IT constantly finds itself under pressure to provide the enterprise with added value. During an economic downturn, the pressure increases, and if IT can't show results, layoffs and budget cuts follow. Web conferencing can help businesses address critical needs and cut costs by minimizing travel, increasing efficiencies and improving staff collaboration.

Taking a Peek

Web conferencing refers to a set of real-time collaboration services made accessible through the Internet. Common tools provided include text chat, application and desktop sharing, whiteboarding, remote controlling, audio/video communication, and document sharing and editing. These services are typically subscribed to on a per-user, on-demand basis, under the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model, without additional hardware required on the client end. Popular vendors include Microsoft (Live Meeting), Cisco (WebEx), Adobe (Acrobat Connect), Citrix Online (GoToMeeting, GoToWebinar), and IBM (Lotus Sametime).