4 Reasons Why Using Webinar is a Smart Business Choice

Webinars are a popular choice for meetings and other remote engagements. Although there are a lot of other communication platforms to choose from, webinars seem to be growing in demand. Here are the reasons why:

1. Webinars are cost effective.

Webinars help people engage in real-time conversations despite of their physical location. As long as a person has Internet, they can participate in a meeting. This is by far one of the most popular reasons why the use of webinars is growing exponentially. Being able to converse with different people in different locations also means less travel expenses. Webinars help reduce overhead costs.

2. Webinars makes things easier for remote employees.

By using webcasts, remote employees can access podcasts and attend meetings from their locations. Webinars make things easier for them, despite the fact that they are not in the office.

3. Webinars have visual and interaction elements.

Aside from listening to the speaker in a meeting, participants can understand the discussion better with the help of visual aids. The good thing is that webinars allow visuals such as slideshows, images and screen-share to happen in real-time. All participants can view the speaker’s presentation as if they were all together in one meeting room.

4. Webinars can be a “Game-changer”.

Some businesses use webinars for entirely different purposes. Here are a few innovative ideas where webinars can be used for alternative purposes:

• Launch a product
• Get live customer reviews
• Talk to customers directly
• For customer service
• Remote TV guesting, video blogs and podcasts

Invest in a better webinar experience! Contact Kontiki for high quality webinar services that are suitable for different types of businesses. Call +44 (0) 800 242 5602 to learn more.

Kontiki Video Solutions for Effective Enterprise Video Content Management

Kontiki is one of the leading service providers of enterprise video solutions in the UK. The services they offer include webcasting, streaming and video content management. Enterprise video content management is somewhat similar to enterprise content management, except it deals mainly with video content. It is used by employers to achieve a higher employee engagement, for more productivity within the company. Handling video content files is a complex task because of their larger size that makes their delivery far more demanding than other digital files such as images, documents and spreadsheets.

Aside from effective video content delivery, Kontiki also provides effective enterprise video content management. Here are some of the features that made Kontiki’s services the best enterprise video solutions, particularly in enterprise video content management:

Reachable and network efficient

A part of managing video content is making sure that it can reach all employees, wherever they may be. Kontiki don’t just allow video content to be reachable, it is also available on any type of device for the convenience of those who are accessing it. This is possible because of Kontiki’s cloud-based server.

Centrally managed

The employer can enjoy complete control over the network. They are allowed to choose where certain video content should be delivered. They can also view the usage visibility and delivery reports, which can be a reference for internal research or analysis. Since Kontiki uses a cloud-based server, it does not require any upgrading, even if the volume of the video content increases.

Secured

Another part of managing video content is making sure that the publishers and viewers of the content are controlled. Authorised users only are able to publish video content into the system. This is to ensure that the system will not be used for other purposes aside from employee engagement, business knowledge and other relevant subjects about the company. The video content can only be accessed by authenticated employees to keep any information confidential to the company. Kontiki also assures that the video content posted or streamed is encrypted and cannot be stolen.

Enterprise video communication is not just a trend that a company should follow. It is more a solution that should be embraced in this innovative generation. Kontiki provides high-quality and effective video solutions for any company. For more information about our services, please call +44 (0) 800 242 5602 or send us an e-mail at info@kollective.com.

Easier Report Production with Kontiki Analytics

Kontiki Enterprise Video Suite, the company’s Online Video Platform, includes a component called Kontiki Analytics. This component is rich in various reporting options. It reports data, from content consumption and delivery. Kontiki Analytics gives the client the ability to conveniently run reports that can be customised to their specific needs. Here are the three main features of Kontiki Analytics:

1. Content Consumption Metrics

Kontiki Analytics enables display of viewership, whether it is with the end user or by individual content items. This could help you provide numeric data of the client’s viewership for easier interpretation. With the help of Kontiki Analytics, the client can view the start times, duration, number of views, earliest and the latest views and average duration of view. This data can help clients to analyse their enterprise videos to deliberate whether they are serving their purpose or not.

2. Delivery Metrics

The client can also view the delivery status and patterns. Kontiki Analytics enables the client to view deliveries that are completed, in progress and halted. The percentage of the bytes delivered, through origin servers or LAN vs. WAN, can also be viewed. Other delivery details such as total gigabytes delivered and IP addresses of serving nodes can also be seen by the client. Real-time data such as bytes delivered and quality feedback during live webcast or events is also available for viewing.

3. Analytics Reporting

The flexible interface of Kontiki Analytics allows the client to gather real-time information for complete and current views of system activity. It also lets the client filter various features such as content title and username for easier management. The status, type or dates of deliveries can also be filtered. The data can be exported to CSV files for external analysis and presentation.

Kontiki Video Solutions provide not just high-quality enterprise video delivery for your business but they also allow you to access the consumption properties of your content for more convenient analysis.

Got questions? Call +44 (0) 800 242 5602 or e-mail info@kollective.com.

Kontiki University: The Correct setup for an interview

Creating an interview video is a good training ground for beginners in video production. The subject is not moving, it can be done in a single location and within a day. Interview videos, when done correctly, can be very interesting. That is why companies incorporate interview videos onto their website.

What are the key factors for a good interview video? Here is a short list.

• Location – There are several factors to consider when looking for the right location.
  • It must be large – There are several lighting requirements, mic, equipment and tools that are needed for a good interview. The room should be spacious enough to accommodate the crew, the interviewee and the equipment.
  • Silence – We do not want unnecessary sound during the interview. Noise may distract the interviewer and the interviewee. It may also have an impact on the comfort level and the mood of the interviewee. Moreover, we want to avoid retakes during the interview.
  • Visual background – The background should be clean and gentle for the viewers, without distractive colours and designs. Examples of a better background idea are company logos, light floral arrangements or a simple bookcase.

• Chairs – Use a straight-back chair that is not squeaky and without wheels.

• Subject – If there is only one subject and it is not important for the interviewer to be seen, have the subject sit on a straight back chair facing the camera. The interviewer can sit beside or next to the camera, 4 to 5 feet away from the subject. The subject can look at the interviewer while talking but he or she will also be looking near the camera. We do not want to make the subject uncomfortable by asking them to look directly into the camera.

 

If there are two or more subjects, the two chairs should angle to one another. Chairs should be 1 to 2 feet apart. We want to avoid forming a negative space as much as possible.

• Lighting – Is dependent on the number of people. If there is only 1 subject, then it is recommended to use the traditional 3-point lighting technique.
  • Key light – This is the main light source that shines directly on the subject. It is usually angled slightly to the front left or right of the subject.
  • Fill light – This is placed at a lower position than the key light. Its purpose is to fill the parts that the key light misses, providing an overall balance of light for the video.
  • Back light – It can be placed anywhere behind the subject. It creates a thin outline of light around the subject (rim light), effectively separating him or her from the background.

 

• Camera – The position of the camera must be 5 to 10 feet away from the subject. It should be cropped tightly on the subject. Make sure the interviewer does not obscure the angle of the subject

• Release form – The interview would be a waste if there is no permission to release the video. Make sure that a release form has been signed after the interview.

 

Enroll now at Kontiki University for tips and advice on video making processes. We combine customised in-person workshops with online video portal training to enhance your video making skills.

Kontiki is all about video portals, webcasting and enterprise video content management. We deliver 100 million videos to companies, worldwide, using their existing network infrastructure. We are dedicated to providing firms with an efficient, affordable and user-friendly video communication solution.

 

 

Image courtesy of Coolhunting.com and Vimeo.com

Sharepoint : Video Sharing With Integrity

Nowadays, a popular means of communication for businesses around the globe is through webcasting. Almost all business transactions through webcasting include file and video sharing. However, the use of any existing software on the web for video sharing may be too risky, as it may deliver viruses to your computers.

Kontiki Video Web Parts for Sharepoint

Video share with confidence, as Kontiki’s Video Web Parts for Sharepoint is a safe and reliable means to share your information. Kontiki offers supreme reach and commitment through the delivery and integration of high and distinct quality, live and on-demand video, which goes directly to Sharepoint.

By using Kontiki Video Web Parts for Sharepoint, the company offers easy integration and access. With this Kontiki service, uploading, viewing and social videos are completely hassle-free, within the Sharepoint environment.

Why Sharepoint?

The role of Microsoft Sharepoint for business transactions through webcasting entitles all users, around the globe, to receive a direct connection with the same engaging video viewing and social collaboration experience. This server system is an integrated suite server, capable of improving organisational effectiveness. By providing comprehensive content management and enterprise search, accelerating the shared business process and facilitating information-sharing across boundaries, you are able to achieve a better business insight. Its biggest advantage among other platforms is its UI or User Interface. The kind of interface it has enables every user to have easy access and an understanding of the content.

End-To-End Security on Sharepoint

The proven safety of file and media is one of the pledges that Kontiki has made. For sharing, transferring and video management, this feature ensures that the content is scanned for any possible threats and viruses. In addition to this, during the upload process files are encrypted and protected for a more secured sharing.

On the other hand, video streams cannot be stolen and sniffed while importing videos. This is a very important consideration, especially when sharing confidential files.

The Delivery

The videos that are viewed in Sharepoint, assisted by Kontiki’s Enterprise Content Delivery Network (ECDN), ensures a high resolution video viewing experience, without the hassle of buffering, across all the participants–even in hard to reach locations. The cloud-based solution uses your present network structure that is equivalent to an easy, quick and cost-efficient setup.

 

Kontiki’s Video Web Parts for Sharepoint… Security and dedication to user demands.

Kontiki University: Video Presentation at Its Finest

There is no doubt about it video presentation is now a very popular tool in the world of Internet marketing. As such, more and more UK businesses are realising the benefits of having a good video presentation, especially in this era where the majority of people are now utilising the power of the Internet for their learning and shopping needs. We should take note that in the case of Internet marketing “more traffic will result in more possible sales and thus will lead to a higher gross income”. Having a good video presentation is just one part of the Internet marketing equation. What do you need to do to provide a good video presentation? Follow these steps.

Don’t be nervous, be confident

The first thing you must establish is your self-confidence. You want to present yourself in a confident and knowledgeable manner. Take a deep breath before the presentation and talk to your audience, while making the presentation as interactive as possible. We know that this will be hard in the beginning, especially for the first time presenters. There is room for error when recording video presentations because you can edit out the mistakes afterwards. However, we strongly suggest that you treat it seriously, for it will serve as your stepping stone into your live presentation.

Check your background

Before you begin your presentation it is important to thoroughly check your background. Check on things that will be a possible ‘eye-catcher’ or any things that will divert the attention of the audience from you – like a dirty desk, a beautiful painting and the like. If you are doing a pre-recorded presentation with some special effects, then having a clear background is a good choice, most likely a plain coloured background (any colour that is not present in your clothing), for the reason that you can easily edit out the background to your liking, after the recording.

Rehearse your lines

Doing a video presentation is practically the same thing as doing a board room presentation or doing a live sales-pitch. Therefore, as a good presenter, you must know your lines and you must be knowledgeable about your topic. Practice your openings, endings and show your enthusiasm. Having fun with your script is good. Adding humour to your lines does not necessarily make the presentation unprofessional and as such it could never hurt to use a little humour. Always use different hand gestures and facial expressions to emphasise your points, to catch the attention of your audience.

The point is that you should do your best to separate your presentations from the hundreds of boring presentations out there. The Internet is a huge place and most likely your audience has seen a few video presentations before. Remember that in video presentation, the first few seconds are the most critical, since they will be the deciding factor if the viewer stays to watch the whole presentation or just clicks away.

Look at the camera

It is a good habit to maintain eye contact when talking to people. This rule also applies to video presentation. The “camera” is the eye of the viewers and not the screen and thus we must maintain our focus on the camera. However, during presentations we have the natural tendency to look down on the screen. We should avoid that. One way to minimise that behaviour is to stick an arrow pointing to the camera to remind yourself to focus on the audience.

One of the best ways to be proficient in the art of video presentation is through experience. Do not worry if the presentation is not perfect on your first try – you cannot expect yourself to be an expert at this point. Keep making your presentations and you will get better.

 

Do you want additional information or learning materials regarding video presentations, video platform, webcasting and the like? Please visit Kontiki’s website. They offer video tutorials, tools and software that will help you in your journey through the world of video presentation.

Kontiki’s Cloud-Based Delivery – Making One Time Dissemination of Massive Files to Multiple Receivers Possible

If you have not yet indulged in Kontiki’s Cloud-Based Delivery services, then waiting for hours and hours for a 50 MB file to be delivered must be a normal scenario for you. Even worse, you could experience this, only to find that even if the file is done uploading it cannot be sent because of the size limit. Indeed, that can ruin your day, especially if the file involves very important information that has to be disseminated right away, to clients or employees in your company.

Cloud-Based Delivery

Here’s the good news: Kontiki’s Cloud-Based Delivery makes the one time, online distribution of your massive company files to multiple receivers possible. This is done through acquiring an Enterprise Content Delivery Network provided by Kontiki. Although Kontiki is known for services that cater to videos like video portal, video platform, webcasting, online video content management, etc., it also delivers non video large files like PDF, software updates and a lot more.

The Benefits

There are numerous benefits with Cloud-Based Delivery. Some of them are the following:

1. The sky is the limit for the number of receivers.

Sending a large file, to 100,000+ employees from different parts of the globe in just a moment, is made possible using Kontiki’s delivery solution. It provides no limit to the number of file recipients. Therefore, forwarding relevant data, a new set of rules or a new project to all your employees is just a ‘send’ button away.

2. The security of the content is ensured.

The Cloud-Based delivery is not open for public use. Aside from its delivery features, this solution is also availed by private organisations and companies to get away from the hackers and spammers. The network that will be provided by Kontiki is also limited to the client’s operation. Hence, this service can guarantee the confidentiality and security of the information that you will distribute.

3. Cloud-based delivery can cater to different types of gadgets.

Every client’s computer or gadget acts as a server, if it is installed with Kontiki’s friendly delivery system. Thus, the main server of the company or organisation can send massive files, even if the receiver is using a tablet, a cell phone or any other gadget.

4. The delivery to a large audience has no impact to the Internet or network of the company.

Leave all the worries to Kontiki because this amazing delivery solution ensures the high quality delivery of enormous files, without affecting the efficiency of the network or Internet of the company. Therefore, if you are an enterprise that works online, you can still continue your wired workload and services without experiencing any impact caused by this Cloud-Based Delivery.

 

Improve the services, sales and revenue of your business through ensuring faster delivery of essential files to your clients and to your employees. Treat your business to Kontiki’s Cloud-Based Delivery now! If you like our delivery solution  please give us a review. Have a great day!

Kontiki Media Center: A User-Friendly Enterprise Video Portal

Nowadays, companies are continually growing and expanding, requiring an additional office location and workforce. Communication is one of the problems faced by businesses with a number of office locations. The use of video is a significant solution, connecting the workforce stationed in different areas.

A user friendly enterprise video portal like Kontiki Media Centre offers a “YouTube for the Enterprise” solution with must-have features and functionality, along with easy distribution of information within the company, as well as a place for interaction with the other employees.

Kontiki Media Centre has a unique technology with an infinite scale that allows a productive deployment of content and has the following elements that might interest you:

User-friendly Experience – it allows the user to share, rate and comment on information stored in the media centre, just like the other portals. It can be customised to suit your business and employee intercommunication needs.

Effective Management of Data – all significant video and document types are accepted for dissemination of information. You can easily add new videos and documents and edit the content, without the need to change URLs. It is ideal for tagging, swapping, trimming, displaying of related content, embedding of data into other pages and many more. High quality channels are automatically made based on its rank and popularity.

Versatile Integration Service – provides a rich REST API along with third party contributors for innovative integration capacities.

Wide Range of Video Choices – it caters to both public and private data and allows you to create, manage and save live events or videos, on demand.

Desktop and Mobile Support – since gadgets are continuously developing, besides PC and Mac browsers, it also supports tablets and smartphones as it is 100% cloud based and runs in any web browser.

Accurate Control in Accessibility – administrators are permitted to view, contribute and manage the content of the enterprise, with the settings present in the Media Centre. It supports SAML (Security Assertion Mark-up Language) that is an open benchmark for authentication and authorisation between security domains.

Proven Content Security – it has an end-to-end security framework, ensuring that the content is safe from any possible and malicious threats. Some of its security features are:

• The content is scanned for viruses, protected and encrypted during the process of uploading
• Only the users who are authorised can publish the content into the system and at the same time ask and give content, no matter who served the video, whether from the main server or the other computers.

 

These are just some of the must-have features and elements of the Kontiki Media Center. Kontiki has enabled businesses worldwide to attain user-friendly, enterprise reaching and engaging onto the existing infrastructure. You can be one of those businesses who can enjoy a sure, low-cost, enterprise video portal and platform!

 

The Modern Ways of Advertising through Digital Signage

Let’s face it – most of us nowadays wanted to keep up with the latest trends in fashion, technology and other things that are famous across the UK. That is why companies in the UK spend a significant amount of money on modern advances in advertising, just to showcase their products and attract more attention from the customer. Marketing has increasingly developed its form and style, as it rises and moves to the growth of technology. One of the few marketing strategies that have been continuously evolving, until now, is the face of Digital Signage.

What is a Digital Signage?

Digital Signage is the remote-controlled handling and a replay of digital content on a network of displays. Either at a particular spot or across numerous sites, these displays can vary from very small monitor screens to huge digital billboards. This can include advertisement, menus, TV programs and every type of information that you want to show the world. Places like malls, restaurants, entertainment venues, hotels, business locations and business establishments are just some of the places where these networks can be seen.

Why is digital signage an effective medium?

Digital Signage offers a lot of advantages in building a company’s brand, corporate messaging and creating an ambiance in any location such as a train station, making it a more pleasant place to be. More and more companies use Digital Signage to display their products, in places frequented by consumers where they are likely to buy, like a shopping district. Digital networks show advertisements that can effectively target the customer based on the product type, a group of people and a location. These messages that are shown to the public have the power to instantly influence the consumers’ decision in buying. This effective medium has the mixture of amusing video content display, closeness to the acquisition of the product and instant changeable messages.

Who can provide you with an effective and integrated digital signage?

Kontiki has unified with Scala – the top Digital Signage software, to provide Digital Signage solutions to some of the world’s major businesses. CastNet is the application that Alpha Video built on top of the Scala. Kontiki is responsible for the delivery of video files, while CastNet is in control of the content programming and display. They have three major solutions: Content for Customers, Employee Training and Employee Engagement.

 

Kontiki can give you the power of three with just one solution. Providing Digital Signage integration as a powerful tool in conveying important information, in a visual and an entertaining way, they also offer other video solutions like live webcasting, among others. You can visit their Facebook page for more information.

 

Understanding The Communication Process to Improve Your Video Communication Skills

When you’ve got the best video conferencing services, solutions and applications organised, you should perhaps look to develop your video communication skills.

Webcasting is multimodal. A good combination of visual aspects geared towards one aim… comprehension. It is important to keep in mind that reaching your target audience is not enough, you must make sure that the message you are sending reaches their comprehension or understanding.

Fully understanding the communication process is the key to developing communication skills. Your ideas may be great but without effectively communicating them to your organisation, they will make little sense

The Source

YOU, as the primary communicator of the message, need to be clear about why you are communicating and on what you are actually trying to say. You must also manifest confidence that the information you are sharing is accurate and useful to your company or organisation.

Encoding

The stage through which the information you are about to communicate comes in a form that will be received, in our case, through video, encoding ensures that information is easily understood. It also checks for phrases that won’t translate effectively and that might be misconstrued by your audience.

Video Platform as Channel

After making a good evaluation of your information, integration to your chosen channel will follow. Video is considered to be one of the strongest mediums that can be utilised for effective communication, given the fact that is a good mix of visuals and audio.

Decoding

Your message must then be successfully decoded by the receiver or your target audience. Make sure that the message can be received clearly and concisely, as low quality video services may impede a successful communication process.

The Receiver

The secret is to always consider your receiver. At the end of the day it is their comprehension of the information that matters. No matter how good or fancy the choice of words, if it was unable to impact on your audience, you can probably expect to smell failure in the process.

A profound knowledge of the communication process will definitely help you to fine tune your communication skills. A much higher percentage of your message will be effective and clear. With an effective approach and the best video conferencing services, your message will be heard loud and clear.