If the need for web conferencing system becomes inevitable, you need to have one fast, right? Wrong! Investing on the tool that may make or break the future of your business require more than your impulse. You need to know what your particular communication need is, what system will work for you best, how much will such system cost, and how reliable and secured such system would be. Knowing all these will lead you to the right decision when looking for a web conferencing system.

What you need defines it all... Look for a particular system that you need. You may know this already but it needs to be reiterated so that you don't waste your money on an unsuitable system.

There are several vendors and hundreds of different web conferencing tools online; searching for one that you need may be very confusing. Determine if what you need falls under the following categories:

- Instant messaging - Screen sharing - Webcasting - Screencasting - Remote PC access - Chat room software - Micro-blogging - Presentation creation and delivery - Online meetings and presentations - Live costumer support system - Other services

Any web conferencing vendors fall under one of these categories. Once you have determined what you need, you can now look for a particular service provider from the specific category you have chosen.

Security features...

Going through the details about the security features of your possible vendor must be your main priority. Hackers and other unauthorized users may tap into your network and steal confidential documents from your server. Check with your vendor the types of security features they have.

The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) has set up a standard on web conferencing security: Secure Socket Layer (SSL), non-persistent data flow and intrusion control. SSL limits data access to intended recipients and prohibits unauthorized access to data. Non-persistent data flow constantly transfers your data from one host to another to avoid detection from unauthorized users.

Intrusion control can detect and shut down unauthorized users from accessing your data. These standards are voluntarily adopted by the web conferencing hosting companies and manufacturers.

Other useful features...

Depending on your needs you can choose from vendors that offer a small meeting hosting service or a conference with 1000 participants. Video conferencing feature, multilingual support, flash presentation, and file sharing (document files, PDF, 3D models, CAD drawings etc) should be considered as well.

Some vendors offer a 30-day trial period which is ideal if you still don't know exactly how your chosen system will work.

Cost...

Flying in and accommodating clients for meeting or gathering your staff offsite for a seminar can be very problematic and very expensive. But that doesn't meant that you are free to spend your money on any web conferencing system you can find. You still have to make sure that you can get the best services from every penny you spend.

Web conferencing is either sold as a service or is sold with server side solution. The former is controlled by the vendor from their web server. The latter allows you to host your own web conferencing using your own server. The service can be paid per minute, per named user, per port or per month.

There are varying features that are being offered by different vendors. Be smart in choosing what you really need by keeping in mind the factors mentioned above.