Online Net Meeting

LOS ANGELES, CA, October 17, 2006 – By implementing MegaMeting.com’s browser based web and video conferencing services, the Nebraska Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church (UMCNEB) has greatly reduced their necessity for travel, which has also resulted in a tremendous cost savings as well. Charles Spence, a pastor with UMCNEB, stated that, “We have conducted committee meetings with members from all over Nebraska. We use MegaMeeting to brief people who are going to attend major decision-making conferences.” Spence continued by saying, “Data updating was done to insure retirement benefits and supervision work is done for folks going through an evaluation process.”

UMCNEB currently uses MegaMeeting in its Marketing and Training departments, as well as with their Administration, Executives and Board of Directors. UMCNEB uses MegaMeeting to conduct seminars, company meetings and to train their employees. Prior to implementing the MegaMeeting system, UMCNEB’s staff had to endure extensive travel to participate in two hour meetings, or were limited to voice only conference calls via the telephone. They have also found that they have eliminated much of their written correspondence due to using video and web conferencing as a means of communication.

The specific features of MegaMeeting that UMCNEB implements most often are the video conferencing capabilities that allow meeting attendees to see each other, the ability to share a PowerPoint presentation via the Internet, the built in audio (VoIP), collaboration, as well as screen sharing capabilities. In response to how UMCNEB will utilize MegaMeeting in the future, Spence stated, “I hope to start monthly training and information sharing seminars for local Chambers to do their work better using denominational resources.”

One of the main reasons UMCNEB chose MegaMeeting over other web and video conferencing systems was due to the affordable price and the quick response they received from MegaMeeting representatives when questions were raised. When UMCNEB informed their representative that they wanted to conduct a high quality video presentation, they were told that they needed a digital minicam with firewire support. Their MegaMeeting representative helped them configure the camera and soon thereafter UMCNEB was conducting their presentations via video/web conferencing.

About MegaMeeting.com (http://www.MegaMeeting.com)

MegaMeeting.com is a leading provider of 100% browser-based Web & Video Conferencing solutions, complete with real time audio and video capabilities. Being browser based and working on all major operating systems – Windows, Mac & Linux; MegaMeeting.com provides universal access without the need to download, install or configure software. MegaMeeting.com web conferencing products and services include powerful collaboration tools that accommodate robust Video & Web Conferences, including advanced features such as desktop/application sharing, i.e. Word and Excel documents and PowerPoint presentations without the need to upload any files. MegaMeeting is ideal for multi-location web based meetings, virtual classrooms, employee trainings, product demonstrations, company orientation, customer support, product launches and much more.

For more information please visit www.megameeting.com or call (818) 783-4311.

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MegaMeeting.com Web & Video Conferencing Responds to Needs of Nebraska Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church

There are two technologies that are making a revolution in intra-organizational communications: They are telephone conferencing and web conferencing. Using either web or telephone conferencing, companies and non-profit organizations are now able to hold many more meetings than ever before. The newest web conferencing systems incorporate both online and telephone conferencing and this will surely speed up the growth of virtual conferencing.

Most online conferencing systems allow participants to see one another using web cams and monitors, and to speak and hear one another via Voice over Internet Protocol (VOiP) using a headset or a microphone and speakers.

But what happens if one of the would-be participants does not have the right kind of headset or microphone? And what happens if one of the would-be participants does not have a high speed Internet connection or is away from his/her computer? In previous conferencing set-ups, the person who didn’t have the right equipment might miss the audio or even the whole conference entirely.

This particular problem has now been overcome by integrating telephone conferencing along with video conferencing. For example, if participants do not have the right kind of headset or microphone, in addition to everyone being able to watch the conference online, a teleconference can be used that will allow all participants to hear and talk to each other via standard telephone connections. With some systems, the call-in number and security code for the conference call are even posted within the video/web conference meeting room.

Similarly, when a company holds a combined telephone and web conference, an employee or staff member can take part in the audio portion using the telephone conference connection even if they are away from their computer or away from a broadband Internet connection.

The combined service will make it easier for companies that are already accustomed to telephone conference calling but have not yet made the jump to online web conferencing.

Online web conferencing adds many more features to a normal telephone conference call such as Powerpoint presentations, instant polling and surveys, application sharing and real time notepads for online brainstorming, but some organizations may be holding back from going to web conferencing due to the possibility of leaving behind some of their participants. The new combined teleconferencing and web conferencing systems solve this particular problem and will probably help to accelerate the already rapid growth of web conferencing around the world.

Please visit http://www.MegaMeeting.com or call (818) 783-4311.

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How to Use Integrated Audio Conference Calling to Enhance Your Video & Web Conference Meetings

What you can do with web and video conferencing is limited only by the extent of your imagination. Businesses are using web conferencing to conduct staff meetings, and families have employed this new technology to “attend” family functions in far away locales. Pushing the envelope even farther are various professionals, companies, media people, and entrepreneurs who are beginning to communicate with their clients in ways that were undreamt of ten years ago.

Radio stations have long been enhancing their programs by interacting with their listeners. First, there were call-in shows where listeners used the telephone to request songs to be played or even to be interviewed on air. Interactivity was stepped up when stations were able to receive e-mails from their listeners and to offer websites with text, photos and audio files. Now a station in Houston, Texas has become one of the first to integrate web conferencing with live radio programming.

Listeners to Mike Garfield’s High-Tech Texan Show® simply click on a special link at www.HighTechTexan.com, enter their name, click ‘accept’ and they are part of a video conference. Listeners with cameras can be seen by Garfield and other listeners. Those without cameras can watch as the show unfolds.

“I was blown away from the start and now that I see what I can do with promotions and interactivity on my radio show, I am even more excited,” enthused Garfield who explained that, “Instead of just talking about new gadgets, I can show them live to listeners while they watch via the web. And since this technology can also be used as a two-way videoconference, I can open up the show to new concepts. I have held radio interviews where my listeners can see my guests.”

The key to Garfield’s ability to connect with his audience via video conferencing are new web based conferencing applications that do not require any software downloads and can be accessed regardless of which operating system is installed on the user’s computer.

This new ease-of-use has also been a boon to professionals who are using video conferencing to do things that they couldn’t previously do. Realtors are now able to show a house to a prospective buyer and even the buyer’s relatives who may live in another city, state or country using web-based video conference software. Lawyers have even begun to make depositions to courts over the Internet, rather than traveling to another city to deliver their statements.

Other uses of video conferencing include the lucrative auction business. Large auction houses have already opened up some of their auctions to bidders around the world who view the objects for sale via a video conference, and make their bids through the same Internet link. Where large auction houses tread today, small auctioneers are sure to follow, and it is now possible for Ebay sellers to display their wares online and show more features of the product using a web-based video conference format.

As more companies and individuals begin to get used to online web and video conferencing the list of uses of this interactive technology will only get longer and more interesting.

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Creative Uses of Video & Web Conferencing, Part 2