Philippine Webinars

Webinars rely on technology most especially on bandwidth.  Without it you can’t attend or host one.  If it’s too slow you’ll be disconnected several times.

Unlike our first world counterparts, our bandwidth is shared and not guaranteed.   Broadband providers here offer a fast download rate but we know that we don’t get the “stated” speed in our plans.

So, the question is: What Internet provider can I rely on to successfully host or attend a webinar?

We’ve managed to test the huge broadband players with several webinar tools prior to us launching and still constantly testing on every session we’ve hosted.  For this post, I’ll focus on the residential service and not the wireless broadband products. Here are the results:

SMART BRO

The 999 Unlimited plan that has a speed of 1mbps.  This should be good to go but because the connection isn’t stable, it’s not recommended.  The “transformers” experience was born when we used it.  I realized, in hindsight, that I should’ve counted the number of times I said “You sound like the Transformers!” during our meetings.

An attendee would be able to connect to a session but might encounter some difficulty hearing the speaker at some point.  For speakers, I would say don’t even dare to use it, not unless you want a catastrophe in your hands.

BAYANTEL DSL

The 384kbps plan just won’t cut it.  Yes, it may be enough to cover the minimum speed, but remember it isn’t guaranteed.  The 1699 plan is workable.  We’ve had a few successful sessions under this plan, mostly on the hosting side.  Just a few tips before you go and subscribe.

If you are presenting and hosting, it’s better to do a speed test at certain times of the day.  It’s still not as reliable as you would expect.  Though you won’t get disconnected as much, the lag time is huge!

As an attendee, this plan is suffice to attend webinars.  Just don’t expect sessions that offer video streaming to work as well.  The host or speaker has to be ready for any unexpected lag times, so those who don’t rely too much on slides, this could work for you.

SKY BROADBAND

So far, we’ve managed to successfully host webinars through this service.  But, we subscribed to a plan that has a high download and upstream speed.

Their 1.5 mbps plan would be good for attendees and speakers, having an upload burst speed of 512 kbps.  I will recommend them for your webinar sessions.  If you could get a static IP address, which is an additional P200.00 then get it.  This will make sure your connection is stable.

PLDT DSL

This is a tricky one.  Their 999 plan is suffice and has worked well with our sessions.  Though they can’t promise the upload speed at this point.  They say it’s the same as the download speed, but based on experience, it isn’t as reliable.  Getting a static IP address is not recommended since they charge an arm and a leg to get one.

The trick here is to request for the installer to connect your line to the “new lines”.  It’s more stable and faster.

The last two would be my recommendation.  Just take note that there are different factors to consider to ensure a successful webinar session.  Bandwidth is just one of them.

Image courtesy of Mayank Austen Soofi

The numbers are increasing.  Facebook users log in to their accounts almost everyday.  The venue where they log in isn’t limited to their homes.  It has now crossed over to the workplace.  This has caused some concern amongst management (though, they too, access Twitter and LinkedIn).

Janette Toral, founder of Digital Filipino, will discuss the use of social media, blogs, and social networks within the workplace and how it poses as a challenge to Human Resources in a one-hour webinar session on November 5, 2009 from 4PM to 5PM, Philippine time.   This ProFora Lightbulb session will answer questions like:

• Should we allow employees access to social networking sites like Facebook and Friendster?
• How do we avoid situations like employees posting information about the company in their blog by sharing their angst about fellow employees?
• Does social media contribute to productivity of an employee in the workplace?
• What is an ideal social media usage policy that we can use for our company?

Join this webinar to know more and join in the discussion.

Image courtesy of Anne Helmond & kerryct

In partnership with ProFora Media, Digital Filipino is celebrating its 10th anniversary alongside with One Internet Day this year. As we empower more Filipinos globally with the Internet, it is fitting that webinars are introduced, not only to educate of the numerous opportunities that it can bring, but the benefits of how this platform can bring everyone together to collaborate.

The celebration will be a whole day event, starting from 9AM and ends at 8pm on September 17, 2009.  There will be 9 FREE webinars available from different industries.

This is not only a milestone for Digital Filipino, but for ProFora Media and the webinar industry within the country as well, as this is the ever first virtual conference to be done in the Philippines.  Be part of history and attend a Philippine webinar.  Share it to your friends and colleagues so they, too, can be part of this event.

To check on the list of webinars to be conducted live on September 17 and to register, you can visit ProFora’s events page.

The Philippine webinar scene is now being dominated by Janette Toral, founder of DigitalFilipino and known for being an e-commerce expert within the country.   In partnership with ProFora Media, a virtual events company, she will be conducting a series of webinars starting August 24, 2009.   From email marketing to e-commerce project planning, her webinar workshops will engage audiences and keep them asking for more.

Here is a list of her upcoming webinars.  All are going to be 2 hours in length and will start at 1000AM and end at noon Philippine time.

Email Marketing
August 24, 2009

Social Network & Advertising
August 25, 2009

Blog Marketing & Advertising
August 26, 2009

Generating Online Income through Google Adsense
August 27, 2009

E-Commerce Project Planning & Creating an eStore
August 31, 2009

Accepting Payments Online
September 1, 2009

Mobile Marketing
September 2, 2009

Blogging 101
September 3, 2009

Web Content & SEO Writing
September 7, 2009

SEO Tools & Techniques 101
September 8, 2009

Setting Up & Analyzing Blog Traffic Statistics
September 9, 2009

Marketing your Website through Google Adwords
September 10, 2009

As this is an online event, anyone can join from around the world.  Register now! Seats are limited.

Was there a time when you were on the phone with someone and thought how awesome it would be if you could show them exactly what you’re seeing on your computer?  Or imagine being a sales agent and wishing you could give a presentation to a prospective buyer without having to travel at all?

If it’s a YES to both questions, then the solution you’ve been looking for is a web conferencing tool.  Web conferencing allows you to effectively get your message across without the hassles of traveling.

As long as everyone joining the web conference has an Internet connection, you can hold a meeting as if you were in the same room.  Discussions are done thru VOIP, similar to a regular phone conference call but the difference is that web conferencing allows you to share what you see on your computer with the other attendees.  You can give a PowerPoint presentation, work together on a project, show attendees how to use a program, share documents or photos that they don’t have to download onto their PC,  plus anything you can possibly think of sharing.

Affordable web conferencing solutions give you most of the advantages of a face-to-face meeting, without the stress of having to travel.  Just imagine the savings in time and money if you no longer are required to travel to another location every time you need to hold a meeting with someone.  This leads to increased efficiency as you get to spend more time meeting with people than traveling.

Increase your productivity by using a web conferencing tool.  The time and money you save, and the hassles you avoid will make you say, “I’m glad I gave web conferencing a chance.”  Remember, when a web conference is put together right, the only thing missing from a regular, face-to-face meeting will be a handshake.

Image Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org

For most of my college days and working career, I’ve attended a good number of seminars and forums.  What drives me to attend is the thought of learning something new, taking into consideration the topic and more importantly, the speaker’s credibility.  But what I hate about attending traditional seminars is that one has to physically get there, whether by car or public transportation.  One has to consider factors such as time, transportation costs and the stressful traffic conditions just to get to the said venue.  One also has to worry about parking facilities and the thought of having to sit uncomfortably through the whole session in a tacky chair.  Plus, you just can’t snack during the session when your stomach starts to rumble.  You go through all that hassle, only to find out that the seminar you attended was a complete waste of energy.  Bottom line, there has to be a better way to make attending seminars a better experience.

With webinars, one can jump into an online session regardless of location, and skip the rigmarole of attending a traditional seminar.  All you really need  is a computer with a good Internet connection, a headset with microphone and an invitation to the webinar itself.  You don’t have to worry about the time to prepare, or what you need to wear.  You can even eat during the whole presentation without anyone ever noticing.

Now how do webinars provide a positive impact on the environment?  Since an attendee doesn’t have to drive to the venue, there is no fuel consumption.  This results in the conservation of valuable energy resources.  Obviously, not having to start the car’s engine would mean that destruction of the ozone layer is minimized.

Imagine 500 participants attending a webinar instead of the traditional seminar. That’s 500-less cars on the road contributing to traffic, fuel consumption and pollution.  Now imagine if all seminars were done online.  The positive impact on our environment would be exponential.  Imagine that…

Image Source: WikiMedia Commons

Your life, your business, your blog. Learn how to make them work together, effectively and efficiently.

Web-logs or blogs are fast becoming more than just a chronicle of one’s life. With today’s technologies, it has made it even easier for anyone to start one and businesses have also taken advantage.

Whether you just started a blog or have been maintaining several at a time, getting the word out to your audience can be daunting. Let this webinar show you how it can be an effective tool whether for business or personal use.

This webinar will show you how to:

• Start your blog the right way with the right content.
• Improve your blog using the Visionary Blogging Method
• Evaluate your blog and what you should improve
• Know the deciding factors whether it fits your business
• Leverage your blog to create income
• Create a winning social media strategy

Expert Speaker Easton Ellsworth is a blogging and new media strategy consultant who advises companies and individuals on how to use blogs and social media more effectively. From 2005 to 2008, Easton worked as an editor for the Know More Media blog network.

He is the creator of the Visionary Blogging method for blog and blogging skills improvement and the author of an e-book on passive income generation. He served as the assistant event coordinator for Blog Action Day 2008 – Poverty and currently works as a community leader at BlogCatalog.  Easton also writes blogging news and advice for The Blog Herald.

If you are interested in attending, you can post a comment here.  Include your preferred time as well.