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October 1-15, 1999 NET WORKING |
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WEBCASTING Let the Show Begin Blending the interactivity of the Net, the audience pull factor of special events and the entertainment power of TV, Webcasts are changing the way we see and listen online. By Kavita Kaur
Video conferencing and interactive TV are slowly taking a back seat as the new hot technology sizzling on the Net-Webcasting-takes the Net world by storm. Be it a haute couture collection or a no-nonsense corporate annual general meeting, companies across the world are exploring innovative ways to exploit this new means of Internet-based multimedia delivery. Some multinational companies are holding online seminars wherein executives can see and listen to different guest speakers without stepping a foot outside their office. On the other hand, non-government firms are using it as a medium to raise funds and create awareness.
Essentially, Webcasting means broadcasting live or pre-recorded video/audio synchronised with URLs, graphics or other rich media over the Net. It gives users the freedom to choose what they want to see and when they want it see. It disseminates realtime information worldwide, virtually free. The add ons: multiple webroadcasts and personalised delivery. Event-Sharing Webcasts provide new ways for people to share events and exchange information. The corporate sector is basically focussing on it as a cost-effective marketing and communications tool. Autodesk Inc., the CAD/CAM/GIS major, offers live streaming video and online chat with its top management when it releases new products and solutions. Similarly, Intel, the chip giant, uses this medium to broadcast the launch of its Pentium microprocessor. In April 1998, Reliance Industries Ltd became the first corporate to Webcast streaming video and audio excerpts of its annual general meeting. Shareholders and analysts from different time zones logged on to the Reliance site to follow the presentation in real time. According to company official, the Webcast is "in line with the organisation's ongoing process of enhancing investor communication and better understanding." The global Webcast makes sense for the Reliance group as the company has over 2.2 million domestic and international investors. Infosys Technologies Ltd followed suit in April this year, when chairman and CEO N.R. Narayana Murthy along with managing director Nandan M. Nilekani, presented the company results for fiscal 1999. The conference was audio Webcast live on the Internet at three different sites to reach out to a large audience: www.itlinfosys.com , www.nasdaq-amex.com and www.broadcast.com . Webcasts are not the exclusive domain of corporates. Remember the grand inauguration of the Hi-Tec City in Hyderabad by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee last year? It too was telecast live on the Net. Or take the example of an Indian wedding ceremony in July 1999. The typical Hindu wedding happening in the US had one remarkable difference-a Web camera in a corner of the "mandap". Those relatives and friends of the couple who could not be physically present at the auspicious function could attend it through the Net. Indian broadcasters like Zee and Doordarshan are latching on to the Web to cater to larger audiences abroad. The Doordarshan site (www.ddindia.net) offers streaming audio and video content with a range of regional-specific programmes.
Click open to the world of sports. Thanks to the Webcasting technology, cricket fans residing anywhere in the world could watch the ball-by-ball simulated audio-visual coverage of the 1999 World Cup right on their desktop. Even the the recent solar eclipse was shown live on many Web sites, including NASA, enabling people to view the breathtaking scientific marvel. There are even Web-streamed courses offered today. Students can watch a "live" classroom proceeding or a videotape version of a previously taught class on their computer. Recently, Broadcast.com set a new record for visitors to its site in a single day. It logged over 2 million users, when Victoria's Secret debuted its annual spring collection online. This was the first time that a company from the fashion industry used the Net to promote its product. Targeting the Audience What makes Webcasts so promising? First, the message can be delivered quickly to the specified target audiences-be it your customers, shareholders, employees, students, shoppers or even general surfers. By eliminating time-zone and distance barriers, Webcasting offers anytime-anywhere communication. The cost factor is as much alluring. Webcasting costs much less than the traditional means of communicating such as print campaigns, teleconferencing or product rollouts. Above all, it is measurable. While you are always unsure of how many people read the ad in the newspaper that burnt a hole in your pocket, you can determine the return on investment (ROI) of your Webcasting efforts by knowing how many people attended the "event". Also, the profile of the attendees can be helpful for future Webcasts and other marketing efforts. In many cases, Netizens are adding streaming media to their Web sites to make them stand out from the competition, make an ever-lasting impact on the surfers and lure them for a come-back! At their end, Web site owners are jumping onto the lucrative Webcasting bandwagon for a variety of reasons: no costly broadcast equipment, no formalities such as licensing and no expensive setup. They can run a full-fledged Webcast centre from a small room. Webcast producers can generate revenues by pay-per-view concerts or movie listings, online distance education, business conferencing, commercial services like baby christening functions and online audio/video advertising. More than Watching TV A fast and secure connection to the Web is a prerequisite to a satisfactory Webcasting experience. Don't even think of attempting to watch streaming video on a 14.4 k modem! Having a speedy connection is not everything. Watching a Webcast is not as simple as switching on the TV. You need the right player software (see box), and check out different sites that offer Webcasts and sieve through the long lists of offerings. Otherwise, how else would you identify the programme you want to view. And of course, despite all the talk and hype about live streaming, network congestion can ruin your experience by constant buffering! While it's a long way before streaming video over the Net becomes the first choice of couch potatoes, it's still a blessing to have a facility which helps you watch programmes that you want to watch. The big relief: you do not have to juggle up your schedule to watch your favourite serial. You are in total viewing control. |
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Early this month, world
leaders, pop stars and UN officials came together to promote a UN Web
site-www.netaid.org-aimed at getting the rich to help the poor. The who's who of the
international community included US President Bill Clinton, British Prime Minister Tony
Blair, former South African President Nelson Mandela, Irish rock group U2, and rocker
David Bowie. To promote the site, the high profile fund-raising function was shown
"live on the Net". The aim: to connect those who can provide help with those who
need help, and ofcourse, to reach out to a wide range of audience worldwide. 
