WebEx Training Center.

WebEx Training Center, Webex Communications, Inc. (877-509-3239, www.webex.com), $4,000 set-up fee, $225 per seat per month.

WebEx Training Center allows users to share presentations, documents, applications, and streaming video and communicate using voice and video, using the Windows, Macintosh, Solaris, HP-UX 11.3, Linux, and Pocket PC operating systems, all through a standard web browser. A "network-based service," WebEx Training Center targets corporate customers who desire live training and collaboration events over the Internet without the expense of building an internal supporting infrastructure. The proprietary Media Tone technology allows WebEx to manage complex media, deliver advanced communications, support a range of devices and platforms, and provide a high level of performance.

WebEx Meeting Center (http://www.tmreview.com/Review.asp?ID=1226) provides browser-based virtual meetings, typically for ad hoc or small collaborative meetings. It has a full range of capabilities, similar to, but more limited than, WebEx Training Center.

WebEx supports the entire range of data, voice, and video communications to create an online environment that aspires to "the full spontaneity and productivity of face-to-face meetings." Its private network and bundle of other technologies has boosted WebEx's performance under real-world conditions. Everyone has heard the stories of virtual meetings and classes that have been scuttled by network or technology glitches. WebEx does not have a bullet-proof suite, but they have sturdy body armor that performs well under real conditions.

TRAINING CENTER

Research shows delivery is the most expensive element of providing training. A full 70% to 90% of the total cost of training is consumed by delivery, compared to 10% to 20% for content development and 1% to 10% for maintenance and monitoring, according to an Ernst & Young study furnished by WebEx.

The delivery component is far more than the cost of the actual training product. It reflects the cost of the infrastructure to facilitate the delivery: computer hardware, networks, high-speed data lines, global network security, equipment, training facilities, travel time, and instructor time. This is where a hosted solution for training seems cost justified because it cuts out the middle level of technology required to bring trainers and students together at a fixed cost per session.

WebEx Training Center can accommodate up to 500 simultaneous users in one virtual classroom. It supports five levels of users: host, presenter, panelist, attendee, and participant. It's flexible enough to offer live and online training as well as on-demand training outside of a live session. Because WebEx is a hosted service, the client performs all administrative tasks on a designated WebEx website. When scheduling training events, the host has a range of options besides specifying the topic and creating a session password, from deciding who can attend a session to determining what their privileges are.

Training Center offers multiple roles for a co-presenter or panelist as a co-trainer and uses full duplex VOIP. Training can be scheduled as a single event, a recurring event, or a multi-session course. Classes can be created from prior templates and customized with detailed registration forms and an email template for invitations, reminders, and follow-up. Organizations are increasingly sharing training with their customers, partners, and other stakeholders. To that end, WebEx now includes integrated e-commerce support to accommodate fee-based training across the enterprise.

CONTENT CREATION

Moderators or instructors can create content such as PowerPoint presentations, Flash content, labs, recordings, and live or recorded video. These materials are shared with the learner audience using document sharing. Live product training can be shared using application sharing, web tours, or application viewing tools. The WebEx Universal Communications Toolkit is an add-in program for Microsoft PowerPoint that allows you to create multimedia slides for a training event. Live WebEx events can be recorded, either a complete event or portions of it.

Beyond standard content delivery, WebEx Training Center offers a full arsenal of training features, seamlessly controlled from the presenter's desktop, including breakout sessions, Hands-on Lab, testing, polling, video, and chat.

CONTENT DELIVERY

WebEx allows the sharing and annotation of multiple documents and presentations, whiteboard, applications, desktops, and graphics without uploading them to a server. It uses file and document sharing to achieve these tasks. Participants cannot change the actual document, however. Live documents are delivered directly to participants' desktops using a simple web browser. Document files are not stored or archived on an external server.

USER EXPERIENCE

Our challenge in using powerful tools is to create effective meetings and training, not just to annotate PowerPoint slides and allow chat among users. SO how well does WebEx deliver?

The email invitation process is pretty standard and supports Outlook, Netscape, Lotus, and other common mail programs. The training facilitator can customize registration and automate it for trainers, subject matter experts, labs, and pre- and post-testing.

The WebEx administrative interface is clean and simple without being rudimentary. The host creates event parameters by using the Host Training menu options. The interface also allows assignment of role privileges (e.g., presenter or participant), participant privileges, and the level of security. Online technical assistance is available by using the Assistance menu options. Technology being what it is, I had an opportunity to use WebEx's telephone support, it was excellent. It's worth noting, as with any complex software built to run on various hardware combinations, that your IT personnel might want to coach users through installation to get past any problems with initial launch.

HANDS-ON LAB

WebEx extends the reach of Training Center with the Hands-on Lab, which can be used to deliver highly structured training, even to certify competencies for a staff. Yet, the computers can be located anywhere, and your co-trainers can participate from anywhere. Sessions can be tracked and viewed by the instructor to evaluate student performance. Classes posted to the lab can be made available to all or a select group of users, can require registration to use, and can be copied to a person's private folder for offline participation. The moderator can divide participants into smaller groups for team or individual lab exercises.

TESTING AND EVALUATION

You can create two types of multiple choice questions and short answer questions. Learner responses can be shared with attendees as poll results or, in the case of tests, the correct answer and the individual participant's grade. The assessment tool allows the moderator to ask a question at any time during the presentation. The testing and grading tools in WebEx Training Center are powerful and have a simple interface to manage and share tests.

REVIEWER'S RECOMMENDATION

For me, there is always the risk of "feature awe" when immersed in such a robust product family as virtual meetings and training, but the awe in using WebEx is the ease of use and the wealth of features offered for effective meetings and training. WebEx is not just a good product. It is an excellent product.