Interactive meetings from your desk for only R7 a minute

The trend of cocooning, as predicted by America`s foremost trends expert Faith Popcorn, over a decade ago, is visible in the global e-business arena. People are increasingly moving towards regular communication over the Web, from wireless handheld devices or via various other interactive media tools.

There`s a good reason for this too - the new era of interaction effectively cuts travel and time costs and speeds up decision-making processes. Action, from your desk, even at two o`clock in the morning!

In line with this real-time, anywhere tendency, Dimension Data Interactive Media is set to alter the way corporates schedule and attend meetings.

Through just-launched Interactive Webmeeting Services, participants can carry out interactive seminars and presentations, while sharing documents, whiteboards, applications, Web content and in fact anything on the PC in real-time. This is done from the comfort of their own office and PC, using a touch-tone telephone and connection to the Internet.

The service is based on a solution from WebEx Communications USA, leaders in real-time communications infrastructure for business meetings on the Web.

WebEx`s switch-based communications infrastructure supports real-time data, voice and video interaction and allows all participants to communicate with each other and customers through a standard browser.

"The system is inexpensive and easy to use," says Mike Carter, business development manager at Dimension Data Interactive Media. "When all cost factors are assessed, WebEx meetings work out at only R7 per minute per dial-in participant."

So how does it work? "After registering at www.didata.webex.com, all participants go to the Dimension Data Interactive Media webmeeting site and log-in by clicking the `join meeting` icon and then enter the given password for the meeting and the participant is in the meeting.

"All parties who log in can be `seen` by all participants, with text chat facilities available as well," he continues. "If preferred, participants can use video conferencing instead of audio conferencing to interact while sharing content via the Internet.

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"Any document, including PowerPoint presentations or .PDF files can be shared live, with pointer applications available to assist in highlighting specific areas. Delegates can even highlight a part of the presentation and interactively ask questions, just like a standard meeting.

"Applications of the WebEx system are countless," says Carter.

"For example, the design of a new corporate Web site. The meeting chairperson can simply take all participants, no matter where they are located, on a Web-tour pointing out highlights in the new Web site and receiving suggestions immediately as the Web pages appear."

Another useful application is WebEx`s polling facility. The chairperson can ask a question offering a selection of various answers - to vote, attendees merely click on their preferred solution. Instant polling results are available thereafter.

In technical service situations, desktop facilities can be shared so technicians can assist in trouble-shooting and support. "When someone is experiencing problems in Microsoft Excel, for example," says Carter, "technicians can freely `talk` the user through the situation, correcting the error."

Interactive Webmeetings can also be recorded and played back with synchronised voice. The recorded files are portable and can be streamed using HTTP, which is then accessible using a standard Web browser.

"WebEx meetings are an ideal way to manage expenses, improve communications and increase customer satisfaction.

"The meeting services support the entire range of data, voice and video communications to provide an online environment which simulates the full spontaneity and productivity of face-to-face communications," concludes Carter.