Videoconferencing is cost-efficient and allows for remote participation, with little equipment needed. It can be used for round table discussions or presentations, and proceedings can be archived. It is becoming increasingly popular in the business world as a means of saving money and increasing productivity.
The biggest advantages of videoconferencing are efficiency and cost. In a video conference, no one needs to go beyond the computer screen. Participants can log in from anywhere, and all that is usually required is basic computer technology and some form of videoconferencing software. The cost savings are usually huge. Not only are the travel costs and time lost in transit, conference spaces don’t need to be rented, reserved or maintained.
As the Internet has become more ubiquitous, the use of online videoconferencing has become increasingly popular in the business world. Video conferencing allows companies, organizations and other business groups to broadcast their conferences online in real time. This allows for much more robust participation, both from remotely located participants and from local participants who may not have time to leave their offices or travel across town.
The early days of video conferencing were marked by video components for real-life conferencing. The advantages of this type of videoconferencing remain valid and are still in use today. Many important conferences are simulcast or webcast in online streaming versions to allow remote participation. Participants who attend these online video conferences can usually participate by emailing a moderator or through interactive chat features on the video conference website.
The advantages of videoconferencing have only expanded with the change in technology. While webcasts are still a common way to use videoconferencing technology to integrate remote participants, the technology is also being used to uniquely link remote participants. One of the main advantages of video conferencing software today is the ability to exclusively host online meetings and conferences.
Videoconferencing systems are generally not complex, and relatively little equipment is needed to run a successful online meeting. Typically, all that’s needed is an internet-ready computer, a web camera, and some form of videoconferencing software. There are usually several software packages to choose from, ranging from free web-based programs to more secure, password-protected applications. Some conferencing programs are capable of turning cell phones into mobile offices, and most allow access from anywhere you have an Internet connection.
One of the main advantages of videoconferencing is the ability to quickly bring together people from different locations and time zones. Most software programs create a virtual “meeting room” where participants can log in, activate their web cameras, and participate and interact with each other as if they were all in the same room. Video conferences can be designed as round table discussions or as presentations by one or more people. For the most part, participants can visibly talk to each other via video and are not relegated to chat rooms or email correspondence. Participants can also easily upload and download documents over the course of a video conference.
Another advantage of videoconferencing is the ready-made ability to archive proceedings. Most of the time, video conferences can be saved, backed up and reviewed later. This allows companies to keep a record of everything that was done or decided in a meeting without having to designate a participant as secretary or recorder.
More and more companies are choosing video conferencing over traditional conferencing as a way to save money and as a means of increasing employee productivity. With this, many people can participate, at little or no cost to anyone. While something is lost in the absence of true face-to-face meetings, for companies with offices in multiple cities or even multiple countries, the advantages of videoconferencing are hard to beat.
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