Teleconferencing System

ABSTRACT

This work is on teleconferencing system. A teleconference is a meeting of three or more people who are separated by distance, using electronic communication. The participants might be in the same city, or could be thousands of miles apart, in different countries on different continents. They may interact with one another, or the conference might be one-way – a lecture or presentation that a number of people can attend at the same time from different places. Sometimes, there are only three or four people involved, sometimes 25 or 30, sometimes hundreds. Teleconferencing is a way of bringing a group of people together from different locations without having to travel long distances.

The three most common types of teleconference are conference calls (voice only), videoconferences (voice and video), and web-based conferences. The last of these can incorporate voice and/or video; can include viewing computer files, such as spreadsheets, documents, pictures, and PowerPoint presentations; and can use the resources of the Internet. But in this work we focused fully on videoconferences (voice and video).

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

 TITLE PAGE

APPROVAL PAGE

DEDICATION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

ABSTRACT

TABLE OF CONTENT

CHAPTER ONE

• INTRODUCTION
• AIM/OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
• PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
• SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROJECT
• BENEFIT OF THE STUDY
• LIMITATION OF THE PROJECT

CHAPTER TWO

2.0      LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1      THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
2.2     REVIEW OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF TELECONFERENCING
2.3     DESCRIPTION OF A TELECONFERENCE

2.4     IMPORTANCE OF ORGANIZING A TELECONFERENCE

2.5      ORGANIZERS OF TELECONFERENCE

2.6     HOW TO ORGANIZE A TELECONFERENCE

2.7     DIFFERENT TYPES OF VIDEO CONFERENCING WORKING

CHAPTER THREE

3.0      METHODOLOGY

3.1     BASICS OF VIDEO CONFERENCE

3.2    SYSTEM BLOCK DIAGRAM

3.3    SYSTEM COMPONENTS AND TECHNOLOGY

CHAPTER FOUR

TESTING ANALYSIS

4.1   TESTING ANALYSIS

4.2 VIDEO CONFERENCE SAFETY

4.3 ROLE OF STANDARDS

CHAPTER FIVE

• CONCLUSIONS
• SUMMARY

5.3     REFERENCES

CHAPTER ONE

1.0                                                        INTRODUCTION

Teleconference meets people in different locations using telecommunications. A basic teleconference may only include audio, while other types of teleconferences may include video and data sharing. Some common examples include telephone conferences, video conferences, and web meetings.

The most simple and widely used type of teleconference is a phone conference, since the only equipment required is a speakerphone. If a project needs to be discussed between more than two people in different locations, they can all dial a conference phone number that will allow everybody to talk to each other at the same time. A board meeting may also double as a teleconference if board members attend remotely. Many board rooms include a conferencing system that allows people to “teleconference in” to the meeting by calling the conference phone number. This allows remote board members to actively participate in a board meeting even if they are not physically present.

Teleconferences may also include live video. These types of teleconferences, often called video conferences, allow people to see each other in real-time during a remote meeting. A video conference may be one-way, where one remote user or group is displayed on a video feed, or two-way, where both sides can see each other. In the early days of videoconferencing, expensive equipment was required in order to set up a video conference. Today, you can simply use a computer’s built-in video camera and free software such as Skype to video conference with other users.

Thanks to the Internet, teleconferences may also include data sharing. These types of conferences often use web browsers as the user interface and are therefore called web meetings. For example, you can use a web-based service like Join.me to share your screen with other users. You can even let another person control your screen, which is great for remote troubleshooting. Businesses may use a web-based service like WebEx to host an online presentation for hundreds or even thousands of attendees. When hosting a web presentation, the presenter controls the screen and is typically the only one who can be heard during the meeting. Attendees are often provided with a chat window in which they can ask questions and interact with the presenter.

1.2                                               OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The objective of this work is to how is to know how teleconference (video conference) is made live, visual connection between two or more people residing in separate locations for the purpose of communication. At its simplest, video conferencing provides transmission of static images and text between two locations. At its most sophisticated, it provides transmission of full-motion video images and high-quality audio between multiple locations.

1.3                                             PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The main purpose of video conferencing is to enable face-to-face communication between two or more people in different locations. It is a popular alternative to phone conferencing for businesses and provides individual users with an inexpensive means of communication with distant friends and family. Microsoft has made its own video conferencing software, NetMeeting, available for free download and as part of various Windows operating systems. Some indications suggest that video conferencing may someday eclipse more traditional modes of distance communication.

1.4                                                 BENEFIT OF THE STUDY

Videoconferencing increases efficiency and results in a more profitable use of limited resources. It is a very personal medium for human issues where face-to-face communications are necessary. When you can see and hear the person you are talking to on a television monitor, they respond as though you were in the same room together. It is an effective alternative to travel which can easily add up to weeks of non-productive time each year. With videoconferencing, you never have to leave the office. Documents are available, and experts can be on hand. A crisis that might take on major proportions if you are out of town, can be handled because you’re on the job. Videoconferencing maximizes efficiency because it provides a way to meet with several groups in different locations, at the same time.

As the limited resource of funding has decreased, limited resources now include instructors, parking spaces and buildings. Students now include time as a limited resources. Teleconferencing enables institutions to share facilities and instructors which will increase our ability to serve students.

1.5                                           SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Immediate Scheduling & Flexibility

You can set up a teleconferencing call in a matter of minutes. There are online teleconferencing services that allow you to log in, set the date and time for your call, and retrieve a phone number and personal identification number, or PIN, to distribute to your call participants almost instantly. Call participants also have a lot of flexibility. Callers can leave and come back to the discussion whenever desired.

Ability to Record

Another advantage of teleconferencing is that you have proof of who participated in the call and you can also have the call recorded. So if there are any disputes or questions about the terms of a verbal agreement that was made over the phone, you can simply refer to the recording or transcript of the call. You can also email each participant a copy of the call. This will help your clients, colleagues and workers be more efficient. For instance, if you were discussing a project to be completed, an employee can replay the call to be clear about his role in the project.

1.6                                             LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

Hard to Officiate

In a normal meeting, one person is usually assigned to act as parliamentarian over the proceeding. The parliamentarian is a neutral person who prevents the discussion from veering off-topic, mediates arguments and keeps the meeting short. However, when you’re having a meeting over the phone, people are less likely to respect and acknowledge the parliamentarian. As a result, a teleconference can be difficult to manage and officiate.

Impersonal

Because this teleconference takes the place of an actual face-to-face meeting, this can be a very impersonal way to conduct business or discuss issues with your group. You can’t look into a person’s eyes when he’s talking or watch his movements to gauge his mood, meaning or intent. It is harder for members to develop a strong connection with each other. If you replace face-to-face meetings with teleconferencing, your group members could, over time, start to become disconnected from each other.

Lack of Body Language

Teleconferencing doesn’t let you read other participants’ body language, which can give you clues as to whether you need to change your direction during a meeting. For example, if the person you’re meeting with crosses his arms, it might be a sign of defensiveness and that you are not connecting. Seeing this, you would be able to soften your message. Someone slouching or tapping their fingers can signal they are losing interest, letting you know to change the subject or finish your point. In a teleconferencing situation, you do not get these cues to make changes in your presentation.

Lack of Eye Contact

Eye contact is another key benefit you lose when teleconferencing. Someone who looks down at the floor might be lying, giving you a clue not to take him at his word if you are interviewing him for a job or involved in a sales call. If someone’s eyes dart around the room, they might be bored. If you or your meeting partners absolutely can’t make an in-person meeting, ask about videoconferencing capabilities. Using the video cameras on our computers and the availability of low-cost and free video services such as Skype, it might be just as easy to organize a video meeting.

Interruptions

People who teleconference do so using landlines, cell phones and voiceover Internet protocol, or VOIP, phones. Plan on interruptions during telephone meetings when calls are dropped and Internet connections go dead. Many people attend teleconferences while driving, talking on cell phones that can create static or other noise as the user moves in and out of dead zones. Some people take advantage of teleconferences to stay at home that day, leading to crying babies, barking dogs or people at the door disrupting your call.

No Visual Presentation

The ability to share graphs, charts, photos, reports, drawings, videos, product samples and other visual messages is important to make a sale, whether you’re trying to get a customer to buy, co-workers to understand a new procedure or your boss to agree with a pitch you’re making. When organizing or attending a teleconference that would benefit from visuals, upload documents or videos to a company or personal website or email information to attendees before the meeting starts.

REFERENCE

• https://techterms.com/definition/teleconference
• “Sam Ashe-Edmunds” Disadvantages of a Teleconference (http://work.chron.com/disadvantages-teleconference-15938.html)
• Amy Kucharik “Pros and cons of teleconferencing” http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/answer/Pros-and-cons-of-teleconferencing