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Web Conferencing Buyer's Guide - Pricing
Published: 04/14/2011
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Web Conferencing Pricing
Web conferencing 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 barebones 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.
With ASPs, the least expensive option – pay as you go – is also the most common for those that will only use the technology on occasion. 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 go with a Web seat license model that provides a fixed number of seats that can be used for a certain amount of time at a monthly cost of $50-$200 per seat with overage charges for additional seats and additional minutes. There may also be an extra set up charge of $0-$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 $150 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 hold web conferences in‐house. Web conferencing software pricing starts at $1,000 for a basic system, and can reach the tens of thousands of dollars. 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.
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-$100.
You can arrange for operator‐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, or setting up a live Q&A sessions. This frees up the moderator to concentrate on the actual content of the presentation. They can also provide additional training services. An operator‐assisted web conference costs anywhere from $0.09 per minute plus a flat fee of $75 - $200 per session, to $1,000-$5,000 total per session, depending on the size and intensity of the project.
There are also fees for recording and archiving 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 logos.
