There are a number of audio, video & web conferencing software solutions available today. It helps businesses in bringing employees, clients, and customers together on a virtual online platform. Businesses can conduct collaborative meetings remotely by connecting together on screen via high quality audio and video. Some audio, video & web conferencing software vendors are also providing specialized functionalities, such as, document sharing, recording, customizable chat facilities, a fully-integrated voice system, and optimized desktop sharing.
Reliable audio, video & web conferencing software solutions integrate with a company’s website to help conference attendees have an easy access to the company’s digital conference room.
This way, such software solutions ensure a better user-experience.
There are a number of audio, video & web conferencing software solutions available today. It helps businesses in bringing employees, clients, and customers together on a virtual online platform. Businesses can conduct collaborative meetings remotely by connecting together on screen via high quality audio and video. Some audio, video & web conferencing software vendors are also providing specialized functionalities, such as, document sharing, recording, customizable chat facilities, a fully-integrated voice system, and optimized desktop sharing.
Reliable audio, video & web conferencing software solutions integrate with a company’s website to help conference attendees have an easy access to the company’s digital conference room. Point-to-point (two-person) video conferences include two persons, while multipoint video conferences include three or more participants.
Further, this solution is categorized into enterprise-based and consumer-grade video conferencing software to provide the ease in content sharing. Overall, an audio, video and web conferencing software helps in creating a community of business contacts for an improved face-to-face communication on the virtual platform.
(img source:cisco spark)
As more businesses are experiencing the benefits of videoconferencing, they are also looking for different types of audio, video and web conferencing software.
Telepresence Video Conferencing System
Telepresence video conferencing system makes use of telephone and network connections to connect people in different locations via a live video conference. A large monitor or television screen is put inside a conference room, and cameras are positioned at the eye level of every seating area. This helps in creating a realistic meeting room situation, where a group of participants are involved in real-time conversation. With the help of holographic and 3D images, an ideal meeting room situation can be created.
Desktop Video Conferencing System
Users need to install a video conferencing software to have a desktop-based video conferencing system in place. They also need a desktop computer to host a conference with people located in another location. For this type of video conferencing system, users require a reliable network bandwidth along with a microphone, webcam, and a loudspeaker.
Room-Based Video Conferencing System
It is a software-based conference room that consists of MCU (multiple control unit), video conferencing end points, and the internet connection. The meeting room has to be equipped according to the number of participants beforehand. With the help of video conferencing equipment in the meeting room, users can host quality meetings and video calls.
The global market of web conferencing software and services is estimated to reach $3.6 billion by 2020, with the CAGR of 8.4% for five years. The key market trends that are shaping the demand of this software are:
Single Meeting, Single License
Users now look for ‘single meeting, single license’ experience, where audio, video, and web conferences are merged into a single online meeting.
Team Collaboration Models
Next-generation team collaboration tools are challenging the existing setup of businesses to adopt new technological advancements in terms of video conferencing software. Collaboration software, such as, HipChat and Slack are also providing new opportunities for videoconferencing.
Shift to the Cloud
There is an increased shift to the Cloud, posing a serious competition to on-premise web conferencing option.
Increased Video Adoption
WebRTC and VoIP are lowering the barrier to video adoption, and are diminishing the distinction between video and web conferencing.
(img source:gartner)
Audio, video and web conferencing software provides a powerful solution for effective business meetings. This software can increase the convenience of conversation and reduce costs owing to these salient features.
Live Presentations
With web conferencing software, users can give live presentations using PowerPoint slides and other presentation media. In order to draw attention to certain point on the slides, the presenter can even mark up and annotate different slides.
Audio Communication
A web conferencing software allows attendees to converse directly through a headphone, microphone or speaker. Advanced web conferencing software also provides outstanding teleconferencing services using VoIP capabilities.
Live Video
The live video feature helps presenters is giving a personal touch to the conferencing session. By displaying active pictures taken through webcam or digital camera, the quality of conferencing sessions can be enhanced.
Recording and Playback
By providing the feature of session recording for a later playback, an audio, video and web conferencing software ensures convenience for those who cannot attend a live conference. Recorded sessions can be accessed anytime by authorized users.
Hands-On Interaction
With video and web conferencing software, presenters can make their sessions interactive by allowing users to push URLs, scripts, forms and other data live during the interaction. This will help in creating an interactive session where everyone is participating.
Chat Facilities
The chat facility is available with almost every audio, video and web conferencing software, allowing the audience to ask questions and clear doubts during the session itself. The chat can be made private or displayed to all attendees, as per the host’s discretion.
(img source:microsoft)
Desktop Sharing
Using this feature, the session presenter can share his/her screen with every attendee. This helps attendees in viewing every action being taken by the presenter on the desktop screen.
Whiteboards
Presenters also get a whiteboard to draw diagrams, create charts and make notes during the session. This helps them in clarifying complex points to attendees with illustrations.
Many small, medium and large companies are using audio, video and web conferencing software to conduct meetings with employees, clients and customers. What are the benefits of this software that are adding to its popularity?
Reduced Travel Costs
Travelling for business purposes is not just expensive but time consuming too. But with audio, video and web conferencing software, the constraint of location can be surpassed efficiently. This technology helps in creating a virtual platform where every attendee can connect, communicate and share ideas.
Increased Productivity and Work Efficiency
The traditional meeting setup consumes a lot of quality time of employees in activities like booking a conference room, sending invitation to attendees, deciding upon the agenda, and so on. With an audio, video and web conferencing software, these mundane responsibilities are not required to be fulfilled, and employees can focus more towards the main agenda. This way, the productivity and work efficiency of employees are bound to increase.
Improved Communication
The audio, video and web conferencing software allows attendees to communicate with each other in a scenario that is like the real face-to-face interaction. They can hear each other’s voice and see real expressions with body language. Thus, the communication is bound to be more interactive and efficient.
Higher Engagement
Audio, video and web conferencing software helps presenters in making a session more engaging and interactive by providing them dashboards for creating pictures and making graphical illustrations. Also, presenters can upload slides to improve the engagement level of attendees.
Flexibility
With this software, employers can hold impromptu meetings by just sending email invitations or meeting alerts via SMS. Thus, there is flexibility of time and place, as authorized users can attend a session from anywhere and anytime.
To ensure that you are spending money in the right software for collaboration and communication, you need to consider these important factors.
Access through Mobile Devices
An audio, video and web conferencing software can widen its use if it’s available on smartphones and tablets. As people these days work from remote locations, they need to access the software through mobile devices for collaborating and communicating seamlessly.
Total Cost of the Software
Finding a unified solution for teleconferencing, videoconferencing and web conferencing is a cost-effective option. The unified conferencing solutions is lighter on the wallet and is also easy to use.
Also, ask for the features provided by the vendor with the unified collaboration solution. High Definition video, and the ability to share keyboard and mouse control are important features to consider.
Video Quality
It is important to go for a videoconferencing solution that offers high video quality. If the video quality is low, then the attendees may miss out on an important gesture and expression of the host. This may lead to misinterpretation of ideas, and the whole purpose of videoconferencing will go in vain.
Recording and Streaming Options
It is important that you can record a conferencing session, so that you play it later and share it with other authorized users. For this, the recording should come in a format that is easy to play and share.
Customizable Screens
Depending upon the number of participants, users may need the full screen view or the gallery view. So, it is important to go for a video conferencing system that provides customizable screen view options.
Multiple Audio Options
With flexible audio options, users can participate in a session from anywhere, by either dialing in through phone or using the computer’s audio option. Users also need the flexibility to switch between these two audio options, even in the middle of an ongoing meeting.
Conclusion
Once you are clear about your present and future needs from an audio, video and web conferencing software, you can zero in on the best online collaboration tools. By reducing the need to spend time on business travelling, and by providing flexible options for attending a meeting, online collaboration solutions have become the need of present times.