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Review of WebcamMax – what you will see on our Skype Cam

For the New Year, we have obtained a copy of some fancy webcam software that works with our Skype account (Skype: globalcoachtours). Not only will you see the travel agent you are speaking with, but we will be able to add graphics such as maps or show you photos and videos relevant to the tour you are asking about. The webcam software is called WebcamMax and it works very effectively with our Microsoft HD widescreen web camera.

For the technically interested, the software adds a ‘virtual’ camera to the Skype video feed which is selected instead of the name of the camera.

It doesn’t stop there. We’ll be able to show you video clips both full screen or in the corner of the screen. How about looking at the same web page together? Simple. We will share our desktop and show you relevant details. This is all part of our future way of interacting with our customers. Not just Global Coach Tours, but many more agents will be using the Skype service in 2011 via www.SeeYourTravelAgent.com

Whilst WebcamMax has many fun aspects, such as animated graphics, we believe it has serious business applications. We haven’t discovered all the features yet. One idea we would like to explore is the creation of custom backgrounds. It seems there is a WebcamMax format for these called an *.efc file and we are still looking into how to create these. Thus, as a travel agent we can be sat in front of virtual mountains, lakes or on beaches! We look forward to seeing you soon.

Seeing is Believing

Ever since Fred Flintstone wanted to take Wilma to the beach, this meant a visit to the travel agency office to book travel arrangements face to face.

Then a few years later the phone was invented! However convenient, the phone has always been a poor second place to facetime. Now the world wide web has given us access to world wide experts. Travel organising is one of the world’s best uses for the Internet, but many still prefer face to face.

Now you can SEE a travel professional in person, without driving, parking, queuing or ever leaving your home with SeeYourTravelAgent.com No more endless surfing through countless travel web sites trying to find a holiday all by yourself, then never quite finding the vacation you wanted.

Find an expert travel agent by speciality, such as weddings, adventure holidays, coach touring. Or search by region such Caribbean, USA, Far East, Australia etc. Then click to call FREE. Don’t worry if you don’t have a web cam yourself or don’t want to be seen, you can still see the agent you are calling without them seeing you.

Modern PCs make it possible for everyone to video chat. Thanks to the pioneering efforts of Skype, hundreds of millions of people can now talk to each and video chat for free. Many new PCs and laptops come with webcams, microphone and speakers built in. If your PC is an older model, you can buy a USB web cam from as little as £10.

Global Coach Tours started using Skype in 2006 and the quality of audio and video has gradually improved to the point where it is now a very reliable service. We look forward to seeing you soon.

Geoff Monk founder of SeeYourTravelAgent.com Skyping with Simon