Why Video Conferencing Will Spread in 2012 - Part 1

Video Conferencing looks like it is set to become an increasingly integral tool in the business world whilst growing in all areas of communications in the next twelve months. As the technology offers cost efficiencies coupled with flexibility, it is a case of the right tool at the right time.

Indeed industry predictions from Ovum anticipate that the market for video conferencing is set to grow to $3.8bn by 2016. This would represent a 5.79% growth every year from 2011 but what are the reasons behind this predicted growth?

The Benefits of Video Conferencing

The first thing to consider are the well documented but still pertinent over arching benefits, particularly to business, of employing video conferencing. Most of these benefits revolve around the fact that video conferencing can greatly reduce the need for staff to travel, whether it be for internal meetings or third party liaisons.

Travel costs are often a significant overhead for small and large businesses alike and in the global business market that we now have, the requirement to meet colleagues, clients and suppliers in multiple locations - sometimes great distances apart - is only likely to increase. With the economic climate as it is many businesses will be looking towards a more affordable solution to carry out these meetings whilst still getting all the benefits of a face to face interaction.

The cost of business travel is not only limited to the cost of a worker's plane ticket but also includes time and productivity lost when a worker could have been in the office rather than being on the move. As businesses look to squeeze all margins, the prospect of increasing the productivity and output of all staff should be a key driver to adopting video conferencing. Moreover, the meetings themselves that are conducted as video conferences can and should be more productive in that they offer the chance for multilateral collaboration in place of bilateral phone calls or face to face meetings where budgets only allow limited attendees.

The reduced need for travel within a business can play a very significant part in a companies efforts to reduce its environmental footprint, which, as well as improving the perception of the brand (which is vital in today's society), will go a long way to increasing the sense of staff motivation and morale throughout the company. As will the possibility of working from home which can also, in turn, lead to greater productivity amongst workers.

2011 has served up a few timely reminders of how easily business operations can be interrupted by unforeseen circumstances, particularly severe weather events and natural disasters, such as the Icelandic volcano and the Japanese earthquake/Tsunami. Whenever such events occur, companies' minds are focused more acutely on their business continuity plans and, especially where travel is likely to be disrupted (as was saliently witnessed with the Icelandic volcano) video conferencing can be seen as integral tool in keeping communication channels open and therefore the wheels of business turning.

In short video conferencing kills many birds - cost, productivity, morale, green credentials and business continuity - with one stone and, in an increasingly competitive world of greater financial as well as natural uncertainty the adoption of video conferencing is a natural fit for business.

© Stuart Mitchell 2012

I'm a small business owner. If you want to find out more about how video based communications can increase efficiency in your business then visit Video Conferencing.

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Web Conferencing - The Peacocking of the Telecommunications World

For small and medium sized businesses, (especially those just starting out) it is important to look and act as professional as possible in order to be taken seriously when compared against the competitive bells and whistles of the 'big dogs'. Large companies and those that have established a name for themselves have luxury of being able to access particular types of technology and "frills" that most other businesses do not. Thankfully, conferencing does not fall into that category.

Outside of the fancy office buildings in trendy locations and expensive three-dimensional business cards, genuinely knowledgeable small business owners realize that they get the most bang for their buck by investing in technological solutions like web conferencing. Web conferencing provides businesses of any size the ability to meet, connect, and collaborate with up to thousands of employees as well as current and potential customers - regardless of their location - with quality that rivals in-person meetings.

Web conferencing can provide any company with the best return on their investment because it increases their employee and customer reach exponentially. In fact, one of the biggest advantages of web conferencing is that it allows a business to dramatically expand its reach in areas they otherwise wouldn't be able to afford to expand to. By making yourself and your staff available both vocally and visually to clients, your small and/or newly established business has the same professional, competitive image as the 'big fish' that have been around for years.

Unfortunately many young entrepreneurs mistake web conferencing as an outdated method of communication. This could not be further from the truth. In addition to being able to launch or attend a web conference via a desktop or laptop computer, many web conferencing providers now offer web conferencing applications for smartphones, tablets, and other popular portable devices. This gives you the freedom and ability to arrange either an audio conference or a web conference from literally anywhere you wish: a park, a rooftop, a restaurant - you name it.

Requirements vary depending upon the provider you select, but typically include a microphone and webcam - both of which are frequently already installed on modern computers and portable devices. And without the need for pricey phone plans or specialized equipment, more capital is freed for other aspects of your business. Who knows, maybe with all the money you save by employing a web conferencing solution you'll be able to afford those hoity-toity business cards after all!

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Getting the Most From Video Conferencing

When you are looking for a system that is going to truly benefit your business, you are going to want to consider video conferencing. What most people tend to find is that this setup allows them to effectively meet with people from across the globe and to host a series of meetings that will actually benefit those who attend.

In an effort to get the most from the video conferencing solutions you have available to you, you first need to determine what you need for these systems to do for you. For example, some people simply are looking for a way to communicate face to face from a distance. When that is the case, you are going to find that you can choose to go with some of the cheaper solutions. However, if you are looking for more defined options that will visually display multiple people and allow you to utilize files then you will need to consider some of the other choices that you are going to have.

For this process, you do need to understand that while the initial investment is high, the potential to save money can make these choices cost effective. What many people will find is that with a reduction in travel and the expenses that come with it, the video conferencing setup can actually begin to save them a considerable amount of money in the long run. In turn, you are going to have a chance to reduce the concerns that can often be attached to overlooking particular items as well.

Above all, you need to realize that your goal here is to ensure that you do utilize the setup to the best of your abilities as well. This means taking the time to train your employees on how to effectively use this system and the approach you should be taking to utilize the system as you reduce the operation costs that your company currently has.

Take the time to begin exploring the simple and complete solutions that you will have for this software. What you should find is that no matter what approach you are going to be taking, there will be a considerable number of benefits associated with each one. More importantly, if you can find a setup that saves you money both initially and in the long run it will be the best choice for you. Just make sure you realize that this is a business tool and that it should at a minimum be able to handle your needs for running your business. By doing this, you do increase the overall chance of success with it.

Video conferencing is increasing in popularity in recent years because of all it can do for the business world. If you need to reach out beyond your home city, then you will want to strongly consider this as being one of the best overall options that you will have available to you in this process.

Singapore video conferencing equipments and solutions at ESCO Audio Visual.

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