The field of Web conferencing software is growing at a phenomenal pace. In the summer of 1994 there were two products in the category--both primitive freeware packages. By 1996, there were over 60 products that supported Web conferencing on the market, and the proliferation continues at an astounding rate. With the increased competition has come much higher quality and more affordable prices.

This tremendous increase has been driven in part by economics--no hotel bills, no airplane tickets, no lost productivity sitting in airports--in short, no expensive travel costs. A valuable saving of both time and money. Secondly, convenience is a major player. All you need to conference face-to-face with any other person in the world is a an Internet-connected computer.

The largest single factor driving the demand for Web conferencing, however, is often over looked. Unlike earlier technologies that replaced personal meetings (telephone and e-mail, for example), Web conferencing allows for layered communication, combining visual, vocal, and the participatory. Because of this layered nature, web conferencing can appeal to different learning styles and offers organizations the ability to much of what they could previously do only in face-to-face meetings.

How does Web conferencing work? Participants join a conference designed by the meeting leader or presenter. While in the conference, participants can see the presenter's Power Point slides, take Web tours, and interact using the whiteboard. Additional interactive features allow participants to ask questions and vote on certain topics.

Also becoming more common are application-sharing features that allow presenters to provide one-on-one help, and some services offer VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) and video so that speech and video are sent via Internet. It is now possible for a large group of people to share data and graphics without having to gather in the same physical location. The possibilities are endless!

If your business has clients or offices in a variety of locations across the country or around the world you probably spend a fairly large amount of money each month on long distance bills. With today's affordable Web conferencing technology, you can consolidate all of your communication needs into one bill. By having your own in-house dedicated server any company can have complete control over its communication network, while saving you money at the same time.

Certain key considerations must be taken into account when choosing Web conferencing. Price--in this relatively young field prices are all over the scale. And the most expensive product may not be the one that best fits your individual needs.

Operating system support might be a determining factor, depending on whether you are running Unix servers or Windows servers. Macintosh users are more limited.

If you have limited access to your Web server, you should choose a product that can be installed and administered easily, so administrative capabilities is an additional consideration.

Another important factor is the personalization potential or the ability to customize the product to fit your unique style and business needs. Some products offer a great deal of flexibility, while some conferencing systems, particularly freeware products, come with full source code, allowing you to change anything you would desire.

As of yet, there is no conferencing system that excels at everything. There is no "one-size-fits-all" program that is the "best" product choice for every situation. Take your time, do the research, and make a careful analysis of your needs. This will help you find the web conferencing product that is best suited for your particular circumstance.