Definition of Web Conferencing – 1 Definition, Multiple Variations
If you ever watched the old-school animated TV show "The Jetsons
," you may remember images of videophone screens popping up out of the floor just before a video call, only to retract again when the call was over. Back then, it was assumed that by the year 2000 everyone would have such devices in our cars, our homes, and our places of business. Reality has proven to be a much different picture of the future.
Indeed, the idea developing at-a-distance conferencing with both visual and voice elements dates back at least to the 1950s and 1960s when AT&T tried unsuccessful to make the devices popular on a mass scale. But, it was not until the late 1990s that something akin to the videophone the web conference came into common use.
Definition of Web Conferencing
Web conferencing refers to any type of at-a-distance communication that leverages the World Wide Web the Internet as the underlying communication infrastructure. All data, whether video image, rich media, text, or voice, are converted into data packets that are exchanged via hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) over the decentralized set of thousands of networks today called the Internet.
Web conferencing is significant in distinction to the videophones and simple text messaging systems of earlier eras in that, due to the fact that the Internet is used to make it possible today, the cost of communications has come way down. This is what makes it accessible to so many people. Of course, the fact that people can largely use their already-owned equipment (mainly their computers) to conduct a web conference also makes the cost of entry particularly low.
Web Conferencing by Any Other Name
There is actually no comprehensive and detailed definition that describes all of the possible solutions providers, products and features sold under the name of web conferencing. And indeed, there is actually a large number of different names for this set of related technologies, including: video conferencing over IP, voice over IP (VoIP), Internet conferencing, web meetings, net meetings and webcasting among others.
The 7 Major Web Conferencing Areas of Product Focus
While there is no centralized definition, here are 7 major areas where solutions providers in this space tend to optimize their products for different customer uses:
1. Simple online meetings, including desktop sharing and sometimes voice communications
2. Enterprise-grade work collaboration systems
3. Webcasting, involving a one-to-many format presenting to 50,100, 1000 or more people at once
4. Remote IT support and remote computer control
5. Rich-media streaming
6. Education, training and e-learning
7. Application sharing, such as at-a-distance collaborative CAD design
The various definitions of technologies in this area make it a challenge to find a comprehensive list of products as you search for the right solution. However, by using in your searches the keywords embedded in the above 7 descriptions, you should be able to easily find relevant solutions for your needs.
Definition of Web Conferencing 1 Definition, Multiple Variations
By: Everett Machlachan
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