3 key considerations for IT teams at small to midsized firms.How data, security & support should influence platform decisions for tech decision makers. Visit ReadyTalk at: http://www.readytalk.com/

1. 3 Web Conferencing for SMBs
3 Key Considerations
for IT Teams at Small to Midsized Firms
How Data, Security & Support Should Influence
Platform Decisions for Tech Decision Makers
Presented by Sponsored by
R E P O R T

2. Web Conferencing For SMBs:
3 Key Buying Considerations For
IT Decision Makers
Web conferencing over the past decade has grown There are a number of reasons for this trend. Travel
from a niche market to a mission-critical business costs, combined with the growing prevalence of
tool: According to a 2012 Frost & Sullivan study, 62% remote work and distributed, virtual workplaces,
of companies now consider Web conferencing a “very make Web conferencing essential for collaboration
important” business technology. 1 and business productivity. This is especially true for
small and midsized businesses (SMBs) with tight
budgets and limited resources.
Technology vendors have been quick to capitalize on
the growing popularity of Web conferencing services
of companies now
within the SMB market: Currently, at least four dozen
consider Web
vendors offer Web conferencing tools. 2 These include
conferencing a
a large number of free or low-cost services that vary
“very important”
widely in terms of their functionality, security and
business technology.
customer support options.
1 http://www.slideshare.net/FrostandSullivan/web-conferencing-stays-strong-in-a-down-market 2 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_conferencing#Software_and_service_providers
Web Conferencing For SMBs: 3 Key Considerations For IT Teams At Small To Midsized Firms
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3. Web Conferencing:
The SMB Dilemma
These Web conferencing providers, and the vast This paper will discuss how and why each of these
array of services they provide, represent both an issues plays a role in the Web conferencing vendor
opportunity and a dilemma for SMB information selection process, and it will also highlight specific
technology organizations. features or capabilities in each area that distinguish
best-in-class Web conferencing solutions.
At first glance, many of them deliver significant value
by combining low cost (or no cost) services with Other factors than the ones discussed here will play
adequate feature sets. In the long run, however, many a role in the selection of a Web conferencing vendor,
SMBs discover that these services create long-term including platform support and the availability
security, reliability, management and support issues of specific features. Yet for SMB IT professionals
that offset any short-term cost savings. As a result, weighing a solution’s long-term total cost of
these businesses’ IT decision-makers must decide ownership, these three factors play a decisive role
whether to migrate away from their current Web — especially given the inability of many providers to
conferencing provider – and then decide how to select meet basic service standards in one or more of
a cost-effective alternative vendor. these areas.
This white paper will look at three issues of particular
concern to SMB information technology professionals
weighing the pros and cons of a new or different Web
conferencing solution:
• Data and application security
• Management and administration
• Support, service and customer care
Web Conferencing For SMBs: 3 Key Considerations For IT Teams At Small To Midsized Firms
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4. Security: A Vital Concern For Physical security. Every cloud-based
SMB Technology Decision Makers service, including Web conferencing,
depends upon its ability to protect
Most SMB technology professionals agree that customer data against physical intrusions
security is a critical issue. In fact, according to a
and possible disruptions due to accidents
2010 Symantec study, SBMs rank data loss and cyber
attacks as their most serious business risks. Today, or natural disasters. Key features to
IT organizations spend an average of two-thirds of look for include the use of ISO 9001:2000
their time on information protection, yet certified data centers; 24/7/365 staffing
problems persist: 42% of the companies surveyed
have lost confidential or proprietary information to and monitoring; multiple layers of physical
a security breach, and 74% are concerned they will security; and the use of redundant
experience such losses in the future.3 power-grid connection points and
backup systems.
These are sobering statistics, and they emphasize a
fundamental truth: Every SMB technology purchasing
decision must consider the security impact of the Data security. Web conferencing
product or service being purchased. users frequently upload confidential
Web conferencing tools vary widely in terms of their documents, session recordings,
security capabilities, and it is not always clear how presentations and other information that
a particular provider deals with security issues. is subsequently stored on a provider’s
Therefore, transparency is the first trait that defines
servers. This data should be protected
a best-in-class Web conferencing solution – a
willingness to explain to customers precisely what in transit by the use of appropriate
measures are being taken to secure customers’ data. standards, such as SSL/HTTPS network
encryption. In addition, data stored on a
The second trait that defines best-in-class Web
conferencing security is a sophisticated, multi- provider’s servers should be protected
layered approach to data security. This includes the using the strongest possible encryption,
following capabilities: such as the AES-256
of the companies surveyed bit standard currently
have lost confidential or
42% proprietary information to a
security breach, and
recommended by the U.S.
National Security Agency.
are
concerned
74% they will
experience
such losses
in the
future.
3 http://www.slideshare.net/symantec/2010-smb-information-protection-survey
Web Conferencing For SMBs: 3 Key Considerations For IT Teams At Small To Midsized Firms 4

5. Application security. The purpose of a Web Security management. As the following
conferencing solution is to share information; section of this paper will discuss, a best-in-class
Web conferencing solution will support a rich set
the key is controlling where, when and with of management and administration features. These
whom this information is shared. A best-in-class capabilities extend to security; administrators should
Web conferencing solution accomplishes this in be able to disable features on a global or per-account
basis in order to:
several ways:
• Using appropriate log in and authentication • Prevent users from uploading slides to a Web
procedures, including unique user access codes, to conferencing session
manage access to individual conference sessions;
• Require users to delete slides when a
• Assigning different levels of access based on a conference ends
user’s role and the meeting organizer’s preferences
(by, for example, limiting access to screen- or • Disable application sharing, desktop sharing and/
application-sharing features); or remote control of a desktop
• Allowing meeting organizers to assign and revoke • Disable the ability to assign a co-presenter within
access privileges on the fly as required for a a conference
particular meeting or event;
• Supporting the ability to disconnect individual On an individual basis, none of these capabilities will
users, lock or unlock conferencing sessions, and ensure adequate security for a company’s data or
control user listening/audio settings as necessary applications. Taken together, however, they give an
to protect sensitive business discussions. SMB technology team the ability to implement a Web
conferencing solution without sacrificing security or
placing an organization’s proprietary data at risk.
Web Conferencing For SMBs: 3 Key Considerations For IT Teams At Small To Midsized Firms
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6. Management And Administration:
Lightening the Load on IT
Web conferencing management and administration More specifically, a best-in-class Web conferencing
covers a wide variety of capabilities intended to solution will offer the following management and
simplify an IT organization’s implementation and administrative features:
support requirements. As with security, these
capabilities represent a very real source of trouble
and expense: According to Gartner, Inc., about 80% • Application integration. Users and IT
of total IT costs occur after the initial purchase of a organizations alike benefit from Web conferencing
product or service. 4 tools that integrate with other collaboration
and business productivity tools. This is typically
In general terms, Web conferencing management done via “one click” meeting support from within
and administration is relevant to an IT organization applications such as Microsoft Outlook and
for two reasons. First, the right set of management salesforce.com.
capabilities empower users to do things they might
otherwise ask the IT department (or their co- • Event tracking and management. Users should be
workers) to do for them. Given the time and resource able to organize, manage and promote multiple
constraints SMB IT teams typically face, these meetings or events without having to ask their IT
capabilities have obvious advantages. organizations for additional tools or application
support. This includes the ability to create and
Second, a Web conferencing service should provide deploy customized event registration forms;
administration tools that allow an IT organization to send automated reminder email to participants;
perform necessary tasks quickly, efficiently and with promote events via social media platforms; and
minimal duplication of effort. They should also give IT integrate meeting data with marketing campaign
decision-makers an appropriate level of visibility into tracking tools.
service usage, billing data and other key metrics.
• Interactive content deployment and management.
Users should be able to follow up meetings
with surveys or email; or to edit, distribute and
archive call recordings quickly and easily, without
requesting assistance from the IT staff.
4 http://www.networkalliance.com/your-advantage/understanding-technology-costs
Web Conferencing For SMBs: 3 Key Considerations For IT Teams At Small To Midsized Firms
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7. • Account-level control and administration.
IT administrators, or a designated Web conferencing
service admin, should be able to add, edit and/
or delete users from within a simple, Web-based
90 employees
interface. This control should also extend to the
creation and revocation or user access codes.
• Comprehensive reporting and account management
tools. A Web conferencing solution should allow IT
staff to view and download detailed user information,
invoicing and expense-reporting data, and real-time
usage reports.
of all SMBs employ fewer than
The Human Factor: Customer five full-time IT employees.
Service and Support
End-user support is a familiar (and often troublesome)
responsibility for IT organizations. Given the time and
resources required to support endpoint devices and
in-house applications, the last thing an IT department
80%
needs is an additional support burden associated with
Web conferencing technology.
This is especially true for SMB IT teams, where
resources may already be stretched to the breaking
point. According to a 2009 SpiceWorks study, the
average SMB supports 90 employees and nearly 160
endpoint devices – yet 80% of all SMBs employ fewer
than five full-time IT employees. 5
5 http://sellingtobigcompanies.blogs.com/files/state-of-smb-it-august-2009.pdf
Web Conferencing For SMBs: 3 Key Considerations For IT Teams At Small To Midsized Firms
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8. This makes it especially important for SMBs to work
• Operator-assisted services. Most users, and
with cloud-based service providers, including Web
most situations, do not require operator-assisted
conferencing providers, with strong customer
Web conferencing services. For business-
support offerings.
critical meetings, however, or for events with
large numbers of attendees, professional help
One might expect any cloud-based IT service provider
should be available to manage calls, monitor call
to be up to this challenge, given these firms’ reliance
quality, provide on-the-spot technical support,
on a recurring-revenue business model that makes it
and perform other necessary tasks. A best-
easy for unhappy customers to switch providers. In the
in-class Web conferencing service will also
Web conferencing market, however, the proliferation
provide access to optional services such as call
of low-cost, no-cost and consumer-focused offerings
transcriptions, closed captioning and assistance
(a market where service and support expectations are
with audience question-and-answer sessions.
generally low) has turned customer support into a hit-
or-miss affair.
• Responsive customer support. Real-time or
near-time (e.g. email) vendor support can make
For SMBs seeking a more stable and supportive IT
the difference between success and failure for
environment, a Web conferencing solution should offer
a Web conferencing investment. Inadequate
several key service and support features:
or unresponsive support will prompt users to
turn to alternative support resources – formal
support from in-house IT or informal support
• Comprehensive — and free — training. High-
from colleagues. Either way, a SMB pays the
quality training resources have a major impact on
price, in terms of lost productivity or wasted
end-user productivity and on an IT organization’s
IT resources.
in-house service and support burden. A provider’s
training resources should be readily available,
• Robust self-service support resources.
well-organized and comprehensive enough to cover
Self-directed support, including FAQs and
a wide variety of skill levels and usage scenarios.
knowledge base articles, can provide an effective
Needless to say, these training resources should
first line of support for end users with common
also be available free of charge, as part of a normal
or easily resolved issues. When vendor self-help
SMB subscription package.
resources are inadequate, however, users will
again turn to in-house IT or colleagues
for support.
Web Conferencing For SMBs: 3 Key Considerations For IT Teams At Small To Midsized Firms
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9. Conclusion
The Search for Long-Term Value
SMBs today recognize the value of Web conferencing
tools: According to a 2012 SMB Group Study, 58% of
midsized firms and 38% of small firms say they rely
upon these types of online collaboration tools. Yet
58% and 38%
the same companies are often searching for better
solutions, as indicated by the fact that nearly half of the
of midsized firms of small firms
respondents to this study said they were “satisfied” or
“very satisfied” with their current providers. 6 rely upon these types of online collaboration tools.
These companies face two priorities: Establishing
a clear set of criteria for selecting a new Web
conferencing provider; and ensuring that their new
provider delivers long-term business value. Using
the three criteria described in this white paper, SMB
IT groups can ensure that they are able to satisfy
both priorities – and that they are able to provide end
users with a secure, easy to manage and adequately
supported Web conferencing solution.
6 http://www.slideshare.net/smbgroup/2011-smb-collaboration-study-hlighlight
Web Conferencing For SMBs: 3 Key Considerations For IT Teams At Small To Midsized Firms
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10. About
About ReadyTalk
Hosting a webinar shouldn’t be rocket science. Audio and Web conferences aren’t brain
surgery. And, customer care doesn’t include a system of beeps and prompts. It should be
user friendly, reliable and supported by a team of professionals, which is exactly what we
deliver.
From small virtual meetings to large web events, ReadyTalk provides audio and Web
conferencing services that are affordable and easy to use, so you can focus on the
substance of the meeting, not the technology behind it. And, when you do call us with a
question, afterwards we want you to hang up the phone and say, “Wow, that was good
customer service” and tell someone else.
ReadyTalk
1900 Sixteenth Street
Floor 6
Denver, CO 80202
P: 800.843.9166
sales@readytalk.com
About Demand Gen Report R E P O R T
Demand Gen Report is a targeted e-media publication spotlighting the strategies and
solutions that help companies better align their sales and marketing organizations, and
ultimately, drive growth. A key component of the publication’s editorial coverage focuses
on the sales and marketing automation tools that enable companies to better measure
and manage their multi-channel demand generation efforts.
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Web Conferencing For SMBs: 3 Key Considerations For IT Teams At Small To Midsized Firms
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