Web Based ConferencingThe market for web based conferencing has experienced a dramatic change in the past six months. Now, more and more vendors, including those that are new to the market, are introducing web based conferencing services with fresh features and facilities, opening up new avenues in the world of web interaction. Such vendors include Citrix Systems, Inc., Intranets.com Inc., etc. But with web based conferencing becoming increasingly popular not only in the corporate world but in other industries as well, it is difficult for anyone who’s new to the business make his mark and sell his product. Ultimately, the only way for newcomers and providers of web based conferencing services to distinguish themselves in the market is through price. Of course, usability and administration will always be part of the package but right now, there is not a huge delta in these areas of web based conferencing products. Cost and pricing flexibility, on the other, hand, can differ substantially and that is why many vendors today offer an unlimited number of pricing options. Web Based Conferencing – The Price of Price It seems that pricing for hosted web based conferencing services still runs the gamut. For each web based conferencing service provider, the method can vary from limited seats and minutes per room per month with per-minute overage charges to pay-by-the minute services. However, since not all web based conferencing services are hosted by the service provider and sold as an independent package which the company can host on its own intranet, these pricing methods do not always apply. In general, the pricing foci of new web based conferencing systems have been on flat, per month usage pricing. It could also be that the web based conferencing services are paired with other services, such as instant messaging or team work spaces, the pricing of which may differ. As mentioned earlier, most companies offer flat, per month usage as their pricing model for their web based conferencing services. This type of pricing method generally includes a package of participant seats that are available. Once the service is accepted, the seats will then be assigned to a named user host that has unlimited use of the service in that month. Web based conferencing services that are priced on the named user model include Citrix Systems Inc.’s GoToMeeting and Convoq Inc.’s ASAP. Parity in pricing and features has yet to materialize in the market and this is evidenced by the difference in the pricing for the two web based conferencing systems. GoToMeeting is priced at $468 per year but has only a seating capacity of ten while ASAP costs $200 per year for 25 attendees.
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