Webinars or online seminars have become integral to our life long ago. Yet, few of us had ever thought about the webinar history, e.g., when and where they appeared or what their predecessors were.
The History of Webinars and Conferencing
The so-called "web conferencing" appeared already in the 1960s. In the 1950s, the technological revolution was raging. The rapid development of the field left the IT market short of people. Demand for experts ran far ahead of supply, and universities, with only so many places to offer, could not turn out graduates fast enough to close the gap. As we know, an idea will appear wherever there is a need.
Extensive research in the USA led to the creation of the PLATO (Programmed Logic for Automated Teaching Operations) system. It was the first system in history to let people learn from anywhere, and it worked in a way modern webinar platforms would recognise. For this reason, we can call it the prototype of modern webinars. It offered, for example, a chat, a forum, and the possibility of exchanging documents. The PLATO system proved adaptable, undergoing modifications and remaining in use until 2006.
In 1975, the PLATO system made it possible for about 100 to 150 people to take part in a meeting at the same time. It may sound hard to believe, but there was one important detail to consider. To use this system, you needed a very expensive computer that cost around $12,000, which is well over fifty thousand in today’s money.
PLATO was undoubtedly a groundbreaking system and a true forerunner of what came later. It also hosted some of the earliest multiplayer computer games, which fed directly into the genres that followed.
Breakthrough ideas ignite fast-paced development. This led to an explosion of remote solutions in just a few short years.
We owe the foundations of today’s internet to the creator of the World Wide Web, the Englishman Tim Berners-Lee, whose idea was that any document anywhere could be reached by typing its address.
Communication systems
The first real-time text communication systems, such as IRC, appeared in the 1980s. In the mid-1990s, web chats and programs for instant message exchange appeared. The years 1993-95 were the time of the first streams, such as rock concerts.
The 1990s saw the creation of a system that connected schools throughout the USA. The CU-SeeMe system also enabled conferences between participants. In addition, it was possible to conduct remote classes in real time. This advancement marked an important step in webinar history, as it introduced core elements of virtual learning and interaction that continue to shape modern online education. Sound familiar?
1992 marked the debut of the Communiqué system. It was the first teleconferencing system available to users. It allowed for sharing applications, using audio, and an early form of whiteboarding. 1994 marked a major update for the program. From then on, Communiqué represented participants as icons, earning a "must-have" reputation among businesses embracing computers. Its success led to a $161 million acquisition by InSoft in 1996!
First programs
In 1995, PictureTel introduced its new LiveShare Plus program. It was an application that allowed you to show and share your screen, send files to other users, and communicate in chat. The program ran on Windows computers, and it shipped on a floppy disk.
The first open web conferences appeared in May 1996, thanks to Microsoft, which released NetMeeting. This program looked like a built-in plug-in for Internet Explorer 3.0. NetMeeting allowed the exchange of information in real time, though neither it nor LiveShare Plus could yet carry voice.
A year later, in 1997, a program called Auditorium revolutionized communication. It paved the way for the voice calls we know today. Its license cost $150 per computer. In addition to this function, sharing graphics, presentations, and chat was possible. Later versions of the program allowed as many as 1,000 people to participate in the conference. The program was the first to enable the creation of an individual set of participants. The presenter could ask survey questions there. This innovation became a key milestone in webinar history, laying the groundwork for many of the interactive features we now consider standard in modern webinar platforms.
This period saw the creation of similar programs, and the term "webinar" entered popular use. In 1998, Eric R. Korb registered a trademark for the term "WEBinar". InterCall currently owns this sign. Later, in 2006, Learn.com also registered a trademark, this time written only in lowercase letters, "webinar." The dispute between InterCall and Learn.com ended in 2007, and since then "webinar" has passed into general use and lost its trademark status.
The first-ever online seminar app
PlaceWare was the first webinar application that Xerox PARC released in 1996.
Thanks to this program, one or several users could give an online presentation to hundreds or even thousands of listeners worldwide. In addition, the PlaceWare application offered other videoconferencing possibilities: surveys, private chat, and invitations to other webinar participants to speak during the broadcast.
In 1999, the company Cisco developed WebEx Meeting Center software. It offered the possibility of holding webinars for up to 1,000 simultaneous attendees.
From 2000 on, more and more webinar service providers started appearing on the market, among them MyOwnConference, GoToMeeting, GoToWebinar, and ClickWebinar. Several of them are still in use, and we have looked at the alternatives to GoToMeeting separately. Webinar software gains capability every year, because the people building it keep listening to what users actually need.
Final thoughts on the history of online communications
The history above shows how far this form of communication has come in just a few decades, becoming an essential part of modern education and business. From its early beginnings in the 1960s, webinar technology has steadily evolved into the advanced online platforms we now rely on. This transformation reflects not only technical progress but also the growing influence of remote learning and digital collaboration. The influence of webinars on how we teach, present, and communicate is undeniable. The ability to connect people across the world in real time has changed expectations for both learning and professional interaction. In fact, by 2017, a new webinar was starting every two seconds. This rapid growth highlights the strong and lasting impact webinars continue to have on global communication.
FAQ
What is a webinar and when did it appear?
The webinar, or web conferencing, has a long history behind it, reaching back to the 1960s. The first real-time text communication systems, such as IRC, appeared in the 1980s. In the mid-1990s, web chats and programs for instant message exchange appeared. The years 1993-95 were the time of the first streams, such as rock concerts.
What opportunities do webinars offer?
Webinars open doors for anybody whose location would otherwise keep them out of a classroom. Plenty of things block access to education, whether that is the cost of moving to a university town, illness, or simply having nobody to cover the hours you would be away.
Which early system is considered a prototype of modern webinar platforms?
The PLATO system developed in the USA is considered a true forerunner of modern webinars, offering chat, forums and document exchange.
How did real-time communication tools in the 1980s and 1990s contribute to webinar history?
In the 1980s real-time text communication systems such as IRC appeared, and in the 1990s web chats and instant messaging programs emerged, paving the way for interactive virtual learning.
When was the term "webinar" first used and how did it evolve?
The term "WEBinar" was trademarked in 1998 by Eric R. Korb and later "webinar" (lowercase) was registered in 2006, but by 2007 the name had entered the general lexicon and lost its trademark status.
What major change did webinars bring to education and business communication?
Webinars enabled real-time connection of people worldwide and thus transformed expectations for both learning and professional interaction by making remote participation feasible.
