Marie-Claire
Video conference calling is far more than your average conference call. Allowing users to see other call participants, as well as enabling screens and documents to be shared in real time, it can be almost as if you are in the same room working together.
Advantages of Video Conferencing
Cost savings – money, time and space
The same as with traditional conference calling, video conferencing removes the cost and hassle of having to travel to meetings. Cutting company fuel bills and allowing increased productivity from the time saved, video conferencing gives a tangible return on investment. Participants can be based anywhere in the world and, time differences permitting, meetings can be arranged simply and easily at the drop of a hat, with no need for large meeting room facilities. The reduction in travel is also an environmental win.
Remote working
Video conferencing is a particular advantage for geographically diverse work teams. Impromptu meetings are able to be set up and held immediately, making it easy for people to come together to discuss ideas. Being able to take control of a shared screen, participants are able to work through documents together as if they were in the same room. This kind of collaboration ability enables remote working to become an effective and realistic option, with people that choose this work style no longer being put at a disadvantage. For a company, the ability to offer effective remote access working is a particularly important asset during the current economic climate, where companies may be less able to use monetary incentives to attract employees.
Spot the difference
There will always be situations where a face-to-face meeting is required. However, in most cases, video conferencing is as good as the real thing. Being able to see the people you are talking with means that you are better able to read responses through body language. This makes debates easier and, coupled with the ability to share and review data together in real-time, increases productivity.
Common concerns
Perhaps due to the vast benefits that it can bring, a common misconception is that video conferencing technology must be expensive, complicated or unreliable. This is simply not the case anymore. This commonplace technology no longer requires additional training or the need to employ anyone to set it up. There is no need for expensive or specifically compatible equipment for call participants and the technology used is as now as reliable as a standard telephone call.
So really, the question should be, why wouldn’t you use video conferencing to make your life easier?
