InterCall offering looks to replace live training

Conferencing provider InterCall hopes its InterCall Streaming Webinar technology announced this week will spur more enterprise users to view webinars as an alternative to live training.

“People will pay for education on line,” said Ben Chodor, senior vice president for InterCall. “In eight to 18 months we’ll be there.”

Chodor came to InterCall through the company’s acquisition earlier this year of streaming media provider Stream57, which he founded. This week’s announcement is the first major product release since the acquisition.

Stream57’s legacy can be seen in the new product’s support for integrated video encoding based on VP6 or H.264 parameters, as well automatic video in PowerPoint support. The offering is based on Flash technology, eliminating the need for users to download applets.

Like some other Webinar platforms, InterCall Streaming gives participants the ability to answer questions and to see a tally of how other participants answered the same questions. Chodor also touted the platform’s ability to track which participants answer the questions — a capability that can help ensure that people who sign up for a Webinar as a job requirement actually participate in the Webinar. Another advanced capability of InterCall’s offering is that it enables users to answer questions using a standard text message, Chodor said. That capability is designed for people who watch a Webcast displayed via a projector or liquid crystal display.

Another advanced capability of the new platform is integrated Twitter and social media, which gives participants the ability to have a dialogue with other participants — a capability that would be useful for Webinars targeting doctors and other expert audiences, Chodor said.

Service providers are potential wholesalers for InterCall Streaming. “They can manage it or we can manage it,” Chodor said.

Important target markets for InterCall Streaming include pharmaceutical, finance and retail, Chodor said.