We live in a globally connected era and rapid advancements in technology have steadily helped us bridge the gap of long and even short geographical distances between us.
Video conferencing solutions are quickly becoming more mainstream around the world and are applicable to the business sector, your personal life and even in the realm of education.
In your personal life, you probably use a cell phone to stay in touch with family and friends. There are loads of apps to use on a wide variety of smartphones and some of those programs include face to face video that allows you to see the person you are chatting with in real time. This adds more intimacy to your conversations and makes for a more meaningful connection with whoever you are speaking to. You may have even used Skype on your home computer or laptop to stay in touch with long-distance friends and relatives. Being able to see the person you are talking to, especially if it’s a loved one, can make all the difference.
Now let’s apply this concept of video conferencing equipment to the business world.
Installing video conferencing equipment in your office is an incredibly wise investment for many reasons. With the influx of rapidly advancing technology coupled with our global economy, the majority of businesses and enterprises everywhere are being forced to cut budgets where they can. What used to be the ubiquitous sight of a travelling salesperson or teams of business people flying out to meetings all over the country or overseas has lessened because of how useful and practical video conference systems are. They increase productivity and just make sense!
Gone are the hassles of getting to the airport on time and hoping your flight is on schedule and not over booked, renting a car, checking into a hotel, finding the office where your meeting will be held, trying to figure out a decent place to eat, being sure to keep all your receipts so you can get reimbursed for your expenses several weeks later and then there’s also adjusting to the time zone change and recovering from jetlag. Who wants to deal with that grocery list of common business-travel experiences when you can easily hold an effective meeting via video conferencing?
Stay connected with clients and business partners in another province from the comfort of your office. Negotiate deals with customers and suppliers in another part of the country from your boardroom. Brainstorm and collaborate on corporate objectives and strategies with overseas co-workers via web conferencing and spare yourself and employees the trouble and cost of domestic or international travel, especially in those instances when it is not completely necessary.
Video conferencing systems also allow for a more flexible workplace. Not every job fits into a 9 am to 5 pm schedule and not every employee wants to or is available to work in that narrow timeframe either. Working remotely is quickly becoming a perk that can be offered to some employees and it is a fantastic option to have for your team on days when there is inclement weather or some other issue that would affect the productivity and attendance of employees in the office.
Video collaboration is the new norm for many businesses around the globe and it is also quite a useful, time and sometimes lifesaving tool in the educational, science and medical fields. Creating collaborative learning environments is easy to do whether it is the situation of a doctor consulting or advising on the condition or treatment of a remotely located patient, teachers lecturing to students on another continent or through an online college course, guest speakers in another country being part of a large seminar or researchers sharing information from a lab in another country or even from outer space.
The practical application of video conferencing equipment in everyday life is here and now and can be easily applied to your workplace. Installation by professionals can be efficient and create a profoundly positive effect on the way you do business and communicate from now on. There is still the human connection through voice and sight but now business meetings, conference calls, lectures and presentations can be done on your terms, day or night and anywhere around the globe at a fraction of the cost.