Webinars and webcasts have become vital tools for internal communication within companies, especially when addressing employees spread across various locations. Here are some important considerations and questions companies should address when planning such events.
1. Understanding the audience size and distribution
The first step in planning is determining how many employees will be on the invited attendee list. Knowing the number of potential participants helps in choosing the right platform and infrastructure to accommodate all viewers without technical hiccups.
2. Remote participation dynamics
It's essential to estimate what percentage of employees will be joining from home. This influences not only the technical setup but also the scheduling of the webinar or webcast.
3. VPN and traffic routing
One common query is whether home users always need a VPN to connect. The answer depends largely on the security requirements of the content shared during the webinar. If a VPN is required:
- Traffic Routing: Determine whether all traffic is routed via a corporate data center or if there are multiple routing paths. This can affect performance and access.
- IP Address Consistency: Understanding whether VPN use results in a consistent IP address or multiple addresses can impact how you manage access and ensuring there is enough capacity in the VPN solution to come with the volume of live traffic.
4. Setting routing rules
If traffic is heavily routed through corporate resources, consider if it's possible to set routing rules so that webinar traffic can bypass these and use the public internet directly. This can reduce latency and improve streaming quality.
5. Office attendance
Estimating the percentage of employees who will attend from office locations is crucial. Consider:
- Distribution Across Offices: Are employees evenly distributed, or are some locations more densely populated? This will help in bandwidth allocation and possibly setting up localized streaming nodes.
- High Concentration Offices: Identify if any office is expected to have more than 30% of employees attending from that location to address potential bandwidth issues.
6. Network infrastructure insight
Gaining insights into the public IP addresses from which each office will connect can aid in managing access and security. Additionally, understanding the connectivity capacity at each office can ensure the network is robust enough to handle the simultaneous load.
7. Inclusion of external parties
If the event includes non-company participants:
- Extent of External Invitations: How many and which external companies will be invited?
- Domain Allowlist: Is there a list of domains from these companies that will be allowed to attend? This is crucial for security and access management.
8. Email domain variations
For companies with international presence, verify if all company email addresses use the same domain or if there are variations. This affects how invitations and communications are managed across different regions.
Round-Up
Preparing for a successful webinar or webcast requires careful planning and consideration of both technical and logistical aspects. By addressing these key questions, companies can ensure that their internal events run smoothly, providing a seamless and productive experience for all participants. Whether it's integrating the right technology or understanding the specific needs of their workforce, each factor plays a significant role in enhancing communication and engagement through these powerful digital platforms.
