Lync Audio Conferencing

Communiqué Conferencing recently announced the availability of integrated audio conferencing with Microsoft Lync Online, a part of Microsoft Office 365. By combining Communique’s audio conferencing services with Lync Online, customers will be able to automatically launch a group voice conference call from any chat, web or video conference within the Lync Online interface.

The integrated audio conference call solution for Microsoft Lync Online delivers:

• Call scheduling via Microsoft Outlook
• The ability for meeting participants to join for external locations and multiple devices
• Dial in/out
• Mute/unmute
• Lock/unlock
• End conference
• VoIP/PSTN integration, including combined recording of web and audio content
• *0 in-call operator support

For more information on Lync audio conferencing. Microsoft PinPoint Lync Online Audio Conferencing.

Tips For Running A Webinar With Webcam Video

A company called MediaPlatform recently created a short and fun video illustrating what not to do when presenting using a video webcam.

Video Link: http://youtu.be/0YeTZS6GSI4

New Adobe Connect Webinar Features Coming Soon

Adobe announced a limited public beta program for the upcoming release of Adobe Connect for Webinars. Codenamed Maple, this release is designed to be targeted at the webinar lifecycle, including registration and some new interactivity features. The beta also includes their new mobile version of the software for Android devices.

Read more about the Beta program

ReadyTalk Previews Video Clips In Webinars

ReadyTalk just announced beta availability of a new feature letting webinar hosts share prerecorded video clips during meetings. Video clips must be uploaded to the ReadyTalk server where they undergo a conversion process. The Quick Start Guide says that conversion can take up to two hours, and ReadyTalk recommends doing the conversion at least a day in advance and testing the converted output before the live session.
Once uploaded, videos can be played as part of a webinar session. Attendees hear any audio in the clip and the playback audio/video is included in the session archive recording.
Details and links to documentation are available in the announcement on the ReadyTalk blog.

15 Ways to Bring Social Media to Events

Do you host online events or Webinars?  Social media enables event attendees to connect in powerful ways. Social media can help promote events and empower attendees to share. This article from the Social Media Examiner includes 15 ways you can infuse social media into your events.
http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/15-ways-to-bring-social-media-to-events/ 

Annoying PowerPoint Survey Results

Dave Paradi’s annual PowerPoint annoyances survey results are in. The results this year are not much different than in past years. Dave’s top-five audience annoyances once again generally fall under the banner of presenters effectively writing white papers on PowerPoint slides. Presenters write out their speech in full sentences on the slides and are left with nothing to do but read those sentences out loud to their audience. Sometimes they cram in data-filled charts, tables, or graphs to support their statements with a mass of evidence.

Creating and delivering presentations in this way makes a tremendous amount of practical sense. It’s quick… You don’t have to waste time thinking about design issues or finding graphics. It complies with corporate guidelines… You just fill in the bullet points on your company’s “Title and Content” slide layout. It doesn’t require much, if any, practice… Your script is right there in front of you to be read. And it works great as a handout, allowing offline audiences to read through the information for themselves later.

If you are going ask your audience to commit their valuable time to listen to you, create a presentation. Not a white paper that happens to be written on sequential slides.

Adobe Connect Reviews: Double Winner at the Best of Elearning! Awards

Last week, at the Enterprise Learning! Conference & Expo, the Best of Elearning! 2011 awards results were announced. Program recognition is significant because nominations and winners are determined by executives and business managers engaged in the areas of enterprise learning and workforce technology.

Adobe Connect was recognized in two categories:

Best Web Seminar Solution – Winner

“Nice interface, great performance that allows in-depth learner interactions.”

Best Virtual Classroom – Winner

Nominations and voting were conducted over a three month balloting period. This years awards featured 1,750 nominations, covering 56 products across 20 categories.

To read more about the awards and results, please see the press release from the Elearning! Media Group here.

Conference Call Greetings Get Personal

Communique Conferencing, Inc. just made its services a 'little more personal' by taking another innovative step forward and introducing a new feature that that allows users to digitally record a personalized greeting to welcome participants joining their conference calls.

In a press release, Adelphi Kennedy, Director of Corporate Communications, said, "We’ve been offering company level branding for audio conference calls for several years now. We’re excited to add personalized greetings as another way for our clients to further customize audio conference calls and add an element of professionalism.”

Now participants will be greeted with a recorded message that informs them of the conference details and other announcements relevant to conferencing. No sophisticated equipment is required for recording, the standard telephone handset is sufficient.

One thing that is very important about the new feature is its flexibility. Greetings can be changed as often as required and there is no stipulation regarding the length of the personalized greeting.

The new features can be added for $25/month.

Communique Conferencing provides industry leading audio and web conferencing, Webinar hosting as well as virtual event solutions such as Virtual Trade Shows.