ComputerLink articles by Brian Pitre

Web Casting - The New Corporate Television Network

Web Casting, the latest way of delivering information, should be thought of as your organizations' own corporate television network. Today there are general Web Casting networks emerging on the Internet, such as Pseudo.com, and Yahoo's Broadcast.com. These models of new broadcasting networks can and should be applied to your organization.

Web Casting is a huge, up and coming technological advancement for the Internet. It is basically like your organization having its own television-broadcasting network. Web Casting is normally thought of as a video presentation of an address or event that is transmitted live over the Internet. Many times it has the additional feature of being downloadable on-demand after the real time broadcast, which can be a major advantage. Not only can you broadcast information and video, but also there are interactive capabilities that make Web Casting a very useful and functional bi-directional communication tool that goes well beyond the mono-directional television technology.

The Internet is becoming a cost effective broadcasting medium for many companies by using Web Casting technologies. Web Casting is the corporate tool of the future. Recently, the Bridgestone-Firestone Web site was jammed when information on the Firestone tires recall was posted and center stage on their site was a downloadable version of their previous Web Cast with their press conference announcing the recall. Web Casting has the added advantage of broadcasting live and then having an on-demand downloadable archive.

Organizations can use Web Casting in a number of different ways to deliver information. Example: CEO's can address their companies' employees via their desktop to distribute corporate information. Also, many Web Casts include PowerPoint presentations that aid in the presentation of information. The presenter can direct the PowerPoint presentation and change the slides on the attendee's computer giving the presenter complete control of the presentation.

Over the last year there has been a dramatic growth of online conferences and seminars. Today, at dockside.net, we frequently have major vendor presentations over the Internet. Web Casting has been a great benefit to us by allowing individuals in our company, with only a Web browser and an Internet connection, to attend presentations. We do not have to travel to attend these important presentations. We simply download a software application, such as a Real Player or Microsoft Windows Media Player, and go to the specific Web site. This has proven to be cost and time effective by obtaining up to the minute information and demonstrations right from our own office, not to mention that there is always enough room in this virtual meeting space. These added advantages have caused and will continue to cause a major attraction to use this Web Casting technology.

Product demonstrations and promotions companies are using Web Casting technologies to present their products and services over the Internet cost effectively, yet with a broad distribution. With increased bandwidth of Internet connections it is becoming possible to provide multimedia with video to present compelling presentations of what your products and services offer, how they work, and why they can be of benefit. Another advantage of Web Casting is that a well-orchestrated and consistent message can be delivered to your potential customers insuring they get the right information.

Online learning is a very large opportunity within organizations. Web Casts in the online learning environment can be coupled with testing of skills and certification of personnel. This gives organizations the ability to deliver consistent training with both canned and real time presentations. The Rochester Institute of Technology is now delivering eBusiness certification programs effectively over the Internet. What a perfect way to introduce and train personnel on the advantages of this new way to deliver information.

There are a number of Web Casting technologies and solutions available that provide different environments or features and functions. Some of these technologies, depending on the application, include Real.com's Real Presenter, Place Ware Web Conferencing (www.placeware.com) with PowerPoint capabilities, Macromedia's Flash technology, and Apples QuickTime technologies, just to name a few.

Producing a well-orchestrated production is the trickier side of Web Casting since it is relatively easy to use the technologies. Because of this, it can be very easy to produce a poor looking presentation.

If your organization is not yet looking into the advantages of Web Casting, I encourage you to do so. Just a few of the applications you should consider include: investor relations, shareholder meetings, corporate keynote addresses, Internet based sales seminars, interactive distance learning, supplier communications and training, and internal employee information distribution. The new corporate television network - it's here, it's now, it's useful, and it's cost effective.