There’s no doubt that the digital age has forever changed the face of business. Companies around the globe have successfully traded in their physical letterhead for digital letterhead delivered by email and can now afford to hire people that aren’t just on the other side of the state, but often the other side of a continent or even the world. While the advent of nearly instant communication has pushed businesses far further than they would have originally reached, there are some hurdles that are still being rigorously tested and overcome to make meeting global business needs easier to meet and more convenient.
What Is Video Conferencing and Why Should You Use It?
Video conferencing is simultaneous two way communication between your business and partners, coworkers or clients who cannot be in your location at the time a meeting is required. It uses both video and audio to facility clearer, more precise communication. Many times this is done through a series of office hardware including video cameras and conference phones and previously required whole rooms worth of dedicated wiring and setup in order to work effectively as a business tool.
Even with the requirement for a stationary meeting location on each end, there are many reasons businesses use video conferencing.
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Travel reimbursements can be reserved for necessary travel
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The video portion of the conference provides valuable additional information about how your meeting ideas are presented and received.
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The company’s global footprint is expanded with a minimal amount of time spent out of the office by important executives, time is saved and efficiency is raised.
Bring It Into The Digital Age
The benefits of video conferencing haven’t changed since it originally became popular with businesses, but the tools have certainly moved ahead as technology develops more and more. Now, almost every smart phone and laptop is equipped with some sort of video conferencing analogue. Desktop computers and even televisions often come with support for basic video conferencing. This is a tool that has begun to have applications in daily personal life as well as the business world and everyone wants to cash in.
Companies no longer need to dedicate thousands of dollars of their expenses to video conferencing rooms with fancy big screen televisions and conference phone systems which are sometimes unreliable and often need a dedicated team member to use effectively. Instead, mobile apps and software programs are taking hardware already available and even in the hands of most modern business men and women and elevating video conferencing from a major operation expense to a convenient, low-cost tool.
Software is the Way Forward
Whether your company is dependent on room systems like H.323 or SIP or has opted to fully integrate mobile apps and web browser services, software video conferencing is the route to take. Able to be customized to include brand labeling, conference recording and transcription services, software holds the flexibility to make it successful for the business ventures your company is planning to undertake.
This has the potential to vastly raise the efficiency of a company, because successful communication is often key to successful business ventures.
Why Visual Communication is Important
According to the Nonverbal Group, as much as 93 percent of all communication on a daily basis is done via nonverbal means. When you use Blue Jeans for Video Conferencing Tool, you don’t have to worry about missing important cues from your clients or partners during long-distance meetings. Facial expression, stance
and gestures often valuable information about the intensity, intent and comfort of those involved in a conversation. By watching as well as speaking, the level of successful communication is raised and the likelihood of miscommunication, misunderstandings or partners that don’t realize the importance of the latest phase of a business venture is diminished significantly.
So How Does It Work?
Using the existing framework your company has in place, computers become a tool to facilitate communication. Each workstation has the potential to allow employees to log on to conferences with their subordinates, peers or superiors. Visiting clients or business partners are able to be allowed to join in not just physically, but remotely whether the conference is being held at the building across the street, or a headquarters on the other side of the world.
Just power up, log on and start your meeting.
In Conclusions
Businesses can choose how and when to use computers, mobile platforms or room systems for their video conferencing needs based on framework already established for their companies or on the need to establish new framework to support new product or service endeavors. The flexibility of the system and the elements of technology that are improving daily mean that there’s no one right or wrong way to approach this tool, but it’s clear that overlooking or bypassing video conferencing to facilitate concise and convenient communication is to be neglecting a powerful arsenal of today’s digital tool belt.
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