In the past few years, there has been an explosive growth in the use of video conferencing as a fundamental unit for business to enhance collaboration and communication among employees, clients, and partners. The technology has made significant developments from early adopters to its current form of mass market deployment. Video conferencing may be one-to-one meetings, one-to-many or many-to-many depending on the type of communication required. However, video conferencing is not a complete substitute for face-to-face meetings but in many situations being able to see and hear from someone irrespective of their geographical location improves communication and cuts down travel cost and time.
What is a Video Conference?
At the simple level, a video conference is an online meeting that allows users in different geographical locations to have a live and visual connection where each participant can see the picture of the other, and where the parties involved can listen and speak in real time. Webcam, microphone, speakers and a display unit are the components required to make it happen.
For individuals, a desktop solution is used, and for a video conference where groups of people are involved, a room-based solution is applied.
Video Conference for Business
Video conference for business is a distant communication by clients, employees, administration or stakeholders, where the participants can see live pictures and speak to one another on real time basis.
Benefits of Video Conference
According to a recent survey, video conference is desired more by employees, and it is no longer a matter of how one will have the technology integrated but when. The following are the benefits of video conferencing:
- Reduced Travel Time and cost: It can be very costly in terms of time and money to travel to meet people. Consider a situation where a business wants to conduct an important meeting and the participants are in different parts of the world. Bringing all of them to the same table is very expensive with travel costs so high. With video conferencing, a meeting can take place within the hour will all the participants getting in touch remotely using a screen, webcam, speaker and microphone.
- It helps in telecommuting: working away from office, often at home is every worker’s dream. Video conferencing provides the essentials of telecommuting or teleworking because workers will be able to engage in downward or upward instructions on the comfort of their couch if needs be.
- Online learning and teaching: there are great teachers and great courses, but distance has always been a factor. Video conferencing helps in acquiring and sharing knowledge beyond any obstacle through the use of multimedia facilities such as interactive online white boards.
Free Video Conference Softwares
Video conferencing was considered expensive and a luxury some time ago. Today, one literally carries the technology in their pocket. The following free softwares are available for video conferencing
- Fuze free plan
- Cisco WebEx meetings
- Meeting burner
- GoToMeeting free plan
Premium Video Conferencing System
The following systems are available at the premium level for clients; the fact that one pays to access their services means they are reliable and worth having it.
- Ring central
- Click meeting
- Zoho meeting
- Microsoft Skype for business
- E-voice
- Join.me
- Adobe connect
- GoToMeeting