Communication technology has now reached a new frontier.
There’s no need to tie your message to a helium-filled balloon or the foot of a courier pigeon.
In an instant, your organization can interact with other remotely located parties, nationally or internationally, through the wonders of Web conferencing.
And after decades of evolution, we’re happy to report that Web conferencing is secure and easy to use — even if you don’t fancy yourself as being very “tech savvy.”
Better technology means more options for the user. You have three simple choices for your Web conferencing setup:
1. Hosted Service
2. On-Premise Software
3. On-Premise Appliance
Each option has its advantages and disadvantages, so which one will work best for you? We think you will know this answer for your organization better than anybody else. So, we’d encourage you to decide for yourself. But in case you would like more information, we have provided the following paragraphs to help you understand each of the three Web conferencing options, including their pros and cons. And don’t worry! The explanations below are even easier than blowing up party balloons (and definitely simpler than tying them).
Across the Board
There are a few characteristics that all three Web conferencing solutions have in common, across the board:
— All three options give you the ability to communicate within your organization.
— All three options give you the ability to communicate with other remote organizations.
— All three options simplify the process of data sharing.
— And of course, all three options will enhance your virtual meetings.
The Fork in the Road
The three Web conferencing solutions differ in where they are used, as well as some of their strengths. So, let’s take a look at some very specific differences.
HOSTED SERVICE
Hosted Service — The Pros
Hosted Web conferencing services are Internet-based, which makes it a great, offpremise solution, meaning, if you’re not at the office and you need to hold your Web conference from your home, that’s just fine. Your organization simply subscribes to the hosted service and then accesses its application online. No sweat. The hosted solution is the easiest to deploy.
Hosted Service — The Cons
Hosted solutions are less secure, so this will be a significant consideration for you if your organization deals with extremely sensitive information. And hosted solutions are a never-ending expense, as long as you’re subscribed, because they require you to pay an ongoing cost.
ON-PREMISE SOFTWARE
On-Premise Software — The Pros
On-premise software offers you greater security. It operates behind client-company firewalls for an additional barrier of protection and support. Private clouds (within an organization) are much more secure than public clouds (the Internet), because they work over an organization’s servers and its infrastructure, as opposed to being deployed over the Internet (aka The Wild West). When compared to hosted service, on-premise software is also cost-saving over time, and it has a lot more flexibility for integration and for branding (highlighting your organization’s name during conferences).
On-Premise Software — The Cons
The problem with on-premise software, however, is its high upfront cost, and it’s rather difficult to deploy.
ON-PREMISE APPLIANCE
On-Premise Appliance — For the Pros!
As with the on-premise software described above, an on-premise appliance offers you the same great security because it also operates behind client-company firewalls for an additional barrier of protection and support. Private clouds (within an organization) are much more secure than public clouds (the Internet), because they work over an organization’s servers and its infrastructure, as opposed to being deployed over the Internet. And just like on-premise software, when compared to hosted service, an on-premise appliance is also cost-saving over time, and it has a lot more flexibility for integration and for branding.
But unlike on-premise software, the on-premise appliance has a low upfront cost, and it’s easy to deploy, which usually makes it the all-around favorite, once people understand all three options.
Full Disclosure:
In the paragraphs above, we encouraged you to examine these options and choose for yourself. You know your organization and its needs better than we do, so we warmly welcome you to compare and contrast the three solutions for Web conferencing. And if this article has helped you — and you’re happy — then we’re happy, regardless of which solution you choose.
Now, you probably noticed a conspicuous omission of “cons” for the on-premise appliance. Well, that’s because here at RHUB, we personally believe that an on-premise appliance is the very best of the three solutions. That’s why our company has created the RHUB 6-in-1 Web Conferencing Appliance, which gives you Web conferencing, remote support, audio conferencing, video conferencing, remote access and Webinar capabilities — all through one appliance. But we’re not going to give you a big sales pitch here. If you’re interested, we’d encourage you to visit our Web site to learn more: RHUB
