Many are confused when it comes to web conferencing and videoconferencing. They are two very different ways to communicate. Web conferencing is typically a proprietary service that is really an audio conference with a web interface. Examples would be GoToMeeting and Webex. Both also have a videoconferencing component in their respective services however this is limited only to those conferencing within each service accordingly and there are limitations on how many can attend and they cannot connect to world standard videoconferencing end points.
Another big difference is web conferencing works in a proprietary protocol environment. This means you can only conference with those using the same service. Videoconferencing works on world standard protocols which means you can connect on any system anywhere in the world, just like your phone service and email access. Also you can easily share computer input on a videoconference, just like at GoToMeeting, through the world standard algorithm H.239. This sends two video images to the other side simultaneously. The other end sees you and your computer or any other secondary input. Potentially, over time the H.239 world standard could make GoToMeeting and Webex obsolete as the enterprise adopts more videoconferencing.
There is no ownership opportunity with web conferencing. These are subscription models and like your gas and electric bill you will never pay this off and there is no ownership or depreciation potential. Videoconferencing technology can be purchased with a modest budget. Also you can have in-house multi-site capability on a room system, connecting up to 9 end points at one time. The other good news is you can use videoconferencing without purchasing hardware. There are public rooms worldwide that connect in every major city and you can rent videoconferencing over the internet from the convenience of your own computer iPad, iPhone or Droid, by the minute or by the month without any annual contracts.
Remember the big distinction between web conferencing and videoconferencing is videoconferencing is standards based and web conferencing Is proprietary.
J.W. Hornyak Videoconferencing & Telecommunications
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