News - Conference Callings.net

Vyew, FreeConference blend specialties

  Mon, November 5. 2007

Vyew, whose misspelled name clearly defines its purpose as a provider of browser-based visual collaboration and Web conferencing software, has entered into a strategic partnership with similarly obviously named FreeConference, a free audio conference call services company.

Combined, the pair will create new conferencing services using each other’s proprietary platforms and technologies but remain as separate companies.

Vyew subscribers who want conference calling while collaborating online can click on a Free Conference Call button within Vyew and access FreeConfer­ence.com’s reservationless call service. Those coming from FreeConference can find a Web link invitation to jump into the Web conference.

Partnering, rather than merging, made sense, said Henry Hon, Vyew’s CEO because “to do a voice portion like FreeConference we’d have to be a phone company (because) that’s what they are, a phone company. We’re not going to be that; we’re focused on the Web side of the collaboration and conferencing.”

FreeConference feels the same way, but from the opposite direction.

“Our mission is not to be just a phone company or audio conferencing company but to provide full service solutions for our existing users and new users which include both audio and Web collaboration,” said Nancy King, vice president of marketing at FreeConference. “We partnered with them to develop our own back-end systems using pieces of their technology.”

For now the product is straightforward: audio conferencing with Web-based graphics, “desktop sharing of applications, PowerPoint presentations, etc.,” King said. “The product does not include videoconferencing at all right now.”

News Source : http://www.telecommagazine.com