For years, any cutting-edge company portrayed in the media has used information technology and telecommunication to get things done. While it isn't necessarily a good idea to base a business model directly on media perceptions, these perceptions do betray some of the expectations the general public have for high-tech companies. Video conferencing not only adds a level of polish to your company's image, it also makes light work of otherwise laborious and costly communications methods by harnessing the power of your company's pre-existing internet connection to transmit data. The points below will provide information on video conferencing itself, and the best ways to implement this technology for the benefit of your business.
Why video conference?
A truly staggering amount of revenue is spent each year on air travel and other means of transportation to send employees to meet with representatives of other companies, not to mention the drastic amounts spent on hotels and accommodation for employees asked to commute long distances. Video conferencing utilises the technology your company is already using every day, leading to minimal setup costs and overheads. Being able to communicate effectively with companies from across the world is a valuable weapon in the information age, rendering the distance between companies inconsequential when attempting to propagate new business deals. Additionally, the huge amount of time saved by video conferencing is a hugely valuable commodity in terms of employee working hours, cutting the amount of money spent on paying employees to be transported from one place to another. Finally, events such as the COVID-19 pandemic have illustrated the importance of video conferencing on a large scale. Digital communications methods facilitated the continued operation of countless businesses across the world whilst working from home under mandatory distancing regulations. These reasons should provide any business owner a fantastic excuse to invest in a video conferencing suite.
What are the requirements for video conferencing?
Technology
The two main pieces of technology required to engage in video conferencing are conference-enabled computers and an appropriate network connection. These will be discussed in turn below:
- Computer technology - a computer system equipped with a high-quality webcam and microphone is an essential component of video conferencing. A large monitor or projector screen will make your viewing experience easy and pleasant.
- Internet bandwidth - if quality video conferences are to be achieved, an internet connection with sufficient bandwidth is an absolute requirement. If you are unsure about the suitability of your internet connection for video conferencing, check with your internet service provider or IT department.
Staff
The staffing requirements for video conferencing are slightly different than for the traditional company representative models of business. The working hours saved due to reduced travel time can instead be invested in a bolstered IT department, which will be required to be on hand to provide technical support whenever a video conference is scheduled. Adequately training staff to operate telecommunications technology can also make a huge difference to the frequency of technical faults occurring with the apparatus, as employees trained to effectively work such technologies are less likely to cause problems with the system. Furthermore, employees who are camera shy may require practice with the system to become confident when communicating with other business partners.
Environment
There is little point in investing in a suite of video conference hardware and software, as well as going to the effort of training the appropriate staff to work the technology, if the space being broadcast to partner companies does not represent your company well. For this reason, it is worth paying attention to the environment within view of the camera. Some companies even develop dedicated video conference rooms complete with high quality furniture, as well as a company logo on the wall behind, in order to give a clean and no-nonsense impression to representatives calling from other companies.
The technology to provide video conferencing systems to companies must be taken advantage of in order to make the most of the instant communication culture of the digital age. By making sure that your company has an effective video conferencing solution, you are ensuring your ability to move with the times and keep up with current innovations in communications technology, thereby effortlessly keeping in touch with representatives from around the world.