Isaac first evaluated a number of solutions that were tested by the Web
Conferencing Council
www.webconferencingcouncil.com , and ended up selecting the same product
that won the council's best of class award VIA3 from
www.viack.com – mostly due to the
affordability and richness of features. Brainstorming sessions, sales calls,
PowerPoint webinars, file sharing, Audio and Video meetings, and instant
communications are all at his fingertips now, making his small company act
and look like a much larger entity. The best part is the cost savings;
instead of paying $3,750.00 a month for office space, furniture rentals,
food and supplies, etc... he now pays around $200 a month. For this 200$,
Isaac has enough product licenses to give 10 employees full functionality of
the web conferencing suite. His up front cost was zero, because his
employees were already using laptops with built-in web cameras and
microphones.
And here's more good news; his customers love it.
First, they love the convenience of meeting and collaborating online. "We
used to make sure that all customer experiences with ShapiraMedia were off
the charts productive, creative, and enjoyable for customers," said Isaac.
"They were drinking espressos, seated in colorful beanbags, with hip music
like ‘Kings of Leon’ resonating in the background. The one downside to the
meetings, however, was the need for travel back and forth to facilitate
in-person face-to-face interaction. That meant an unproductive element to
their day, which we can now avoid by conducting these meetings online."
Secondly, because of the tremendous savings Isaac incurred in his
overhead, he is now able to pass those savings along to the customers. This
results in ultra-competitive bids that are winning them a steady stream of
new business. Neil Woodruff, Viack CEO, said this is a common story with
VIA3 users. "The quick productivity and cost saving infusion that happened
at ShapiraMedia is something our user base enjoys consistently, and
immediately. Because of VIA3's ease of use, affordability, and near-zero
investment costs, businesses are able to turn on a dime from brick and
mortar to online powerhouses".
There are a number of other collaboration features above and beyond
straight meetings that help ShapiraMedia. Creative projects are stored,
shared, and collaborated on through the included Workspaces. All employees
are a click away from each other using Instant Messaging with presence
awareness. They brainstorm over images in the included Whiteboard feature.
They utilize the included voting and polling feature during company
meetings. They are also able to share desktop control with each other for an
even higher level of collaboration.
The only thing missing?
"VIA3 doesn't handle espressos", laughs Isaac. "As for the colorful
beanbags - those are still being used. You can see them in the background
during online meetings with ShapiraMedia. Some things will never change."
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Brian Back
