Thirty years ago, business owners wondered how they ever got by without the telephone. Twenty years ago, it was the fax machine. Just ten years ago, corporate players marveled at life before email and today, successful business people can't imagine life without audio and web conferencing.

This latest technological breakthrough has had a huge impact on the corporate scene. Unlike typical conference calls, audio and web conferencing offers a full-featured solution for conducting on-demand meetings anywhere in the world, at any time. It is now feasible and affordable for companies to exchange ideas and get valuable real-time input, without the inordinate expenses or hassles of travel.

The Basics Before delving into the finer aspects of audio and web conferencing, it is important to understand a few terms. "Conferencing" refers to a discussion that occurs between a group of individuals, where ideas are exchanged and data are shared via a communication technology. The phrase "web conferencing" means that the whole conferencing system is hosted or conducted in a web environment, specifically a web server or application.

Audio inputs are a basic feature of web conferencing. Peripheral devices are added to the computer in order to facilitate voice communication between conference participants. Devices like headphones and microphones soon gave birth to a type of communication called audio and web conferencing.

An audio and web conferencing system behaves basically like a telephone setup. It is a more economical version of phone or conference calling, but rather than establishing complicated telephone systems to confer with your staff in different office locations, you can now make use of the audio and web conferencing system. This is an economical way to keep your business moving while minimizing lost time and expensive travel and meeting room costs.

There are a number of key features in using an audio and web conferencing system.

The first and most obvious benefit is the easy-to-use audio controls. Most audio and web conferencing vendors will offer intuitive controls for audio, allowing you to easily control your audio meeting using your telephone keypad or a form of web-based audio control panel. You are given a wide range of options including the ability to mute lines, take roll call and lock or terminate the conference.

Not all audio and web conferencing programs utilize the existing telephone system, but some do. With integrated, low-cost phone systems, these audio and web conferencing applications allow you to use your phone to discuss, share, negotiate and collaborate with your clients and fellow employees.

Many audio and web conferencing tools offer easy setup, and most are intuitive with user-oriented interfaces. Some are integrated into popular desktop items, such as Microsoft Outlook email programs.

Meetings on demand have never been easier. For some, they've never been possible. Now, thanks to audio and web conferencing, with a click of the mouse you can launch a meeting right when you need it.

Daniel Davis contributes to several Internet magazines, including http://zylep.com and http://bekad.com