Friday, 7 November 2008

BSNL Introduces Web Conferencing in India

Public sector telecom operator- BSNL - has launched its Web Conferencing that would permit audio, video and image transfer facility to its broadband customers.

The web-conferencing solution on desktops is aimed at customers of corporate, enterprise and residential applications. BSNL has collaborated with CEPL, an Indo-US joint venture, for this.

Speaking at the launch of the service, BSNL Principal General Manager Shubhendu Gosh observed that web conferencing scores over video conferencing in that it does not call for a studio set up like a conference room. In web conferencing, the concept of such a room can be simulated on the desktop itself.

Aimed at customers of corporate, enterprise and residential applications, the service also provides virtual meeting rooms, multi-point, multi-media (voice, video and data) conferencing, data-sharing features, document-sharing, chat, whiteboard and a video feature, which lets all members to view one another during the conference.

BSNL web-conferencing requires a standard PC, webcam and headsets and a broadband connection. There are plans ranging from Rs 5 to Rs 12 per minute. BSNL also announced free games on demand for a month and double usage for broadband customers.

The service comes as a value-added feature for the two lakh plus broadband customers of BSNL and they get it free of cost during the first month of introduction.