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View Full Version : Video Conferencing – Love It or Hate It


stevekane
8th February 2009, 11:11
As a company selling telecom products we offer a range of video conferencing equipment and are told (from the manufacturer!) that it is emerging as a cost effective need in the current environment. But is it?

These days with higher broadband speeds the conference link can be ‘free’ and we are told that in many instances conferencing systems are paying for themselves in less than 6 months, but what are your experiences using it.

Whilst travel costs continue to rise, the cost of video conferencing is decreasing. It allows people to communicate in real time, no matter where they are located. People can hold meetings or conferences, swap ideas, compare charts almost as easily as if they were all in the same office together, yet many people are not convinced of its use.

As there is no travelling involved more people can be invited to take part at no extra cost, cost being one obvious advantage to be gained from using video conferencing.

An average business trip usually involves at least one night spent away from home, and costs include transport, (maybe flights) meals, accommodation, entertainment, and more. If there are ten people at a meeting, add together all the expenses involved, and the total financial cost can be horrendous, not to mention the carbon footprint.

Connecting with your colleagues via a video conference across the globe is quick without the need to leave your office, so why not use it?.

Time is money, as they say, again video conferencing saves on both staff time and money. Using video conferencing can provide big savings in both money and time. A half day meeting for eight of your staff can involve taking up to two days or more out of their schedule. With video conferencing, they only have to allocate the half-day for the conference or meeting, the other day and half they can spend getting on with productive work in their office.

So why, with so many time and expense savings do more people not take advantage of it – or do you?

Love it or hate it, I would love to know your experiences of using video conferencing or your objections to it


Steve

Enabling Communications

Telephone Call Recording - Telephone Systems - Video Conferencing

alicanteman
10th February 2009, 09:04
As of yet, being a small/medium sized business, I have not had the need to use videoconferencing, but I do find Web Conferencing Services excellent for communicating and sharing documents/videos/pic etc in real time. Some are free too and do the job if you have less than 20 people participating.

stevekane
10th February 2009, 11:21
Thanks for that, interesting. I will arrange a link to your site for yor trouble :-)

alicanteman
10th February 2009, 12:11
Thanks. Could you PM me please as i΄m in the market for an office phone and I believe you can help me?!

AdamJ
10th February 2009, 12:19
Back when I had a proper job we used to use it between UK offices and between UK and US offices. Not a major fan to be honest - it always felt very forced and artificial with conversations often stuttering to a halt, and as a result I ditched it wherever I could. (On one memorable occasion I flew to Atlanta to meet with a colleague in the airport and caught the very next plane back again!).

If you absolutely can't get there in person then its a decent fall-back, but its not an equal replacement to being there in person. Selling it as a fall-back for 'if you absolutely can't afford the costs or time to go' is a good route though.

stevekane
10th February 2009, 14:52
Hi Alicanteman
Have sent PM as requested

stevekane
10th February 2009, 14:54
hi adam
Thanks, I agree it can't be the same as sitting down person, matter of interest how long ago was it you used it?

AdamJ
10th February 2009, 14:58
hi adam
Thanks, I agree it can't be the same as sitting down person, matter of interest how long ago was it you used it?

It would be about two or three years or so ago now. In its defence, I was often talking to somewhat portly persons from deepest West Virginia who were a tad over-familiar with the output of Dunkin Donuts and the video conference camera didn't have a wide angle lens :)

It wasn't so much the technology, which I am sure has improved since, but that when not there in person you still got that stilted form of conversation. As I said above, its great if you physically can't get there for whatever reason, but I didn't find it an equal substitute for being in the same room.

stevekane
10th February 2009, 15:10
Thanks Adam
Your right about the technology improving but I think you view it as most people do, but on the bright side, cannot find fault with Dunkin Donuts !

Afaia
11th February 2009, 18:28
Yes, I also used it quite a lot in a former job so it was a while ago. I worked for an organisation in the Highlands of Scotland and it saved SO much travelling and time.

Because I used it frequently I became very comfortable with it, but it took a while to reach this stage.

I found that it was essential to have a few protocols in place, especially if using it with multiple locations. For example, when starting to speak, to say 'this is ... and I would like to say' or '... here. Can I come in now?' This gave time for the system to switch to showing that location and so the time lag was not noticeable.

Of course with broadband and stuff nowadays maybe there is no lag...

Never mess around when voice-activated VC is working by the way - it can show you doing things you might not wish to be seen!

cjd
11th February 2009, 21:08
I've used it on and off for 20 odd years - it was pushed very heavily by BT but it was very unpopular and never developed.

The problem seems to be that people don't actually like it.

People like face to face contact and travel. When they can't get it the telephone and voice conferences seem to be a more acceptable solution than a video conference.

With VoIP you can have both voice and video conferening for free - video is just data like voice - we ran it for years and then when we upgraded we forgot to implement video. It was 18 months before anyone noticed.

I wouldn't attempt to build a business around it - all the cost and efficiency arguments, whilst real, still don't make people use it and if you need it you can get it for free anyway.

office man
12th February 2009, 07:14
i have a customer thast does the higher end video conferencing products - http://www.questmark.co.uk/ for anyone that might be interested in this subject - its fantastic to see it in operation.

trendy kid
13th February 2009, 12:39
[QUOTE=stevekane;776001]"its fantastic to see it in operation". - agreed, quite amazing but looking at the posts, unless you get used to it most people don't like it


i think more and more people are getting used to it though. I spend far more time on skype than on the phone nowadays. Its kind of like popping around to your friends house for a cuppa. But when you get a lot of people together for business VC it can be a bit strained due to the slight lag that you inevitably have. All in all though ive had very positive experiences with it. I used to spend a lot of time talking to suppliers in Italy and Spain. I managed to get my costs down as well as my carbon footprint. Now there is the crux of the argument really, its just not cool nowadays to fly somewhere just for an hours meeting. Its just massaging your ego and increasing your kudos with your collegues because you are flying all over the world for meetings.
And its seems that its getting less and less about yogurt weavers giving a damn about the planets dwindling recourses being whimsically wasted by corporations...i think i will stop ranting now.
thanks .