Lea Green

Meetings Just Got Easier with GlobalMeet

February 22nd, 2011 by Lea Green Posted in Audio Conferencing, Conferencing, Uncategorized, Web Conferencing
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It’s frustrating. All the buttons at the top. Loading your presentation. Downloading the application that you forgot to install so you can load your presentation. Making sure that your conferencing software works in Firefox…no, wait, is that IE? And which version? All in the five minutes before your call starts and 45 people join. You don’t personally know all these people but you do know your boss is on the call, and she’s getting increasingly aggravated.

But it’s not you. It’s the web conferencing software. Companies around the world work diligently to communicate and collaborate, work to break down language barriers, time zone differences, and cultural disparities—shouldn’t web conferencing tools be an easy, one-click solution? According to a recent study from Wainhouse Research, employees often don’t use web conferencing tools because they find them difficult to use.

As we strive to connect with other co-workers and our customers—whether it’s just in the next office or across the globe—efficiency and productivity remain paramount concerns. But if you can’t communicate and share your ideas with others, it can sometimes feel as though your hard work is wasted.

This morning, PGi announced the availability of our newly redesigned GlobalMeet for simple, affordable web conferencing. Dial-in numbers, passcodes and long URLs are now a thing of the past. With effortless screen share that include high resolution files and video, no downloads, and the best sound quality available, you can focus on the meeting you’re in rather than trying to fix the meeting.

Try GlobalMeet free for 30 days

 
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Trisha Zimmerman (@Trish_Zimmerman)

Avoid Pitfalls of Job Interviewing Via Web Cam

February 22nd, 2011 by Trisha Zimmerman (@Trish_Zimmerman) Posted in Tips and Tricks, Uncategorized, Video Conferencing, Web Conferencing
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When job interviewing via web cam, present yourself just as you would in a face-to-face interview.

Having worked at PGi for more than 10 years, it has been a long time since I had a job interview. At that time, I wore a business suit, showed up 10 minutes early with pen and paper and offered a copy of my resume.  With video conferencing now much more prevalent, how would today’s applicant handle a job interview via web cam? Do you log in 10 minutes early and wear a suit in front of your laptop? I wondered about these things as I was using iMeet, PGi’s new video conferencing tool.

While the HR professionals I spoke with said you don’t necessarily have to wear a suit, you still have ensure your appearance is professional and present yourself as you would in a face-to-face interview.  So, what does that mean for video conferencing users? Here are a few pointers:

  • “Show up” a few minutes early.
  • Test your equipment.
  • If you’re using iMeet but don’t have a web cam, upload a photo of yourself, or at minimum, an avatar that looks like you.
  • Just as you would typically meet in an office or conference room, make sure you’re in an environment with few distractions.
  • Take a look at what’s behind you and make it tidy if it’s going to be a backdrop for an interview.
  • Here’s a tough one – make eye contact. That means looking into your camera and not your computer screen. Interviewers can tell when someone’s attention is drifting. So make sure you’re paying attention, just as if you were in the same room.

If using iMeet for your interview, fill in your cube with details about yourself that you would want a potential employer to know. Think of it as an extension of your cover letter. Likewise, take advantage of reading the other person’s bio. While you wouldn’t want to ask about pets or children in an interview, you may learn information that helps you connect with that person.

Bottom line, whether you’re in person or via web cam, you’re still selling your perception. Present yourself via video just as you would in a face-to-face interview.

Still unsure how a web cam works with job interviews? Check back soon for a video demonstration of these tips!

Sign up for a free 60 day iMeet trial.

 
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Cora Rodenbusch

Cupid’s Top 3 Ways to Virtually Connect with your Long Distance Valentine

February 11th, 2011 by Cora Rodenbusch Posted in Video Conferencing, Virtual Meetings
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Don’t let long distance keep you from doting on your Valentine this year. Tell those pesky miles and time zones to buzz off and check out these “cupid-approved” ways to show your special someone how much they mean to you:

#3 Create Your Own eLove Letter: Write your turtledove an original love letter with the help of SomeeCards.com.

#2 MMS Your Affection:  Throughout the day, MMS photos of things that remind you of your Valentine.  Tap into your inner Shakespeare and accompany your words with a poem.

#1 Get a Room: Never thought you could steal a private moment with your long distance sweetie? iMeet® is here to make that possible this Valentine’s Day. Go to iMeet.com/signup for your free trial of the most Valentine’s Day-friendly video conferencing site out there. Once you have your Room set up, send your lovey a message to join you. Flip through old photos of you together, watch a romantic video clip, and give each other a virtual kiss goodnight.

Comment to share how you’re celebrating your virtual Valentine’s Day.

 
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Lea Green

Telecommuting during the snowpocalypse

February 10th, 2011 by Lea Green Posted in Conferencing, Telecommuting, Uncategorized, Virtual Meetings, Web Conferencing
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Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-snow2lsd20110202071217,0,2905048.photo

In recent weeks, icy storms have swept the country. Dallas, Texas, felt colder than Anchorage, Alaska, last week, allowing many southerners to discover the art of building a snowman. Both private and public transportation can easily be impaired during winter storms; worse, drivers often learn the hard way how dangerous it is to drive on icy roads.

However, weather difficulties no longer mean lost productivity for the increasing percentage of the workforce now enjoying the advantages of telecommuting. Allowing staff to work from home—when weather is unpredictable or on a more regular basis—can often increase productivity, motivation, and retention.  Additionally, unpredicted school closures present extra difficulty for working parents. Finding last-minute child care on a snow day can be a staggering challenge. The flexibility of telecommuting benefits not only employees but their families as well.

Rather than bundling up in winter weather gear, employees with the right technology can stay safe in their cozy flannel pajamas and work from home. Poor weather is an optimal time for telecommuters to put portable consumer electronics—laptop computers, wireless and smart phones—to their intended uses. When employees working from home pair these resources with web and video conferencing solutions and an inexpensive webcam, home offices can retain much of the same productivity as in-office environments.

These electronic resources—sometimes villianized as impediments to a healthy work-life balance—can actually promote harmony and flexibility while telecommuting. When we integrate devices into our life rather than being dependent upon them, we can achieve a work-life balance that takes into account our unique needs and boundaries. Telecommuting can help employees realize gains in these areas. Fewer interruptions and commutes empower employees to create space and sanity in their professional and personal lives while using time to their own advantage.

 
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Jill Sciulli (@jillsciulli)

Favorite Things: QR Codes

February 7th, 2011 by Jill Sciulli (@jillsciulli) Posted in Collaboration, Favorite Things
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Forget the business card exchanges at your next meeting. Instead try exchanging QR codes!

So what’s a QR code you ask? QR, or Quick Response, codes are two dimensional barcodes that are easily scanned using any smartphone. Here is an example.

It’s the URL for blog.pgi.com!

These barcodes can be converted (technical term: “dequrified”) into a piece of text and/or URL using your mobile phone. With QR codes you don’t have to worry about where you placed a business card after an important meeting or manually typing the information into your contact database. The information you need is immediately scanned into your phone for use at a later date.

You can convert your contact information (in a process called “qurifying”) into the QR code, which translates everything from your name and title to your URL address and Twitter handle.

Here’s my twitter handle -- @jillsciulli!

Here are some online sites to help you create QR codes.

http://www.qurify.com/en

http://qrcode.kaywa.com

http://zxing.appspot.com/generator

http://delivr.com/qr-code-generator

To convert or “dequrify” QR codes you need to make sure your phone can scan a QR code with its camera, either with a downloadable application or via software that’s already installed on your phone. To find out what application to use for your phone, go to this great web site: http://www.mobile-barcodes.com/qr-code-software.

Once you have the appropriate software on your phone, then you can scan QR codes wherever you see them. And I’m starting to see them plenty…in magazines, at conferences, and on business cards.

A business card with a QR code

Try to create or “qurify” your own QR code today. For more information on QR codes, read this interactive marketing blog by my colleague Brandon Johnson. And if you are interested in exploring other alternatives to business cards, check out this blog by John Paul Titlow on the ReadWriteBiz channel. Happy meeting!

 
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