. Gone are the days of heavy, overheating LCD projectors - they now come in lightweight models that are perfect for an active lifestyle. Most of these powerful yet portable LCD projectors easily connect to any kind of computer, whether it is Windows based or a Mac. Instantly project any presentation from your hard drive or from an external storage media (such as a CD or DVD).

Digital video cameras allow you to shoot, edit, and present instant audiovisual presentations. These nifty gadgets let you easily transfer your videos onto your computer for manipulation. They also hook up easily to both LCD projectors and plasma monitors for quick presentations. It’s very easy to convert digital video into any format, making the possibilities for your audiovisual presentation virtually limitless.

Audio Visual provides detailed information on Audio Visual, Audio Visual Equipment, Audio Visual Rentals, Audio Visual Presentations and more. Audio Visual is affiliated with Alpha Numeric Pagers.

ip cameras a new booming market

Monday, February 23rd, 2009

IP Cameras - A New Booming Market

Writen by Wes Fernley

What is a IP Network Camera?

In simplest terms, an IP Camera is a stand-alone device that transmits audio and video through a standard CAT5 Network Cable. It has a built-in web server which allows the camera to run individually without a PC having to be connected. It also allows you to view the audio and video by connecting directly to the camera with your internet browser without any software being installed. This allows you access the camera from any location, even over the Internet.

IP cameras have many advantages over tradition CCTV security cameras. Some of these features include wireless connectivity, the ability to view video remotely over the Internet, the ability to record to a remote location and lower cost.

Advanced features of Network Cameras can offer added security for certain applications. These features include, Motion Detection, Pan/Tilt/Zoom, Infrared, Analog Output and Two-way Audio.

Lets discuss these features in greater detail.

Motion Detection

Some Network Cameras come with a feature called Motion Detection. Hot-Spots can be setup within the video frame to detect motion. Once motion is detected, the camera will begin recording or generate a snapshot which can be Emailed or sent to a web server via FTP of the detected motion. Snapshots can also be sent of images prior to the motion and after the motion.

Pan/Tilt/Zoom

Having the ability to Pan and Tilt adds greater security if you have a large viewing area. Once logged into a Network Camera with Pan and Tilt capabilities, controls appear next to your video allowing you to move the camera left, right, up and down. The controls can be used even over the Internet.

Along with the Pan and Tilt feature, some cameras come with Zoom. Zooming is also handy when a greater detail of video is needed. Network Cameras can come with two methods of Zooming: Optical and Digital. One is called Digital Zoom.

Digital Zoom discards pixels around the edge of the video fitting the remaining pixels into the same space to give the appearance of Zooming in. This comes with the expense of resolution and causes the Zoomed image to look very pixilated.

A post was made on the NetworkCameraReviews.com forums that addresses the differences between digital zoom and optical zoom. Click here to view the post.

Infrared

When needing to view video in the dark, Infrared is the way to go. Cameras can come with a built-in IR (Infrared) lens or the ability for an add-on IR lens to be equipped. Infrared is a wave of light that is outside of the visible part of the color spectrum. Infrared illuminators shine this wave of light which the lens picks up.

Analog Output

Some cameras come with an Analog Output to configure your camera to be notified of opened doors, alarms, or other events. Once notified of these events, the camera will start taking snapshots or video.

Two-way Audio

A Majority of cameras have audio built-in to the camera. This allows you to hear audio along with the video the camera displays. Some cameras come with Two-Way Audio.

There are two types of Two-Way Audio. One is a Full-Duplex Two-Way Audio that allows the user at the PC to hear audio from the camera and also speak back to the camera and have audio come out of the camera itself. Some cameras have a speaker port on the back to plug in external speakers which will give off the audio. The second type is a Two-Way Audio within the camera itself. The camera will pickup audio and send the audio to the speakers hookedup to the camera.

In the next article we will be addressing how IP cameras work.

Wes Fernley runs a website called NetworkCameraReviews.com, a free online resource for users to learn about IP Network Cameras. He provides free consultation and advice. His roles include tech support, web design and sales. He can be reach via email at wes@networkcamerareviews.com

web conferencing 101 the future of meetings starts here

Thursday, February 19th, 2009

Web Conferencing 101 - The Future of Meetings Starts Here

Writen by Frederick Valencia

Simply put, web conferencing is conducting meetings using the internet.

With web conferencing, attendees can share presentations and other contents of their desktop. This type of collaboration can be extremely effective when used for salesforce training or demonstrations to large, scattered groups. Web conferencing usually includes interactive chat, Powerpoint presentations, streaming audio and video, and other implements.

Let’s say we both want to meet to talk about a very important topic. I live in Australia while you in the US. Instead of spending thousands of dollars on travel cost alone, we can have a cheap and highly productive meeting right here, right now. How?

Go to your computer. Connect to the internet. Join a meeting. And that’s it! We’re already conferencing. It’s that easy. Anytime two persons or more hold a meeting over the internet, that’s what we call web conferencing.

It all starts with a software that the conference host downloads and installs on his computer. For a serious piece of communication software, web conferencing programs nowadays are amazingly small and unnoticeable. They will continue to get tinier as the years or even months go by.

Then the host begins inviting participants to attend the meeting. Most if not all web conferencing services I’ve seen have a built-in system of announcing to attendees in advance thru email.

To join a meeting, each participant should first download and install a little program of their own, at times even smaller than what the host is using. Or better yet, some setups don’t even require attendees including the host to download and install any kind of software (web browser-based).

Generally, once all the partakers have done their part in setting up their computers for web conferencing, what’s left is for each partaker to type in a few keystrokes, click the mouse button and begin conferencing. Typically, the entire process of setting up a web conference from ground zero will take around 15 minutes for the host and about 10 minutes for each member. After the one-time setup, subsequent meetings will commence in less than 5 minutes for everyone.

Basic web conferencing allows you to “text chat” with any or all of the attendees. If that’s not enough, you can use toll-free lines to add voice communication for that all-important clarity of thought. Yes, you read it right. There are companies offering toll-free lines just for conferencing.

But even voice connection can be web-based too. It’s possible thru VoIP or Voice Over Internet Protocol. This technology uses the internet, not regular phone lines, as it delivers your voice to one or all participants.

Although web conferencing will never replace face-to-face or mission-critical meetings, you should at least explore its practical uses for you and your organization. Give it a test run and witness the breakthrough efficiency of having that all important collaboration called web conferencing.

Frederick Valencia is a Netrepreneur, Writer and Owner Editor of Cheap-Web-Conferencing.com, your Definitive Guide for direct to the point information about Affordable Web Conferencing Solutions.

surveillance hidden bathroom cameras

Sunday, February 15th, 2009

Surveillance: Hidden Bathroom Cameras

Writen by John Francis

It seems we are being spied on everywhere. When the world doesn’t feel safe, schools and businesses revert to using electronic surveillance. Generally this consists of hidden cameras. Sometimes there are even hidden bathroom cameras.

Schools are using surveillance more and more frequently. This is supposed to help keep students safe. It also helps to solve crimes that have already occurred. Knowing cameras are there causes students to think before engaging in misbehavior.

Some parents also favor surveillance cameras in the schools. They think it keeps kids and teachers safer. Others view it as invasion of privacy. They are afraid that we will teach kids that monitoring their behavior is normal, that they should expect life to be like that. They think it adds a prison feel to the school.

Bad behavior can happen anywhere, including bathrooms. If cameras are everywhere but bathrooms, then bathrooms can become an unsafe environment as those who want to cause trouble at school do it the only place they can. School officials who use hidden bathroom cameras say that they are not used in showers or stalls. Hidden bathroom cameras aim at places like sinks and entrances. They are not placed in more private areas.

Surveillance is becoming common in other areas as well. Some businesses monitor their premises. Employees are left to wonder if the cameras are really intended to monitor them instead.

Department stores use monitoring equipment to assist with shoplifting prosecution. Shoppers know that there may be cameras in stores and don’t mind this because they are made aware of it. What is more disturbing is that hidden cameras have been found in dressing rooms. In many states stores can place them wherever they want, making hidden bathroom cameras legal.

Perform an internet search for hidden bathroom cameras and you will find a number of pornography sites. These sites often claim to have hidden webcams in the bathrooms at various institutions. This means that your daughter, your wife, your mother, or even you could unknowingly appear on camera while in the bathroom stall while others online are watching. If you are inclined to patronize pornographic websites, remember that the ones offering hidden cameras could be hurting your loved ones.

Hidden bathroom cameras can serve a purpose if they are not in stalls or showers. If a business or school that is relatively safe uses them, one must question why. In the quest for safety, we are headed for a world of surveillance in our most private moments. Somehow we must balance our need for safety with our right to privacy. In America, we still have that right. Let’s strive to keep it.

http://bathroomsdesignsi.com Everything you need to know about bathroom designs.

web conferencing best way of communication

Saturday, February 14th, 2009

Web Conferencing - Best Way of Communication

Writen by Sardool Sikandar

Web conferencing or computer conferencing is a way to hold live presentations over the Internet. Generally it is used for group discussions or business conferences. Each member of web conference sits at their PC and can be easily connected to other members through Internet. It may be accompanied either via telephone or VoIP; sometimes text chat is also used instead of voice. It is an easy method to save money as well as time.

Nowadays web conferencing is one of the basic requirements of each organization. Web conferencing is of several types such as web meeting, the Webcast, the Webinar, online presenting, and online collaboration. Users can choose any of them as per their needs. It refers to audio, video or text-based conversations that are conducted in real time.

It is the best for the people who deal within global market place. Web conferencing enables you to be in two places simultaneously. You can attend business meetings while sitting at your home or office. Microsoft NetMeeting or Yahoo Messenger are free downloads forms of web conferencing. Users can invite their dear ones to participate in text-based chats for real time communication. It allows holding seminars and presentations for hundreds of delegates at same time. You can transmit files, documents and slide show presentations with web conferencing.

Web conferencing cuts traveling costs such as tickets, accommodation, subsistence etc. It allows you to meet a person regularly without any expenses. It is also a great way to do work more efficiently and accurately. Cost of web meeting depends on your requirements. You can choose any type of web conferencing that suits your budget.

About Author: The author presents a website on Web Conferencing. Website provides information about web conferencing services, web conferencing software, web conferencing tools, and affordable web conferencing. Offers some tips for selecting Web Conference Company. You can visit his site Cheap Conferencing Web.

isdn vs adslwhich is better for video conferencing

Thursday, February 12th, 2009

ISDN vs ADSL…Which Is Better For Video Conferencing?

Writen by Michael Lemm

When deciding on the best bandwidth configuration to run your video conferencing on…you may think you have endless choices. Sometimes it appears that way when you may actually be limited to just a few. Here’s a comparison when your only choices are between ISDN and ADSL.

So the question than becomes this.

Which is better in the sense of connection speed and for Video conferencing between ISDN PRI (1.544Mbps) to ADSL (1.544Mbps)?

PRI ISDN T1 is the industrial strength flavor of ISDN, and is intended for users with much greater capacity requirements. PRI has 23 B channels plus one 64 Kbps D channel. Each channel has a 64Kbps capacity, enabling a total transmission speed of up to 1.536Mbps. With PRI ISDN, you can pre-define the number of channels used for specific types of calls or data delivery. What this means is that you can use the various channels for accomplishing different things on different channels simultaneously. In other words, PRI ISDN offers much greater flexibility than that provided by BRI ISDN. Additionally, the D channel is used as the switching channel that communicates with the Central Office for Call Management. It is used to carry local and long distance traffic.

An ADSL circuit connects an ADSL modem on each end of a twisted-pair telephone line, creating three information channels — a high speed downstream channel, a medium speed duplex channel, depending on the implementation of the ADSL architecture, and a POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) or an ISDN channel. The POTS/ISDN channel is split off from the digital modem by filters, thus guaranteeing uninterrupted POTS/ISDN, even if ADSL fails. The high speed channel ranges from 1.5 to 6.1 Mbps, while duplex rates range from 16 to 832 kbps. Each channel can be submultiplexed to form multiple, lower rate channels, depending on the system.

ADSL modems provide data rates consistent with North American and European digital hierarchies and can be purchased with various speed ranges and capabilities. The minimum configuration provides 1.5 or 2.0 Mbps downstream and a 16 kbps duplex channel; others provide rates of 6.1 Mbps and 64 kbps duplex. Products with downstream rates up to 8 Mbps and duplex rates up to 640 kbps are available today. ADSL modems will accommodate ATM transport with variable rates and compensation for ATM overhead, as well as IP protocols.

Downstream data rates depend on a number of factors, including the length of the copper line, its wire gauge, presence of bridged taps, and cross-coupled interference. Line attenuation increases with line length and frequency, and decreases as wire diameter increases.

They are completely different technologies used for different things. With ADSL you are generally given Internet access and with a PRI you get 1472 kbps of usable bandwidth to be used in a combination of various ways. The key difference is that with a PRI, you never actually have to connect to the Internet as you do with DSL. Therefore, a video call doesn’t have to use IP as it most likely would with DSL. Therefore things that affect call quality like latency are generally not as a big a factor with ISDN.

Many companies still use ISDN PRIs for video conferencing to power multiple video calls simultaneously. A lot of people are now using both ISDN and Internet access via DSL/T1/T3/Cable/etc. for their video needs. Generally ADSL is far cheaper but the quality isn’t necessarily as good because the customer has little control over the path an IP call takes through the Internet, but that my friend is another conversation for another time.

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.

web amp video conferencing technology five great reasons to start utilizing online meetings now

Wednesday, February 11th, 2009

Web & Video Conferencing Technology: Five Great Reasons to Start Utilizing Online Meetings Now

Writen by Dan Richmond

Several years ago I was in a computer store and a salesman was trying to sell me something, in fact, he was trying to sell me anything that he could. I said that I had the latest computer and really didn’t need anything more. Then he showed me a web camera and I thought for a few seconds, but I really couldn’t figure out why I would need that gadget.

Now things have changed and that salesman could get the sale from me, because the time is right to start conducting online web and video conferences. Here are a few reasons why the age of web conferencing has truly arrived:

1. Transportation costs are rising and web conferencing is one way to conduct meetings without getting into a car or plane.

Imagine how much money you could save if you were able to hold a staff meeting with your distant branches without paying for fuel, hotels and all the other costs associated with outside meetings?

2. The cost of conducting a meeting outside a main office is much higher than you can calculate by only adding up the material costs.

When you leave your office or home, you have to put everything aside and subject yourself to delays in traffic, airports, trains and taxis. Sure, you can take your laptop with you, but are you really as productive using a laptop in a busy airport as you are while you are in your own office? Web conferencing allows you to get back to your other work as soon as the online conference ends.

3. Web conferencing allows you to meet face-to-face with your colleagues no matter where they are.

Globalization is not just a slogan. Business, educational and social organizations are now working in increasingly wider networks which are spread throughout the world. If you have clients, employees, representatives or students in another country or in a distant location, think how convenient it would be to be able to turn on your computer and hold a meeting with them. Well, this is not a distant dream, it is possible right now using existing web and video conferencing technology

4. Online conferencing allows you to give support and help to clients without sending out a technician or a representative.

If you are selling a product or service that must be supported, then think of the improvement in customer relations and reduction in costs that you could achieve if you could effectively meet online with your client. Today’s conferencing technology even allows your staff to “take over” the computer of a client and demonstrate how an application works.

5. Video and web conferencing is now extremely affordable, easy to use and very functional.

Gone are the days of proprietary systems and cameras. Today you can use standard PCs and inexpensive web cameras to conduct your meetings. The online meetings do not require equipment or software that is not already found in most offices. In addition, several companies now offer conferencing services at a price that even individuals and small organizations can afford.

If you need to hold meetings, or meet with staff and colleagues who work in far-flung locations then you should consider online conferencing. The spread of online meetings could change the way we all work, just as the widespread adoption of email did fifteen years ago.

Dan Richmond is Co-founder of MegaMeeting.com. MegaMeeting provides web & video conferencing services for individuals & businesses. For more information, please call 818.783.4311 or Visit http://www.MegaMeeting.com.

audio conferencing company provides a great way to build relationships with your audience

Wednesday, February 4th, 2009

Audio Conferencing Company: Provides A Great Way To Build Relationships With Your Audience

Writen by Roy Copeland

See what happens when you pull apart something that seems very complicated as the first. It then becomes very simple right? The same goes for teleconferencing technologies. Once you get setup with a system that suits your needs, your ability to build relationships become that much more enriched.

Let’s not forget one thing- though we live in the digital age, in practice it’s only done and continuing to do ONE thing, and that is to bring people closer and allow informal communities of individuals to be created as well as deeper bonds with your clients and within your own personal circle of friends.

So why don’t you schedule a time within your busy schedule to who incorporate video teleconferencing within your home business or whether you’re working for a medium to large size company. If you’re a manager of a department it can definitely be a great asset to your day-to-day operations and will cause you to wonder how you ever lived without it.

So take this advice and get yourself to a quality teleconferencing service straight away. It should not cost much for you and the return on investment is going to be tremendous in comparison. So it’s better to just give it a shot and learn as you go rather than hesitating and hiding your head within the digital sand.

If you wanna start with a small-scale operation, then you can invite friends or close acquaintances to help you put together an ad hoc teleconference call. That way you can test out all the bells and whistles as a whole to make sure that you are fully prepared in case of any unexpected surprises when you it comes time to host your real life conferences with clients or other professionals within your field.

Get the advantage today by visiting our site at http://www.totalteleconference.com and checking out our our recommended teleconferencing services for you and those around you. Audio conferencing company listings are available on our site for you to consider incorporating.

conference call centers

Wednesday, January 28th, 2009

Conference Call Centers

Writen by Damian Sofsian

There are a number of agencies and companies who provide conference call hosting, and conference call technology. A company may need these services since they are cheaper and efficient and an alternative for conferences that cost a lot to hold. The call conference call center is also ideal for companies with overseas partners or branches who need fast ways to communicate. Conferencing is a fast and very convenient way to converge with employees or clients in different parts of the country and obviously cut down traveling the expenses.

The conference leader will normally ask the service provider for a reservation and then inform the other party about his conference schedule. The rest is left to the provider. Call center conferencing is another technological convenience brought by the boom in the call center industry and development in communications technology.

Participants in a call center conference can be at home connected via phone or playing golf with a headset. The possibilities provide a convenience for the clients, but they are far from cheap. However, when considering the cost of travel, they are reasonable. In this age of companies wanting to do more with less, time and costs often make travel prohibitive for many businesses.

Independent service bureaus and long distance telephone call service providers who offer audio conferencing use hi-end call connection “bridges” to unite telephone call patches into one single conversation. Service providers are catching up on the personal feel of actual physical conversation with continuous technology development. The limit for the number of people included in a conference is over a hundred and the cost is as cheap as 10 cents per conference participant.

Call Centers provides detailed information on Call Centers, Inbound Call Centers, Outsourcing Call Centers, Conference Call Centers and more. Call Centers is affiliated with Call Center CRM Solutions.