How To Choose The Right Video Conferencing Solution For Your Business

Remote businesses have become more popular in recent years and there has been a significant shift not just in workers wishing to work from the comfort of their homes but also from businesses looking for cost-effective ways to hire competent staff to run company affairs without having to pay twice as much for housing, office space, and transportation allowances.

This increase in the demand for remote workers and business owners has birthed a new era of online offices and virtual workspaces made possible via video conferencing software systems.

Before now, getting a video conferencing system installed in the workplace was considered an expensive investment only undertaken by big organizations.

Thankfully, recent video conferencing solutions are easy to install, simple to use, and relatively inexpensive making them more accessible by both small and large companies alike.

We'll be shining more light on the benefits of video conferencing, how to choose the best video conferencing solution for your business, and the latest video-conferencing trends.

Benefits Of Video Conferencing

Video conferencing technology uses both hardware and software communications to simultaneously transmit video and sound between two or more users.

Video conferencing comes with a lot of benefits but its main purpose is to serve as a platform that enables communication with others using both visuals and audio, allowing you to hear and speak and see others on the other side of the screen as if you were in the same room. This fosters team collaboration and better task management.

Some of the benefits of video conferencing include:

Easy to use

Video conferencing software is easy to operate and does not require any special tech knowledge to set up or operate. In most cases, you just need to download the software or application from the internet onto your laptop or smartphone, register and you can start connecting with colleagues in the office, clients, and suppliers. It's that easy!

Time-saving

Video conferencing makes it possible for important decisions, instructions, and information to be communicated on time from employers to employees and vice versa. The need to wait for weekdays or work hours for everyone to gather in a room before decisions can be made is no longer necessary. Businesses that make use of video conferencing systems save a lot of time when it comes to communicating with employees or customers and hence can adapt faster and better to sudden changes in the work or market environment.

Fewer expenses

Companies are constantly seeking ways to reduce expenses especially when it comes to staffing, that's why they opt for employing remote workers and video conferencing is a major communication tool between such companies and their remote employees, saving them money that could have been spent on office spaces. Large organizations that have branches in different cities also benefit from the use of video conferencing systems, to help them organize monthly, quarterly, or yearly business meetings between branches without the need to travel thereby saving the company money that could have been spent on travel and feeding expenses that would have been incurred if it were a face to face meeting.

Security

Some businesses fear that having crucial meetings and sharing secret company information online is risky but, thanks to modern video conferencing systems, the issue of security has been dealt with. These systems work in a closed network without an internet connection which ensures maximum security of the data being transmitted. How is it possible you ask? TLS protocols are used when you connect to this network to secure and encrypt the information.

Scalability

There is no limit to the number of persons you can host a video conference with. Depending on your needs, and the size of your audience, whether you're a small start-up company with two employees or a multinational with hundreds of shareholders, you can host meetings with a large number of persons via video conferencing. You just have to choose a system that will cater to your specific needs.

Realism

The next best thing other than having a face-to-face conversation with someone is having a video chat.

Video conferencing brings life to conversations with the use of visuals. You can see the other person when they talk and read their body language and gestures which overall helps in better communication. This cannot be found in audio-only conversations.

With video conferencing, there are more emotions involved, you can make eye contact with a speaker, and it also allows participants to focus on who is talking and what is being discussed with fewer distractions.

How To Choose The Best Video Conference System

With so many options to choose from, it can be hard to find the right video conference system that is best for your business.

Granted, a lot of them boast good features and fair prices but here are some things you should look out for:

• The number of participants: you have to consider the number of persons that will be attending these video conferences as this will determine how much money you'll have to pay to access these services. Some software applications are free for a limited number of persons but you'll need to pay to upgrade your plan if you intend on hosting more persons than the system allows. Other software systems specialize in connecting large numbers of users. There are so many options out there with different prices so it's advisable to know what you want as it will save you time.

• Ease of use: Not all video conference software has a user-friendly interface. A user interface that is difficult to navigate will deter people from participating. When choosing, a video conference system, especially when you want to use it for business meetings, go for one that is efficient, intuitive, visually attractive, easy to update, and simple to use. Simplicity is always the best in this case.

• Quality of video feed: the last thing you want is to have blurry images In front of your screen. It defeats the whole purpose of better communication. You should be able to see the other person clearly, so when choosing a video conference system, go for one with an HD video. Also, some systems may limit the number of persons streaming the live video while others allow unlimited live streaming depending on what package you've subscribed to. If you plan on hosting large video conferences, and you want everyone participating to be able to stream live videos, then you should go for a system that allows such. Although oftentimes, this option is more expensive.

• The type of meetings: Do you host different types of meetings? Maybe an open group discussion where all participants are allowed to air their views on the subject matter or could be a closed group where you prefer others to stay silent while you give your presentation. If you host different kinds of meetings, then you should opt for a system that meets all your needs.

• Compatibility with mobile devices: Not all video conference software or applications are compatible with mobile devices. Some work best on desktops and conference rooms while others can be used on both smartphones and tablets. Go for one that can be used on all mobile devices with a camera because sometimes people might not have access to their computer but they'll always have their phone at hand. It's easier to get and stay connected when you don't have to sit in one spot during video conference meetings.

• Screen sharing: being able to share your screen with other users helps with better communication of ideas. You can share your screen to show your PowerPoint presentation while you talk, to keep your listeners attention, or to show a new employee how to access a company file or how to go about a particular task.

• Video and audio recording: some video conference software has the feature of recording audio and video clips from the meeting which is stored in the cloud and oftentimes has a specific space limit for stored items for each individual depending on the subscription package, your company is on. This is an added advantage, as you can easily take minutes of meetings, store files, and record training that can be given to new employees. Saves time and energy.

• Application integration: some video conferencing software solutions now allow users to integrate third-party applications such as Microsoft on their devices. You can import documents and presentations you already own into the video conference system. Some systems also have note-taking features and allow integration with Google calendar for an easier and quick schedule of meetings. If you like stress-free and organized meetings then you should get a video conference system that allows application integration.

Video Conferencing Trends

Before 2020, many companies never thought they could operate without physical offices and were not prepared for the drastic changes that hit the world.

It is no more a question of 'If' we should adopt video conferencing but 'how' can we do it well?. Businesses are now embracing technology and making the best of it. Here are some video conference trends that you should look out for:

Gamification

Gamification is a new tech that is gradually becoming an important aspect of video conferencing. It involves using techniques like integrating gaming sessions where participants get to compete in online games or sending them to break-out rooms, where they can take mini polls, answer questions, or complete tasks in exchange for points.

The purpose of this is to boost engagement and stimulate concentration during such conferences.

Use of Machine learning and AI

The use of Artificial intelligence AI and machine learning is a new and growing tech in video conferencing that helps to produce visually pleasing and better-sounding videos.

Instead of asking your colleagues to be on mute, AI detects noise in the background and reduces noise, it can also detect a disorganized background, blur or replace it with a nice little backdrop so your videos look nice and clean.

AI can also act as a meeting assistant by detecting which speaker is talking and prioritizing them by enlarging their screens and it can so translate real-time sentences and conversations thereby eliminating language issues.

Growth of 5G

Another trend that is currently making waves is the growth of the 5G network, and its fast internet. This will result in quality real-time communication for video conferencing. Say bye-bye to video lagging and poor network connections.

Other video conference trends include:

• Better security
• More cloud-based operations
• Better user experience
• Personalized meetings and staff wellbeing

Summary

Choosing the best video conferencing solution for your business is not difficult. If you have little or no budget for this, just focus on your organizational needs, and key features like a quality video feed, screen sharing, and recording. 

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