Vendors For Webcasting Services

Jen submitted the following question as a comment to an earlier post:

Hi, we are looking to find a new vendor for webcasting services but we are looking for more than just the basic functionality of an 0N24. We've used Globix, Unisfair, LiveMeeting, & Webex in the past but I wanted to know your other opinions about vendors such as Bulldog Solutions. Is it worth the extra money? Do they have any competitors?

I think the issue is interesting enough to get its own post. When you select a webinar technology vendor, you should expect some level of technical support as a given, as you would with any software application. But after that basic requirement, what can you expect in the way of extra services? Many vendors aren't set up to assist their clients with marketing, event production, promotion, recording, and so on. Others offer extra-fee consulting services to cover some portion of these needs (the most common vendor services are for event production, such as creating registration pages and customizing your interface look and feel). Then there are resellers and service companies that provide added value services packaged around a particular technology. I have written about two of the better known webinar service providers in Bulldog Solutions concentrates on the lead generation aspect of a webinar campaign. They offer a great deal of assistance with event promotion, boosting attendance rates, follow-up, and so forth. I just took a look at their home page and I see that they have repositioned themselves as "a lead optimization and lead management company dedicated to helping our clients generate more, better leads and turn them into revenue." They have moved their mention of webinars into a more general paragraph stating that they will work with campaigns involving webinars, podcasts, white papers, physical events, and rich media. I know that in the past, Bulldog has acted as a reseller of specific web conferencing technologies bundled as part of a total campaign management contract. Looking at their website, I see that they currently list technical requirements for using WebEx, Placeware (the old name for Microsoft Live Meeting), and Democast -- which Bulldog apparently acquired and which I am unfamiliar with. Webinar Success. Another is 1080 Group. 1080 Group seems to use a structured formal program for coaching "do it yourself" webinar producers. Webinar Success and Corvent use a model that allows a client to pick and choose the areas where they need specific help. For some companies, this means figuring out which technology vendor to go with and setting up some basic guidelines and best practices. For others, it means assistance with content production or refinement, speaker training, or on-air moderator services. I don't know how Corvent sells their services. Webinar Success takes the approach of offering a la carte choices for any specific service desired. We can zip in, help you cover an area that needs help and remove some of your task burden, and then get out again quickly. My goal is to ensure that there is never a question about value for your services dollar. You may also want to check out value-add resellers of specific technologies. These companies often provide some set of services in conjunction with the use of the underlying conferencing software. One example is CatwalkConference, which serves IBM Lotus web conferencing customers. I don't think it's even theoretically possible to give a blanket answer to "Is it worth the extra money?" It must be worth it to some companies, or these providers wouldn't be able to stay in business! What you should be able to glean from this long response is that for any need you may be feeling, you can find a provider to help you with it. Prices definitely vary by a wide range, so it's worth doing comparisons. And most importantly, make sure you are getting the type and amount of help you need. Everyone takes a slightly different approach to their services and you want to find the one that is going to fit comfortably with your requirements.