Video conferencing is an innovation in technology that started with the advent of widely available internet access. Because of new trends in technological development, it has become even easier for a small to medium based enterprises to engage in video conferencing without having to spend exorbitant amounts of money on hardware. Huawei has noted that the affordability of video conferencing hardware has declined and this trend seems likely to continue into the near future. There are few companies that are as skilled at developing video conferencing solutions as Blue Jeans. Video Conferencing will definitely play a major part in business development as the twenty first century progresses, but what does a company have to consider when developing a video conferencing strategy?
Widespread Availability
Among the first concerns for any company that aims to develop a streamlined video conferencing system is the types of hardware that the system will have to run on. The best conferencing solutions are ones that are able to run on a variety of hardware platforms. Indeed, with the widespread use of new hardware in the form of smartphones and tablets, there exists a need for a video conferencing suite to be able to adapt to fit the profile of whatever type of hardware that it runs on. The additional benefit adopting a video conferencing solution like this brings is that it doesn’t necessitate the purchase of brand new hardware specifically for video conferencing. The end result is a larger budget that can be allocated to other things. Forbes recently covered a new method of video interoperability developed by Polycom with the intention of making video conferencing across platforms and providers easier.
Ease of Use
Interface problems were a common problem in earlier versions of video conferencing software. Even today, some providers have not managed to get over the problem of a complicated user interface. Opting for a clean, simple user interface makes for a much more natural feeling video conferencing atmosphere. This is important because the aim in video conferencing is not to make it feel as though there is distance between the participants. Simple interfaces aid in this. It is of note that the less buttons that an interface has, the less likely it is to detract from the actual conference.
Compatibility with Existing Hardware
From a business perspective, upgrading company-wide hardware to enable a video conferencing solution is simply not feasible. The best video conferencing solutions run on wide ranges of hardware and software configurations. BizTech notes that even the most high-end of systems doesn’t guarantee perfect results all the time. A video conferencing strategy that utilizes the available resources most efficiently is what you should be aiming for. It is simply not a workable solution to consider anything that requires a replacement of massive amounts of company hardware as the disadvantages in the short term would outweigh the long term benefits.
Cloud Based
One of the latest trends in internet technology is the research put into developing cloud solutions. A cloud based video conferencing solution allows the storage of important files on a cloud server that can be accessed from anywhere. High security cloud servers are ideal for situations like this and provide a very safe method of hosting files that may be necessary for video conferences such as spreadsheets and presentations. The cloud provides a new frontier in video communication and it is only expected to become further integrated into video conferencing systems as time goes on.
Scale
Even though video conferencing strategies are used for one to one meeting sessions, there may arise a situation where a large number of people need to be able to attend a video conference at the same time. The video conferencing suite that manages to combine secure connections with a large number of possible users is the one that would work best in this situation. So whether it’s ten or a hundred video conferencing meetings going on, you need to be able to have a strategy that deals with a possible expansion of the company.
Security
In the corporate world, no one wants to have their boardroom discussions overheard by third parties. The decisions made in such meetings can make or break a company. That is why a video conferencing strategy that you adopt should be one that has a heavily secure system to ensure that there are no leaks in deliberations. Internet security is a necessary part of having a video conferencing strategy that you can depend upon.
Overall, developing a strategy for video conferencing is less about a step by step approach and more about considering the options that exist for your company, and how these options can benefit you when choosing a video conferencing strategy to build your business around. Blue Jeans Video Conferencing has all of these key elements as well as an active support staff that is on call to deal with your problems should any arise. The beauty of video conferencing from a business perspective is that it aids productivity with only minimal cost to the company.
Image credit: CC by Christopher Blizzard
