In today’s changing economy, businesses must focus resources efficiently if they want to hold their competitive edge. Which is why it is no surprise that video conferencing has been embraced as a way to keep employees and clients connected without wasting the most important resources, time and money, on offsite travel. Virtual meetings are certainly efficient, but are they effective? Can a business still achieve the same results by hosting meetings over a video conference system rather than in person? The answer is most certainly yes. While face to face meetings are seen as a mainstay of business etiquette, the same results can be achieved over video conference. Here are some tips on what to look for in a video conferencing system to ensure it meets the needs of your company.
Opt for High Bandwidth
Nothing can sour a business deal or make for an awkward meeting like a frozen screen, grainy videos or broken audio. When considering a system, high definition video conferencing bandwidth is the one area where your company can not afford to skimp. The latest generation of video collaboration platforms, such as the Blue Jeans Network, are trending towards high definition delivery by utilizing cloud-based computing architecture. The demand for the high quality video Blue Jeans can offer with this technology is made evident by a recent collaboration with the Sundance Film Festival, which CNBC reports relied on the system to host a screening and panel discussion this year. Whether it is a major interactive event or an important sales meeting, a seamless technology experience will reflect well on your brand.
Invest In a Cloud Based System
Video conference technology has advanced significantly in recent years and offices no longer need to relay on expensive and bulky systems that require hardware to be set up in a devoted conference room. A cloud based system allows you to host or join meetings without installing additional hardware or software. When time is of the essence, ensuring attendees can quickly log in and get started is critical. Even if your staff or clients are on the go, the system could be accessed from a personal computer, mobile device or tablet.
Consider Scalability
Growing companies should determine their long term needs when selecting a system. While it may not be an immediate objective, the ability to host large scale interactive events and demonstrations could be key to catalyzing brand promotion in the future. Some systems or packages may cap the number of attendees allowed to join a meeting, a problem you don’t want to be surprised with down the line. As your company builds capacity, gains more global clients and hires a larger staff, you’ll want a video conference system that can grow with your demand. Developing a long term technology plan now will help you save time, money and energy in the future. Upgrading your company’s video conference package to include more tools will require less staff time than needing to select and train on an entirely new system all together.
Collaboration Features
Video conferencing can be an important tool in facilitating teamwork, but boosting collaboration requires more than just seeing each other on a screen. Identifying the add-on features that will help your team stay focused and on task will go a long way to improving efficiency. Keep in mind that your video conferencing system can be utilized for more than just meetings and can be used to host webinars, trainings or even act as a virtual classroom. No matter what your goal is, a key collaboration feature to look for is the ability to share documents and video clips directly in the conference. Rather than emailing any relevant attachments and links to participants before the conference call begins, you can ensure everyone is following along on the same page. According to Forbes, the average employee receives more than 100 work emails a day. If an important document is emailed out, it may very well get quickly buried, forcing attendees to spend time searching through their inbox rather than focusing on the meeting.
Security
When discussing sensitive information such as product development, client deals or legal issues, it’s critical to ensure the information being shared is secured. Hackers have increased in sophistication and cyber-attacks have multiplied in recent years, The Economist reports. Free and open video conference systems are rarely encrypted, which is why subscribing to a provider with proven experience serving corporations will be necessary. Protecting the privacy of your company, your ideas and your clients should be a key consideration. Balancing strong security from outside elements and easy accessibility for meeting attendees does not have to be a trade-off though. Top-rate encryption and advanced fire-walls can be paired with cloud based systems to ensure your company’s information and video feed is protected without creating additional barriers for end users.
Leveraging video conference technology to benefit your company is an important step to building an efficient business. Choosing the right system can save your company time and money by making virtual meetings a simple, reliable and effective way to boost your company’s earnings.