That is a good question which deserves a detailed answer.

Collaboration through web conferencing is achieved mainly through the use of many different tools. These tools allow the participants to meet online, hold seminars or even conduct troubleshooting sessions.

Detailed Example Of Collaboration Through Web Conferencing

One of the most practical troubleshooting applications are being used today by many popular German automakers. When it becomes impractical for the automaker to send their repairmen from Germany all the way to a remote site, they can actually repair defective parts through web conferencing.

What happens is that robotic arms which imitate human arms and hands are controlled remotely from Germany and with the use of video, the engineers or technicians use the robotic arms and hands located at the remote site to physically repair the defective parts that they would otherwise would have to travel half the world to in order to fix.

This example clearly highlights one of the most powerful aspects of web conferencing. Granted that this type of web conferencing is specialized and confined mainly to the auto industry, the very possibility of doing such an intricate task such as repairing defective parts underscores the kind of collaboration that web conferencing can offer to other fields of businesses.

Of course, no web conferencing provider today is going to package robotic arms along with their services. Most providers will give you access to different applications and programs that you can take advantage of to fully customize your own web conferencing service.

Some of the services you may find that can enhance your collaboration are:

• slide presentations created through PowerPoint
• application sharing in which the participants can cooperatively manipulate a program on the presenter’s computer
• instant messaging
• file sharing
• polls and surveys
• and many more