What is a Webcast?

A webcast is a “live” training event, delivered via Internet and telephone.  In order to connect to a webcast, participants need only an Internet-connected computer and a speakerphone, in the same room.  Participants are connected with their colleagues from around the nation (or even around the world), while participating in these fully-interactive online conferences.

How Does It Work?

The visual portion of the seminar (slides, graphs, photos, etc.) is delivered in real time, via a specially designed website.  The audio portion of the seminar is delivered simultaneously via the telephone.  Voice-Over-IP (VOIP) – in which the audio is delivered over the Internet – is also available, but increases bandwidth requirements.  Participants sometimes experience distorted audio with VOIP (depending on their connection speed and sound card quality), so we recommend voice-over-telephone for consistent audio quality.

How Do Participants Get Connected?

Registrants are notified by email in advance of each program, with access instructions included in the email.  A few minutes before the program begins, participants point their Internet browser to the conference website.  After entering their password, they are connected to the visual portion of the conference.  Participants then dial their speakerphone into the teleconferencing bridge, and enter a passcode on the telephone keypad.  This connects them to the audio portion of the conference.

Each registration allows access for one phone line to the conference call (for the audio), and one Internet access to the website (for the program visuals).  Multiple participants may be included in a conference room setting at no additional charge.  There is no limit on the number of participants per connection.

Webcast participants may gather around a desktop PC and speakerphone.  For more formal sessions, participants may schedule a conference room equipped with the following:

·         a video projector connected to an Internet-connected computer

·         a speakerphone on a separate line (verify that long distance dialing is not blocked)

Features and Functionality

The Foundation: PowerPoint

The foundation of most ProVision webcasts is your PowerPoint presentation.  PowerPoint is the de facto standard among presentation applications, and over 95% of our clients use PowerPoint for their existing training programs.  Just email the program to us (you retain full ownership).  We add appropriate introductory and concluding slides, and prepare the program for online delivery.

Professional Moderation

ProVision supplies professional moderation for all your programs.  Our moderator acts as "the man behind the curtain," ensuring that your programs run smoothly.  It's also the moderator's job to work with your presenters, ensuring that they are comfortable and prepared to deliver their training to an online audience.  Most trainers welcome the opportunity to leverage their existing training programs into the distance learning environment.  From the comfort of their offices, they train the web-connected audience with the aid of familiar PowerPoint presentations – all while seated in front of a PC, wearing a headset.  All the technical aspects of the program (even the advancement of slides and slide annotation) are handled by our professional moderator.  The trainer is free to relax, focusing on instruction and responding to audience questions.

Web Tours

A web tour occurs when the instructor breaks away from the slide presentation and takes the audience to the Internet for a look at some live websites.  This is a key element of some of our client’s regulatory-based programs, because many sources of free information reside on websites maintained by the U.S. government.  It's important to show participants how to find these websites, and how to navigate once they get there.  Also, this feature can be used to provide live tours of your organization’s website.

Audience Polling

ProVision webcasts allow your instructors to conduct Audience Polling.  A slide with a polling question is inserted into the presentation, and participants can electronically submit their responses with a click of a mouse.  The results of the poll are instantly displayed, graphically and dynamically, to the entire audience.

Sharing Features

Application sharing, view sharing, and desktop sharing:  These features allow your instructors to share anything on their computer desktop, including mouse movements and keyboard inputs.  This feature is ideal for live demonstrations of your company’s software, or for demonstrating how to appropriately complete a form.  Control can also be shared with participants, so they can "try their hand at it" while their actions are viewed in real time by all participants.

Multiple Instructors

More than one presenter can lead a training program or sales presentation.  You may even assemble a panel of experts to lead the webcast, relying on your ProVision moderator to smoothly coordinate the program.

Interactivity

Your webcast participants can ask questions and receive answers in real time.  Questions are submitted by telephone during designated Q & A portions of the program, or by email at any time during the program.  Your ProVision moderator coordinates the questions, presenting them to your speakers in an orderly fashion.

System Requirements

Browser

·         Netscape 4.x or Internet Explorer 4.x+ (AOL users: AOL5.0 and above only)  Browser must be Java-enabled

Computer

·         166Mhz Pentium-based PC with Microsoft® Windows® platform;  minimum 64 MB RAM

·         The WebEx Events Manager must be installed before the event (requires about one minute if you are using a high-speed Internet connection, or ten minutes if you are using a 56K modem).

Internet Connection Speed

·         56K or faster

Display

·         800x600 pixel resolution or greater (1024x768 pixels recommended)