Individual Report: Comparing Web Conferencing Systems (CFPBUS006)

This report, prepared for the CFPBUS006 module, provides a comparative analysis of two prominent web conferencing providers, Skype and Zoom. The report highlights the features of each platform, including instant messaging capabilities, brand equity, ease of use, remote control options, and user base. It then delves into the applications and suitability of both Skype and Zoom for business operations, emphasizing their roles in audio and video meetings, effective communication, cost reduction, and time management. Furthermore, the report identifies essential skills for conducting online research, such as evaluating online resources, applying search engines, determining website credibility, and managing information scope. Finally, it addresses the challenges faced by online researchers, including issues of data reliability, credibility, and informational barriers. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of effective communication and the skills required for successful online research in the modern business environment.

CFPBUS006 - Integrated Professional Skills in the Digital Age
(Assignment 2: Individual Report)
Student Name: Joseph Kwadwo Amponsah
Student ID: S200328
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary.........................................................................................................................3
1.0 Introduction................................................................................................................................4
2.0 Select any two different Web Conferencing providers to compare and contrast their features 4
2.1 Compare and contrast of two different web conferencing providers.....................................4
Skype............................................................................................................................................4
Zoom............................................................................................................................................4
2.2 Discussion of the application and suitability of Skype for businesses..................................5
2.3 Discussion of the application and suitability of Zoom for businesses...................................6
3.0 Discuss skills required to conduct research online and the challenges being faced..................7
3.1 Skills required to conduct research online.............................................................................7
3.2 Challenges being faced by online researchers.......................................................................9
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................10
References......................................................................................................................................11
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Executive Summary
This paper develops a report on the modern information technology used in current business
world. First, this paper found that there are many web conferencing providers in current business
world, where Skype and Zoo are famous ones. Although these two providers are offering several
services, there are some different in features of these two applications. These differences are seen
in term of instant messaging, brand equity, nature, remote control, services, and users. However,
both of these two applications are suitable and application for the businesses. Most importantly,
Skype is widely popular to the businesses and their stakeholders for audio and video
conferencing. The second part of this paper found that online researchers need several skills that
are evaluating power of online resources, evaluating power of research date, accuracy, credibility
and reliability. However, many online researchers face challenges in conducting effective
research due to poor knowledge and understanding on online tools and application along poor
research and analytical skills.
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1.0 Introduction
In the modern business world; Information and Communication Technology (ICT) plays
an important role in the development of organizational performance. In the
communication sector of the organization; web conferencing is widely used. In this
study paper; the study presenter describes the selected two web conferencing systems
and presents the differences among the selected web conferencing systems briefly.
After that; the application and the importance of the selected web conferencing systems
in the business organization are presented here. At the second stage; this study
mentions and identifies the necessary skills for conducting research online and
challenges of doing research.
2.0 Select any two different Web Conferencing providers to compare and contrast
their features
2.1 Compare and contrast of two different web conferencing providers
Skype
Skype is regarded as a popular telecommunications application and web conferencing
systems through video and voice calls among the users. The users can transfer and
share the message, video, audio and images with other users. Skype is introduced and
launched at August, 2003 (Skype, 2019). It includes free services to the users.
Zoom
Zoom is a popular web conferencing system through video and voice calls among the
users. The headquartered of Zoom is at San Jose, California (Zoom, 2019). It includes
cloud computing services, video conferencing, online meetings, and chatting services to
the users. The users can transfer and share the message, video, audio and images with
other users.
Features Skype ZOOM
Instant Skype is considered as instant
messaging system. It has more
Zoom is also considered as
instant messaging system. It has
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messaging speed than Zoom. less speed than Zoom.
Nature Easy to use Difficult to use
Brand equity Skype is more popular than
Zoom
Zoom is less popular than Skype
Remote control It has no remote screen control It has remote screen control
service
Services The users can transfer and
share the message, video,
audio and images with other
users (Skype, 2019).
It includes cloud computing
services, video conferencing, HD
video and audio, and remote
screen control online meetings,
and chatting services to the users
(Zoom, 2019).
Users The users of Skype are nearly
660 million
The users of Zoom are nearly 200
million
2.2 Discussion of the application and suitability of Skype for businesses
Skype is regarded as a popular telecommunications application and web conferencing
systems through video and voice calls among the users. It is applied in the business
organization in many purposes (Egido, 2016). Some of the applications and suitability
are briefly discussed in the following:
Audio and video meetings
The first application of Skype is applied as a meeting tool for creating communication
among the employees, managers and other stakeholders of the firm (Egido, 2016). The
meeting of the organization is now occurring by using Skype audio and video calling.
Effective communication
Skype is an important tool for creating good and effective communication among the
mangers, employees and other parties of the organization. The betterment of the
organization depends on the effective establishment of communication. Skype helps the
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organization to establish better channel of communication within the organization
(Duarte and Snyder, 2015).
Reduce cost
Skype is free from all costs only a few charge of internet. Therefore, an organization has
not required extra cost of communication like mobile phone. It reduces the cost of
communication and establishes the easy method of communication within the
organization (Egido, 2016).
Better relationship creator
Egido (2016) stated that Skype helps to create better relationship among the mangers,
employees and other parties of the organization. The audio and video conferencing
helps to share the personal and business information easily and rapidly that helps to
build a good relationship among users.
Communication with customers
Skype is not only used in internal organization but also outside of the organization. The
potential customers of an organization also use the Skype (Egido, 2016). For this
reason; the business firm can communicate with customers easily through using Skype.
Reduce time consuming for meeting
The meeting of an organization needs more time. But Skype helps to do meeting with
the employees through video conferencing. It helps to reduce the wastage of time and
makes the employees effective (Egido, 2016).
2.3 Discussion of the application and suitability of Zoom for businesses
Zoom is a popular web conferencing system through video and voice calls among the
users. It includes cloud computing services, video conferencing, online meetings, and
chatting services to the users. The uses of Zoom are numerous (DeSanctis and Monge,
2017). Some the application and suitability are given below:
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Meetings purposes
The Zoom application is used for meeting of an organization. The meeting of the
organization can be arranged by video conferencing, online meetings, and chatting
services among the managers and employees.
Zoom Room services
The Zoom offers Zoom Rooms services at which all communication and other activities
of the firm are controlled. The executive offices and conference rooms are connected
with the Zoom Rooms.
Communication channel
Zoom is also an important tool for creating good and effective communication among
the mangers, employees and other parties of the organization (DeSanctis and Monge,
2017). It helps the organization to establish better channel of communication within the
organization.
Free platform of communication
Zoom is free from all costs only a few charge of internet. Therefore, an organization has
not required extra cost of communication.
Better Time management
Zoom is a communication platform that helps to manage the time of an organization
effectively and efficiently.
3.0 Discuss skills required to conduct research online and the challenges being
faced.
3.1 Skills required to conduct research online
The online researchers have to have some skills to do the research study (Hudson,
2018). These are discussed in the following points:
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Evaluating resources online
Firstly; the online researcher should consider the following sectors for doing the online
research study:
Authorship: Firstly, the online researcher should consider authorship the sources of
information to do the online research study.
Publication: Secondly, the online researcher should consider the publication of
information to evaluate the online resource of the research study.
Accuracy: The online researcher should consider the accuracy of information to
evaluate the online resource of the research study.
Purpose and Objectivity: The online researcher should collect resources on the basis
of purpose and objectivity of the research study.
Coverage: The online researcher should cover the all sectors of the research outlines.
Applying accurate search engines
After evaluating the online resources, the online researcher should apply accurate
search engines for collecting the related information for the research study.
Determining the website
At the third stage; the online researcher should determine the appropriate website for
collecting the related information for the research study. At the identification of the
website; the creator, purpose, and the audience of the website are evaluated by the
researcher (Hudson, 2018).
Evaluating credibility
At the fourth stage; the online researcher should evaluate the credibility of the website
and the information. At this step; the online researcher should consider the author,
political or business agenda, sources of material and the reliability of the data for
preparing a successful online research (Hudson, 2018).
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Evaluating the scope of information
At the fifth stage; the online researcher should evaluate the scope of the data and
information that found in the website. At this stage; online researcher should require to
examine the referencing, criticism and consideration of opposite opinions and political
biasness of the information (Hudson, 2018).
Identifying the date of information
The date of the information is also identified by the researcher. The date should be very
recent for doing online research (Hudson, 2018). The information also should update
regularly. The appropriate information helps to prepare good online research.
Being patient
It is an important skill of the online researcher. The researcher should be patient to
collect the data of the research and finish the research study successfully.
Respecting ownership
The online researcher should give respect to the authorship of website very cordially.
Using networks
It is the final requirement of the online researcher. the researcher has the quality to use
the networks for the research purpose after evaluating the above issues.
3.2 Challenges being faced by online researchers
In this modern day; beside the right information, there is great availability of wrong
information. For this reason; the researcher has faced several challenges for doing
online research. The lack of data is one of the vital problems for the online researcher.
In addition; the online researchers are not getting confidence to use the online data and
information due to lack of reliability (Kahai, 2018). Additionally; the credibility of the
research information in the all websites are not true. Therefore; the online researchers
face the informational barriers for running the research study. The lack of experience
and time are considered as barriers of the online researchers for running the research
study. For this reason; the online researcher should have enough skills to remove the
challenges and perform the online research successfully.
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Conclusion
In summery; the communication is considered as an important factor for the
organization. This report has described the two web conferencing systems including
Skype and Zoom and made the differences among these briefly. From this report; it has
notified that Skype and Zoom are applied in the organization for various sectors
especially in the communication sector. The profitability and performance of the
employees are increased through better accomplishment of the web conferencing
system. From this paper; it has identified that the online researcher has some specific
qualities for doing the research activities in the online.
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References
Hudson (2018) The 6 Online Research Skills Your Students Need. Available at:
https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/6-online-research-skills-
your-students-need/. [Accessed on: 6 June 2019]
Skype (2019) Skype makes it easy to stay in touch. Available at:
https://www.skype.com/en/ [Accessed on: 5 June 2019].
Zoom (2019) Instant Sharing process. Available at: https://www.zoom.com. [Accessed
on: 5 June 2019].
Egido (2016) Videoconferencing as a Technology to Support Group Work. Review of
web conferencing, V. 3, pp. 13–24.
Duarte and Snyder (2015) Mastering Virtual Teams. San Fran-Cisco: Jossey-Bass
DeSanctis and Monge (2017) Communication Processes for Virtual Organizations.
JCMC, Vol. 3, No. 4,
Kahai, (2018) Leading In Face-to-Face Versus Virtual Teams, Leading Virtually,
Available: http://www.leadingvirtually.com. [Accessed on: 6 June 2019].
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