Why Is Videoconferencing Better Than Skype?

We're all looking for ways to work more efficiently and replacing face-to-face meetings with videoconferencing saves companies both time and money. We often come across companies who use Skype for their videoconferencing because it's a convenient, low cost way to access the technology. However, while it's perfect for the odd video chat, or for informal or social use, if you are serious about using videoconferencing in your business we would recommend you use a dedicated videoconferencing system.

So why is videoconferencing better than Skype?

To answer that, we need to take a look at the benefits of Skype first

It's easy to set up - you simply need to download a piece of software and open an account.It works cross-platform - you can use it on PCs and Macs, or even on smartphones and tablet computers.And it only costs a few pounds every month to access the videoconferencing facility.The main problem with using Skype, or any other free or low cost internet videoconferencing tool, is that maintaining consistent, high quality video is very difficult.

Skype needs a high speed internet connection to work properly and if your broadband connection fluctuates, you're likely to experience choppy video or, worse still, lose the connection completely. It's extremely frustrating to have to keep reconnecting to a video conference call when you're trying to have an important discussion. You may also find that participants have problems using Skype because their firewall or anti-virus software blocks it.

Another disadvantage of using Skype is that you are reliant on the standard of equipment that each participant is using. There are thousands of configurations of computers, webcams and headsets around and if participants are using low quality equipment then the overall quality of the video conference is going to be affected.

Finally, if you are reliant on Skype for your videoconferencing you are reliant on Skype's servers being online. Because Skype is essentially a free service they give no uptime guarantees - and no compensation for downtime, no matter how seriously your business might be affected as a result. And while Skype does offer technical support, because it's a free service you may have to wait a long time for a response.

Skype is an excellent service, but for business owners a dedicated fully-managed video conferencing services is going to be much better than a public service and all the potential fluctuations that brings. Using a dedicated video conferencing system means you experience consistently high quality video every time, with no downtime and no reliance on flaky internet connections.

Jon Knight is the Managing Director Smarter Interactive, a leading supplier of video conferencing and interactive whiteboard technologies. For more details visits: http://www.smarterinteractive.co.uk/

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