| Participants can go directly to a prescribed topic or enter a secure, virtual conference room and select a topic. The topic could be a "live" remote meeting, a survey, an asynchronous brainstorming session, an opportunity to assess ideas, a chance to view results, an action planning session or one of several other online TAGS functions. In some cases, participants can complete entire tasks online that used to require multiple face-to-face meetings. At other times, the online work is designed to shorten and better focus the time spent face-to-face.
In online/ remote meetings, participants are given a special User ID and password. They use a telephone for the conference call and their own computers or PDAs to access their meeting data via our Internet site. If they have neither, they can use one of almost a dozen FMCS Electronic Conference Centers for access. There are no requirements beyond a browser and an Internet connection. Flip charting, document work, action planning, and printing is easily accomplished. Also, reference documents and contracts can be downloaded at the click of a button.
In combination meetings, some participants may be face-to-face while others with more restricted schedules may join the meeting remotely.
Parties have saved significant travel, time and expense by articipating in this type of meeting even when it was occasionally used to supplement face-to-face meetings.
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