Video conferencing

Video conferencing:

Examples:

1. Skype
2. windows live messenger
3. ichat
4. GoToMeeting

Advanteges:

• Can communicate with friends and family who live far.
• You can see them which makes communicating with them even better.
• You can hear them as opposed to just reading what they type.
• It's free and prevents phone bills.
• Video conferencing can stimulate better brainstorming.
• Businesses can use video conferencing to provide presentations to key members of an organisation.
• The possibilities for communication are virtually endless thanks to video conferencing technologies.
• Because of this technology information and knowledge are often disseminated at more rapid rates.
• Students can take advantage of video conferencing to take classes at distant locations that would normally be unavailable.

Disadvantages:

• You have to pay for the webcam.
• You need to have a stable internet connection.
• The internet connection has to be payed for.
• Sometimes the cameras or computers lag making video conferecing a bad experience.
• The advantages and disadvantages of video conferencing have to be weighed against your purpose and whether there will be something valuable lost through this technology that you don't want to give up.
• There are some human ways of communicating that do not translate very well over a distance, such as eye contact. When you sit in the same room with someone and listen to a speech or presentation you will make eye contact and they will judge who is paying attention by looking around the room.
• The advantages and disadvantages of video conferencing have to be weighed against your purpose and whether there will be something valuable lost through this technology that you don't want to give up.
• some people are insecure about the way they look and feel uncomfortable in front of a camera.

Risks:

• Business people do not always consider security outside of their firewall. This leaves a business that adopts video conferencing subject to hacking.
• That is, other unauthorized individuals may be able to access the audio and video signals.
• In business meetings where company secrets or confidential data are on the table, the lack of security poses both legal and financial risks.