Top 5 Desktop Video Conferecing Features

By Neil Zawacki
Updated: June 28, 2011

Desktop video conferencing offers a cost-effective means for multiple employees at a small business to collaborate with each other. It also has special functions that can provide numerous benefits to a company.

Here are five of the top video conferencing features available:

Presentation Mode –This is a special mode that allows the moderator to put on a slide show during a video conference. It can be a timed slide show that changes the image at a fixed interval, or a dynamic presentation that switches the image when the moderator wants to move on to a different topic. You can also usually add sound and video files to run during the presentation.

If you’ve used PowerPoint before, you can probably guess the benefits of this feature. You can show sales reports, stock analysis, and status updates during a video conferencing session. It also frees up the speaker to focus on the presentation since the software is in charge of the slide show.

Desktop Sharing – You can use this feature to show the content of your desktop to other people during a video conference. They can watch you move your mouse, open files, go to web pages, and perform other actions.

This feature is particularly useful for showing people how to solve problems they might be experiencing with their computer. If a person doesn’t know how to access their sales record or move files around, you can show them how to do so and answer any questions they might have along the way.

Recording – You can use this feature to record the audio and video of one or more participants during a session. The information is stored as a data file and can be transferred to a DVD if necessary.

The primary benefit of this feature is that you can go back to old video conferences and review the information that was provided. You can also have someone transcribe the session, just as if someone had videotaped a normal meeting.

File Transfer – This feature allows you to send documents, photos, sound files and video files to other people in the room. You simply click on the person’s name, select the file you want to transfer, and hit send. Many video conferencing systems also have a shared file directory that anyone can access.

This function can be duplicated through third-party software, but only if you install the program on each of the different computer systems. If someone doesn’t have the FTP application, they may not be able to access the file. Third-party software also typically includes a file size limit and speed restrictions to any uploads and downloads that are made.

White Board – This feature provides a collaborative space for people to enter text and add images. If someone writes something down, it instantly appears on the white board. If another person crosses that out, everyone can see it.

It’s essentially like having a white board during a normal business meeting You can have brainstorming sessions where people write down their ideas, make comments about things that have already been written, and draw pictures of what you think a product might look like.

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