Presentations in a Browser

Think giving presentations to far-flung crowds means trekking around the country? Not if you use WebSentric's Presentation.Net. This Web-based service lets you deliver a PowerPoint show to anyone who has a browser-equipped PC--without special software or server setups used in earlier Web presentation systems.

The presenter simply uploads a PowerPoint document to the Presentation.Net site (or use WebSentric's presentation software, which wasn't available at this writing). At the appointed time, attendees can view your presentation in Netscape Navigator (versions 4.03 and above) or Internet Explorer (versions 4.01 and above). You narrate the show and take questions via a toll-free teleconference call. And you can employ annotation and whiteboarding tools as you go.

The beta version I tested was promising but needed work. Conference setup could be more intuitive, and there were occasional display glitches. You won't be able to import every PowerPoint transition, and you can't do animations without using WebSentric's software. WebSentric recommends limiting multimedia audience sizes to two dozen.

Still, the Presentation.Net service should be worth its price of 49 cents per participant (audience plus presenter) per minute. At that rate, a 30-minute presentation involving one presenter and four audience members adds up to a tidy $73.50. That is unquestionably far cheaper than jetting around the nation to deliver your message.

SUMMARY

Presentation.Net PRO: PowerPoint shows via the Web, no special software required. CON: Beta version rocky. VALUE: Could save presenters lots of time and money. $Cost: 49 cents per participant per minute. WebSentric.com 650/357-0100 www.presentation.net