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Putting a face to the voice

If the '90s was the era of email, then this decade looks set to be the age of the video conference.

As great as surfing the Web is, it's email that's really made the Internet a success. People's basic need for communication, be it professional or personal, has been at the core of many of the greatest inventions in history and email is no exception. Times are changing, however and while email will undoubtedly continue to be a necessity, new forms of online communication are starting to come into their own.

Driven by ever-improving forms of compression and superior software design, coupled with the huge growth in broadband, videoconferencing is really starting to take off now.

It is possible to hook up a video call with someone using a program as commonplace as MSN Messenger, or you can operate a full-blown videoconferencing suite complete with dedicated lines and broadcast-quality cameras. As with most forms of communication, there's a solution for all budgets and demands.

There are two kinds of videoconference - direct connections and Internet connections. Direct connections are pretty much reserved for the higher echelons of the business community since the suite, the lines and the software will cost a lot. But since the quality of Internet-based videoconferencing is so high these days you really don't need to worry about not having some exclusive conference suite complete with gas plasma screens and inlaid walnut veneer table.

The simplest way of holding a videoconference is to get hold of a good basic webcam  that uses the Video for Windows (VFW) standard. VFW means that they'll happily interface with the vast majority of webcam programs. They'll also run on pretty much any PC (including laptops), so system requirements shouldn't be an issue.

In the latest versions of MSN Messenger you can engage in a videoconference with anyone in your contacts list who also has a webcam. To start a conference you simply double-click on the contact's name and then click on the webcam button at the top of the window. Alternatively, most webcams come with bundled software which should enable you to connect to anyone with a similarly-equipped PC.

The other piece of software that Microsoft have been bundling with their operating systems is NetMeeting. This is a tool designed specifically for small-scale videoconferencing. It can function as a simple web-phone or a collaboration tool. You can share information from one or more applications on your computer, exchange graphics or draw diagrams with the electronic whiteboard, send messages, or record meeting notes. It's also extremely easy to use and hooks into Microsoft's directory, so you can look up business contacts you'd like to conference with.

If you are looking for a slightly more sophisticated third-party webcam application then there are plenty of options. One of the longest-established webcam packages is CuSeeMe, which includes features such as private member rooms, 22-user conference calls, full-screen video and picture-in-picture.

Eyeball Chat is one of a growing band of programs that will hook into most webcams. With an interface similar to an Instant Messaging client, you can store a list of colleagues or friends in the program and videoconference with a click of the mouse. Even better, it will interface with AOL Instant Messenger, as well as with MSN Messenger and Yahoo! Messenger.

In this era of gridlocked roads, airline strikes and chaos on the railways, videoconferencing makes a huge amount of sense. You can put a face to the name and have a good old-fashioned conversation without having to leave your home or office. If you have a broadband connection then the quality will be excellent and you'll wonder if you'll ever put up with traffic jams on the M25 again.

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