What Are Webinars?

A webinar is a way for people to conference or train together over the Internet. A meeting host is able to broadcast a presentation to the attendees through a live feed. There is also an audio component that is available either over the phone or over the Internet. Webinars are a step towards being able to video conference to its full extent.

Function

A webinar can have different purposes. One of the main uses is for training, where the meeting host would educate the attendees on a subject. Another use is simply as a conference for the attendees, which would be more of a situation to share ideas. Webinars can also be used to market and sell products.

Benefits

Webinars are beneficial in that they are both a visual and audio presentation. Webinars evolved from conference calling and online chatting where everything was either audio or visual, but not both. Webinars allow for the clear presentation of ideas, concepts or even products because the attendees can see exactly what you're talking about.

Components

A Webinar consists of the meeting host's presentation, and audio component which could either be over the phone or over the Internet. Often, there is also a chat box where attendees can ask questions or quickly message the host. The presentation is most often slideshow presentation, though sometimes it could be a video feed or a live recording of the host's desktop. The audio is presented through a dedicated phone line or Internet line. Audio through the Internet is achieved via Voiceover IP (VOIP). There are other options possible, though not required, such as the ability to raise one's hand virtually to let the host know there is a question or comment.

Considerations

Hosting a webinar requires both a computer and Internet bandwidth that can handle streaming of video and audio. There are often technical glitches with VOIP where the calls will get dropped or there will be interference on the line. This is because VOIP requires a large Internet bandwidth. The video portions also require a large bandwidth, though less so if it is not a live video feed. This affects the host more than the attendees, because hosting the webinar requires a computer that will not slow down.

Significance

Webinars are a step forward to full video conferencing, which although possible, still has many glitches. Webinars are especially useful in business settings because employees can now make presentations and hold meetings from all over the world without inducing large long distance phone costs. Also, webinars allow marketers and entrepreneurs to present products in a more personal manner, expanding their abilities to reach a larger audience.