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Web Meeting 6: Because I hate to be late

February 8th, 2010 by bo.bandy@readytalk.com

I hate to be late. When I’m attending a meeting in-person, I want to be the first person in the conference room, not the last. This same philosophy applies to web conferencing.

I sit on a lot of webinars that use competitive products, sometimes I’m doing competitive research and sometimes I sign up because of the topic (social media, word of mouth marketing, prospecting, lead generation, PR, etc.).

It’s guaranteed that I have a meeting right before, which usually gives me about 30 seconds to join the webinar on time. Guess what? That’s never enough time. By the time the software launches, I’m late to join the meeting. Plus, if it’s the first time using that web conferencing software, I likely have to download their application. This means I have to have an IT administrator install the software before I can join. If I’m lucky, I’ll only be 10 minutes late to the webinar.

For me, this is a big deal and is one of the reasons why I’m excited about the launch of Web Meeting 6, which is ReadyTalk’s new web meeting product that will launch later this spring. Web Meeting 6 doesn’t require participants to download any special software (not even Java). That’s right, no participant downloads required. Participants use a Flash-based player that makes joining a conference easy and FAST. More on Web Meeting 6 is available here.

I wanted to find out exactly what ‘fast’ meant, so today I did some time trials on joining a meeting. As a participant using Internet Explorer, Firefox and Chrome, I was able to join the meeting in 11 seconds. I could join via Firefox in just 9 seconds. Oh, and it only took two mouse clicks to join.

Want to try it out? Web Meeting 6 is currently available in an exclusive Preview environment. Current customers can access Preview at http://www.readytalk.com/preview using their current ReadyTalk access number and pass code and get started. Not a ReadyTalk customer? Contact sales@readytalk.com and they’ll set you up with a free 30-day trial account that also includes exclusive access to the Preview environment.

Please comment below on how quickly you’re able to join a meeting. Also, please share your thoughts on the new interface and features like enhanced polling. We love getting honest feedback.

Posted in Collaboration, Marketing, Social Media, Web Conferencing, Web Seminars, b2b | No Comments »

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ReadyTalk gets ready to preview Web Meeting 6

January 29th, 2010 by Teresa Lawlor

ReadyTalk is preparing to roll out our next product launch, Web Meeting 6. But first, it’s time for a Preview. This afternoon, ReadyTalk Beta moves into Preview, bringing Web Meeting 6 one step closer to launch. Web Meeting 6, internally known as Native Client, has been in beta testing for several months. Thanks to continued feedback from our beta testers and the hard work of ReadyTalk engineers, we have been able to greatly improve the product before its release.

Our customers will be able to use Preview for scheduled meetings as well as on-demand meetings. Conference Center will be integrated with Web Meeting, so they can manage all pre- and post-meeting activities in the Preview environment.

Some of the new features you’ll find in Web Meeting 6:

A redesigned and simple-to-use interface
Flash-based participant entry to a meeting – this means your participants will be able to join your meeting even faster than before with no downloads required
Enhanced polling with the ability to create six difference question/response types
Application sharing with display resizing and rescaling
A new ReadyTalk Control Bar puts all the chairperson conference controls at your fingertips without taking up valuable screen real estate
Slide reordering can now be done with a simple drag and drop
Audio participant name and number matching

Preview will be available on January 29; current customers can directly access Preview at http://www.readytalk.com/preview. Just use your current ReadyTalk access number and pass code and get started.

Not a ReadyTalk customer? Contact sales@readytalk.com and they’ll set you up with a free 30-day trial account that also includes exclusive access to the Preview environment.

Before we launch Web Meeting 6 we want as many customers as possible to experience a free preview and give us feedback. I will be announcing details of our Preview program in the next few weeks. Providing feedback is simple – tell us about your experience using the form at the end of your conference.

Preview gives customers an opportunity to test new functionality while helping us identify any minor kinks. Participating customers enjoy free web minutes while using the Preview environment in addition to experiencing new features.

Stay tuned for my weekly posts as I give you a detailed, sneak peek on the new features you’ll see, best practices on how to use them in your meetings and events, and keep you up-to-date on our progress during this pre-release time.

In the meantime, if you have any questions you can contact me directly at teresa.lawlor@readytalk.com or comment here.

Posted in Collaboration, Marketing, Product Development, Test, Web Conferencing, Web Seminars, training | 1 Comment »

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Is Your Company Using Web Conferencing?

December 17th, 2009 by Mike McKinnon

After talking with a colleague who is considering purchasing a web conferencing service for their small 20 person company, I realized that he had no idea of the capabilities of a web conferencing service. Most people think of web conferencing as a simple collaboration tool. However, with the convergence of technology and widely adopted broadband, web conferencing services have expanded to include things like lead generation, training, remote support and IT, and sales demonstrations.

I recently wrote a whitepaper on all of the ways a company can use a web conferencing service and I invite you to take a look at it.

Web Conferencing has become a critical resource for companies in their quest to cut costs, improve efficiencies and connect increasingly diverse work spaces. In my next post, I will show you how to choose a web conferencing provider.

Posted in Audio Conferencing, Collaboration, Marketing, Telecommunications, Web Conferencing, lead generation | No Comments »

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Slogging and Blogging through “Wikinomics”

May 1st, 2008 by Dave Kehmeier

I’m reading “Wikinomics ” by Don Tapscott and Anthony D. Williams. My sister-in-law recommended it to me when I first started contributing to the ReadyTalk blog, because I admitted to my family that I didn’t really have a clue about all this Web 2.0 stuff. I think she wants to make sure I don’t get left behind.

“Wikinomics” is the type of book that’s hard for me to get though because it’s crammed full of things to think about. I find myself constantly having to go back and reread a paragraph because some sentence sent me off on a thought tangent. At this rate, I’ll still be reading “Wikinomics” when Web 3.0 comes along.

The thesis of wikinomics is that mass collaboration “is changing how companies and societies harness knowledge and capability to innovate and create value.” (That’s one of those sentences I’m talking about.) The four principles of wikinomics are:

1. Openness (access, transparency, engagement),
2. Peering (egalitarianism – not staring intently at something),
3. Sharing (knowledge and resources), and
4. Acting globally (to maximize productivity and opportunity).

The idea is that these four principles are reshaping the business world, and companies that embrace them will succeed; those that don’t will be left behind. How the principles translate to a particular business or organization will vary greatly. Have you applied any of these principles? If so, how have you applied them and what results have you seen?

I’m going to work my way through “Wikinomics” over the next few weeks/months/years. I’ll let you know if I come up with anything interesting.

On to Chapter 2.

Technorati Tags: Collaboration, Social Media, Professional Development

Posted in Collaboration, Professional Development, Social Media | 1 Comment »

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