Globalization and enterprise communications are changing the way companies do business. As fuel prices rise in a slowing economy, many are looking to reduce conventional travel, lower operating costs and reduce their carbon footprint. These companies are implementing new communication technologies such as Web Video Conferencing, web conferencing and web casting to meet the changing requirements of the business world.

Web Video Conferencing allows companies of varying sizes to instantly connect with the people they need to, anywhere in the world. Consumers are quickly becoming familiar with the technology as all types of industry adopt it. Until recently, Web Video Conferencing had been limited to large corporations that had dedicated communications infrastructure and an IT team to support the technology. Today Web Video Conferencing services such as BTS Conferencing provides high quality, instant Web Video Conferencing at a fraction of the price. BTS Conferencing and other web conferencing services allow companies of all sizes to enjoy the benefits of Web Video Conferencing.

The world is changing and business is changing right along with it. As globalization makes the workforce more geographically dispersed, virtual technologies are bringing them together. Web Video Conferencing allows employees, partners, clients and suppliers to work anywhere in the world, and still have the ability to instantly connect with one another.

The growing virtual workplace presents significant opportunities for businesses. Newmarkets can be entered with very little start up costs, and the best and most affordable employees can be hired from anywhere in the world. Likewise, the best suppliers can be located anywhere, and your product can easily be promoted to an unlimited number of clients. Web Video Conferencing allows you to interview, train and conference with your remote workforce and suppliers, and makes personal presentations to your clients.

The momentum of Web Video Conferencing has in large been driven by the growth of broadband Internet connections. Originally limited to large corporations, small businesses and home offices alike now have affordable access to broadband Internet service. With over 304 million broadband users worldwide, and an estimated 593 million by 2012, (World Internet Media Streaming Platform Market. Frost & Sullivan. 2007) Video and web conferencing is becoming a viable alternative for most industries and individuals.

Web Video Conferencing in its early stages was considered an impersonal and impractical means of communication. The quality of the video was choppy and often out of sync with the audio, and the broadband access was prohibitively expensive. Easy, Instant Access Web Video Conferencing As the technology has become much more reliable and the quality of the audio and video has become much more clear and realistic, many industries and individuals have not only embraced the technology, but prefer it to conventional business travel.

Replacing conventional business travel with Web Video Conferencing provides more than just a reduction in operating costs. With an increase in airport security, flight delays and cancellations, and an overall reduction in flights, traveling for business can be more difficult than ever. The wear and tear on a business traveler takes a toll on their work performance. In a recent study by British Airways, 23% of business travelers stated that they had fallen asleep in a meeting that they had traveled to and 18% of those respondents said that the meeting went poorly. Overall, 14% of respondents indicated that they had missed a meeting because of a delayed or cancelled flight.

As the world increases its focus on "going green" and protecting the environment, replacing conventional business travel with Web Video Conferencing is an easy way for businesses to be socially responsible. In many developed countries, air transportation represents 40% of total green house emissions. While country, state and municipal laws vary, many of these institutions offer incentives for carbon footprint reduction. Going green not only increases social responsibility, but may also increase the overall savings of using Web Video Conferencing technology.

Web Video Conferencing technology has come a long way. High definition audio and Web Video Conferencing provide life-like virtual meetings instantly. Web Video Conferencing services are becoming more stable, less complicated, and less expensive with more feature rich interfaces and better customer service.

The market for Web Video Conferencing is growing at a rapid pace. According to research from Wainhouse Research, the Web Video Conferencing services and equipment market is poised for record growth over the next five years. The study indicates that the overall endpoint market will grow from $1.3B in 2007 to over $4.8B in 2013. These calculations also account for a slowdown in the Web Video Conferencing market once oil price increases subside.

As companies face a changing global market, and a geographically dispersed business environment, they must leverage available technology to stay ahead of the competition. Web Video Conferencing provides immediate operating cost reductions, and increases social responsibility.

Web Video Conferencing keeps geographically disparate employees, partners, clients and suppliers anywhere in the world, instantly connected at a fraction of the cost of conventional business travel.

BTS Conferencing Suite is a browser based Web Video Conferencing and web conferencing service that uses cutting edge Flash technology to allow customers to instantly connect and meet online. The service supports Video, Voice, PowerPoint and more without the need to download and install additional software or purchase additional hardware or perform any elaborate setups.

Web Video Conferencing capabilities include:

• See and hear up to 6 meeting attendees
• Record meetings and store archives
• Instantly allow your meeting audience to share their video and camera
• Promote users at any time and let them run the video conference or meeting

BTS Conferencing Suite also uses advanced video encoding capabilities to broadcast video at near HD quality, allowing businesses to cost-effectively deliver webcasts and webinars from their locations, with professional results and minimal overhead. Integrated meeting management utilities ensure that not only is the quality of the video conference is excellent, but that attendees are able to easily log in and easily participate in the meeting.

By making Web Video Conferencing as easy as opening a web browser, BTS Conferencing Suite brings these capabilities to small and medium sized business that lack the IT staff and infrastructure of larger companies. Along with the ease of use, BTS Conferencing Suite's pricing model is also targeted at small to medium sized business, allowing them affordable access to technology that will increase their reach, improve communication and overall improve their competitive capabilities in a world that is quickly evolving.

A PowerPoint presentation can aid any online meeting or web conference. Use this tool to enable long distance meetings and create a more effective means of communication. Create a slide show rich in content for a visual during your online meeting or online presentation. Studies show that people learn in different ways, retaining more information and becoming more involved with a greater use of stimuli.

By using a slideshow during an online presentation, the presentation becomes much more effective. PowerPoint slides are quite versatile, allowing the user to enter text, charts, graphs, pictures and more. This easy to use media allows for a user to create an organized visual for their online meeting.

There are a variety of tools offered by this software but let's look at some of the basics. To begin to create a PowerPoint presentation, simply start PowerPoint from your start menu and you're ready to create a presentation from the very first screen. From this point, there are several types of presentations you can create based on your needs and creativity. Here are some basic tips to get you started.

Once you begin to create your presentation, you will be shown a blank slide (or most likely it will have two boxes where you can insert your text, such as the title of the slide). This will be your introductory slide. Enter the title of the presentation and the author's information.

To add your next slide, simply click on the new slide icon in the upper right hand corner or go to the insert menu and select new slide. As each new slide is added, it is added to the slide tab on the left hand side, as well as in the outline tab. This allows you to see all your slides at once and be able to select it and modify it quickly. Modifications can be made to any of the slides at any point. Simply click on the slide you would like to modify so it displays in the main window and make any changes necessary.

On the right hand side of the screen are templates for text, content, and other layouts. Each type has a picture associated with it so you can see how the slide will look before your content is added. Simply click on the picture of the type of layout you would like for that slide and that template will be used for the slide selected. Note: In the content layout, there is a box with four different pictures.

When using this template for your slide, you will be given several options once that template is selected, including inserting tables, charts and pictures. The picture below is of the second slide added to the presentation. The right hand column shows some of the layouts accessible. The highlighted layout is the one shown in the currently displayed slide.

To create color schemes, existing templates or animation, click on the 'design' icon (next to the 'new slide' icon in the upper right hand corner) for all your choices. After choosing the 'design' icon, you will be given three choices: design templates, color schemes and animation schemes. As you choose between the various color schemes and templates, they will be applied to the slide you are working on.

To insert a graph on a page, it's as easy as choosing the correct layout or clicking on the graph icon in the upper toolbar. You will be shown a spreadsheet that is pre-filled to give the user a chance to redo the content using the spreadsheet as a template.

As changes are made to the spreadsheet, they are also made to the graph. Right-click on the graph for other options, such as choosing the chart or graph type, formatting the data and making the graph 3-D. Using these options, you can create any type of graph or chart you'd like. The screen shot below shows what the screen looks like after a user has inserted a graph and then is choosing which type of graph they would like.

At the bottom of the screen are more options for each page. Pictures, graphs, etc can all be created using these tools. The user can add shapes, word art, pictures and auto fill the text and shapes with the colors of your choice. Scroll your cursor over the icons for more information. Use the icons at the top of the screen in a similar way as Microsoft Word.

There are many options available with PowerPoint. Experiment and consult Microsoft PowerPoint help for any questions you might have. We hope this mini tutorial helps to get you started in creating your own informative PowerPoint presentation that will better assist you in your web conferencing needs.

A PowerPoint presentation is a great way to enhance an online presentation or web conference. Follow these easy tips for your most effective presentation.

• Use clear, large, easy to read fonts. Make sure the font is large enough for the reader and the style clear and easy to read. To make sure the font is large enough, print out the paper and put it on the floor. If you can read it while standing, your readers should be able to see it while viewing the presentation.
• If it's hard to read, redo it. Don't have to make excuses during your meeting.
• Use a descriptive introductory slide. You may also use a welcome slide to display as the audience is logging on to the session. Include a title and any other pertinent information, such as the company name and contact information.
• Use clear titles throughout the PowerPoint presentation.
• Use the templates provided to develop a clear, organized presentation.
• Provide only key points on your slides, not your entire presentation.
• Use colors that work well together and be careful with dark colors on a dark background (ie. red text on a black background). They can be hard to read.
• Be consistent with effects. Keep them to a minimum so that your audience can focus on your message.
• Use graphs, pictures and charts to enhance your PowerPoint presentation.
• Speak clearly and with enthusiasm. By using BTS Conferencing suite for your online presentation, you are able to conduct your meeting as if you were at each location! Your audience can see and hear you so take advantage of this to really get your points across.
• Keep your presentation organized. Practice through the PowerPoint presentation before presenting to make sure all the points are clear and organized.
• Invite questions at the end of your presentation. If appropriate, have a slide designating a time for a question and answer period at the end of your presentation. With the extra 15 minutes you are given at the end of your presentation, you can be sure to answer all your participants' questions without feeling rushed.
• Close with your contact information. Have a slide near or at the end of your presentation with your contact information. List your name and any appropriate contact information. Be sure to thank everyone for watching your online presentation.
• Practice, practice, practice. Make sure when the time comes to present, you're ready!

Once you have optimized the effectiveness of your PowerPoint presentation, you're ready to conduct an online presentation or host a web conference. BTS Conferencing suite is an easy to use and effective web conferencing service. Here are some tips to get you started so you can conduct the most effective online meetings you've ever had!

The time has now arrived for you to conduct your online meeting. You may want to preview your slides to guarantee the presentation is how you want it before starting your session. Waiting for people to join your meeting shouldn't cut into your meeting time! We have given you an extra 15 minutes before and after the presentation to account for waiting for the audience to log in and then to finish any questions at the end of your presentation. With that in mind, start your session a little early and wait for your audience. They will be unable to join the presentation until, you, the presenter, have started the session.
When you're ready to present, simply click on the start session button and you will be taken to your slideshow URL. When the session is first started, you will be asked whether or not you will allow your microphone and web cam to be used. If you would like to use these features, click allow. If not, deny it. BTS Conferencing suite is most effective when these tools are used and you may have already paid for a session using web cam so be sure to accept.
Near the upper left part of the screen is a button to start the session. When you want to start the presentation, simply click on this button and your presentation has begun. The amount of presentation time remaining will be shown so you can monitor your time during your meeting. With the extra 15 minutes before and after the presentation, you have time to have everyone join the meeting as well as finish with any questions the audience may have. The web cam will be in effect at this point so you may want to wait for people and cover your web cam until you're ready to present.

In the People Online tab, you will be able to monitor who is currently attending the session. This will help you start your session on time and will benefit your audience so they don't miss out on any of the presentation. See when people have joined the session and when they leave with this roll call tool.
Encourage people to collaborate and ask questions with the online chat and annotation tools provided by BTS Conferencing suite. As a presenter, you can enable or disable these tools at your discretion. There is a disable chat tab as well as clear chat tab. Once the chat has been disabled, it can easily be enabled again. Every participant will be able to view the chat session.
The presenter also has the option of enabling or disabling audience participation of the whiteboard. They can also clear it at any time. To create a whiteboard, simply click on the whiteboard tool on the left of the slideshow screen and it will appear over the current slide. To go back to your presentation, click on the whiteboard tool again and you will return to the last viewed slide.
NOTE: If you do not clear the whiteboard before returning to your slides, the notes made on the whiteboard will now be shown on the slide within your slideshow until you clear the white board.
Take advantage of the web cam tool for a more effective online presentation. Your points will be more clear by being able to have visual enhancements to your presentation. When using the web cam, make sure you are visible in the screen where the presenter is shown. When you have gone to the URL of your presentation but not yet started the session, verify how you will be seen by your audience.
Use the audio to eliminate your conference calls. Before starting the meeting, verify that everyone participating can hear you clearly. Use the extra time allowed before the meeting to adjust the microphone as needed. In the email invitation, verify that the audience members will need to have access to their sound on their computer with headphones or speakers.

This article describes how to use BTS Conferencing suite to broadcast your meeting that is taking place at a venue such as a hotel. It outlines the required equipment and how to bring it all together to make your on-site event have global reach.

The presenter station will be the broadcast source, sending video and audio to all connected audience members. This means that this computer needs to be set up with a video source, such as a camera, and an audio source, such as a microphone. For portability, this computer can be a laptop, but should have at least a Pentium 4 processor, 256MB ram, and running Windows 2000 or later.

The presenter's video source can be either a WebCam connected to the computer via a USB port, or a high quality DV camera, connected through a Firewire port. Once the camera has been connected and tested on the computer, it can be selected for use in BTS Conferencing suite. This is done by clicking on the Video Settings button in the upper left corner, and selecting the available camera source.
If using a webcam, the presenter must stay in one place, since the webcam cannot follow the presenter around. If using a DV Camera, a cameraman can be assigned to follow the presenter around, do zooms, and any other kind of TV type camera work. Please note however that the more motion there is, the lower the quality of the video will be, because current video encoding techniques work best when the subject is not moving a lot.

The audio source for the presenter can be as simple as a microphone, or as sophisticated as a set of microphones connected to a mixer which is the connected to the computer. To use a microphone, simply connect it to the microphone jack of the computer, and you're ready to go.
In a conference room scenario, the presenter may be using a wireless microphone which goes into a mixer which is then sent out to a PA system. In this case, we simply need to take the line-out of the mixer, and plug that into the line-in of the computer. This will provide the computer with whatever the audience in the room hears, and will allow this signal to be broadcast to the online audience.
Audio levels can be set using the Windows Recording Volume Control, which is located in the lower right corner of the screen.

A moderator should be assigned to watch over the presenter station computer to watch for questions from the audience, advance slides, administer polls, and perform other administrative tasks. The moderator should have prior training on using the BTS Conferencing suite interface and should be comfortable moderating the event.

The last but very important factor for a successful broadcast is the internet connectivity available to the presenter station computer. We recommend a wired high bandwidth connection to insure that the video and audio quality of the presentation is as high as possible. A poor internet connection might result in choppy video and audio, and other poor quality results.

The audience station can also be a laptop which will be placed in the audience conference room. This laptop has similar requirements to the presenter station, so it should have at least a Pentium 4 processor, 256MB ram, and running Windows 2000 or later.

The video signal should be projected onto a large screen using an LCD projector. This is easily done by plugging the projector into the external video jack of the laptop. This will allow the audience to see the presenter, the slides and all of the other on screen elements.

The sound from the computer can be made available to the entire room by using the headphone jack, which comes on most laptops, and plugging that into the room's PA system. Depending on the types of connections available, different cables may be needed.

BTS Conferencing suite is a web conferencing tool which allows presenters to quickly, easily, and affordably present to a large audience, using Video, Audio, Slides and other interactive mediums. Perfect for sales, marketing, product launches and demos, BTS Conferencing suite is one of the most affordable and easiest to use online meeting platforms available.
Our application uses Flash technology which makes it viewable on 99.6% of computers today. What this means is that your audience will be able to get your message loud and clear without the technical headaches of similar web conferencing services. There is no software to install or download for either you or your audience members. All you need is your browser and you are ready to present