Web conference pricing

Web conference prices have dropped considerably since its introduction. While the technology was very expensive when it first came out and was only suitable for larger companies, there are now providers and resellers that serve the little guys. They can provide basic solutions featuring audio, text chat, and application sharing for a fraction of what a full service with all of the bells and whistles can offer. See what other BuyerZone users paid for their web conferencing.

With hosted services, the least expensive option — pay as you go — is also the most common for those that will only use the technology occasionally. With pay as you go models, there are no set up costs and you're not committed to a contract; you simply pay for what you use. You pay $0.08-$0.40 per minute per participant for the web portion and another $0.08-$0.25 per minute per participant for the audio. Some providers may offer volume discounts depending on how many seats you use, or a blended rate of the web and audio fees.

You can also choose a more flexible plan that allows ongoing usage at a monthly cost of $50-$200 per seat. These plans have varying restrictions: some include overage charges for additional seats and minutes, others provide unlimited usage but cap the number of attendees who can join your events. There may also be a set up charge of up to $500.

Subscription models allow you to reserve rooms with a set number of seats for unlimited conferencing for the month. The costs can vary greatly — from $50 per month for basic web conferencing with minimal applications to $3,000 per month, which can get you a fully functional, branded corporate site. Keep in mind that most vendors will provide volume discounts if you increase the number of seats.

Large organizations relying on web conferencing as a regular part of business may choose to purchase licensed software to host the technical aspect of their web conferences in-house. Licensed web conferencing software pricing starts at around $1,000 and can reach the tens of thousands of dollars for enterprise-scale systems. You should also factor in the costs of annual maintenance and service fees as well as a dedicated server and the IT staff to support such an investment.

Web conference add-on pricing

Web cameras are an inexpensive addition to your web conferencing experience. A quality camera that lets you provide a live head shot of the moderator can be had for as little as $25. Equipping additional participants with webcams can also allow you to take advantage of solutions that offer "multi-point video" (multiple video feeds that display more than one meeting participant).

You can arrange for vendor-assisted web conferences where the vendor takes over most of the administrative duties of the conference. This may include confirming reservations, assisting with interactive features, and speaking with the moderator through a private line to discuss details before and during the conference. This frees up the moderator to concentrate on the actual content of the presentation. They can also provide additional training services. A vendor-assisted web conference costs $1,000-$5,000, depending on the size and intensity of the project. You can also often select to have an expert meeting or event "assistant" from the vendor to join the event to help with technical issues or monitor the chat.

There are also fees if you want the vendor to record and archive the content for future reference — about $50-$250 per meeting. Other fees to consider may include customizing your interface with a specific design or company logo.

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