Significance of Audio and Web Conferencing for Malaysian Firms

The economy of Malaysia is relatively new and centres on industries like manufacturing, electronics and biotechnology. Furthermore, banking and tourism sectors, too, are integral parts of the Malaysian economy. The stock market in the country has witnessed positive growth that attracts global foreign investors. The country’s economy saw a growth of 4 per cent in the second quarter of 2011, while it registered 4.6 per cent increase in the first quarter of the same year. Needless to say, many international companies have set up offices in the country. Their regional offices need to liaise with business partners and global headquarters on a regular basis. Hence, a highly secure and effective medium of information exchange is needed so that these organisations can operate with efficacy. This very fact underlines the importance of audio conferencing and web conferencing solutions. Conferencing service providers render many solutions that enable corporate firms to work with their partners in spite of geographical distance. Every mode of conferencing has its own set of merits and demerits. Depending upon specific requirements, the concerned company can choose between web conferencing and conventional audio conferencing. Both these conferencing modes create an environment conducive for information exchange. Audio conferencing is possibly the most extensively used and widely available conferencing option that can be availed by commercial firms. The only requisite communications infrastructure is a telephone.. Reliable conferencing service providers generate a telephone number that is supplied to all the participants. The number is common for all attendees, who need to input the passcode provided to them by the service provider in order to connect to the session.. International access numbers provided by service providers allow participants to dial a local number, which eliminates long distance country-to-country charge for the participants. Hence, it reduces audio charges for the organisation. rnAudio conferencing is considered as the cheapest conferencing service that empowers small and medium scale industries to work despite physical distance. Even in a large multinational company, cost cutting has gained significance post recession. So, without compromising on organisational budget, audio conferencing can be availed by firms of all sizes for conferring and collaborating with geographically dispersed counterparts. In case face to face communication is imperative, companies can opt for web conferencing programmes. This kind of solution empowers participants to watch each other in real-time while conferring, send files and share applications and desktops. However, in this case, the overall system requirement is high and constant Internet connectivity is a must. The software needed for holding a web conference can be downloaded from the World Wide Web without paying hefty charges and can be installed on laptops, desktops, Smartphones and tablet computers very conveniently. Many solution providers have created dedicated apps that allow users to access the requisite conferencing solution with the touch of a button. This makes it easier for participants to join impromptu conferences and remain a part of the discussion. Therefore, companies based in different industrial domains and sectors in Malaysia are steadily adopting these conferencing solutions to streamline their business operations and optimise the workflow.