We can help with a cost benefit analysis of why video conferencing or indeed improved conferencing facilities will help improve the way you meet and communicate with colleagues, staff, suppliers and customers. It is our experience that if an organisation has more than one site, or a business involves communications with offshore organisations, then videoconferencing probably has a role to play in that organisation.Time and time again, we find many people have misconceptions about the quality, costs, usability, reliability and capabilities of current video solutions.

This is understandable - of the few who might have ever encountered business conferencing equipment, fewer still will have seen up to date equipment, and usually little has been provided to users by way of training and support on existing systems, meaning that the expensive investment someone made in the past, is in the meeting room and nobody knows how to use it, consequently nobody does...

These are typical questions commonly raised when discussing Videoconferencing with people together with brief explanations or comment on the reality of the solutions we currently provide.

"Yes, I hear what you are saying, but it's too expensive..."
Well at roughly £135.00 for an entry level desktop solution and £20,000 + for top-flight boardroom systems, that isn't pocket money, but compared to what? A photocopier? A few international flights? Hotels and Meeting rooms? Fleet vehicle? Travel time? Internal cost's review?
You could ask - is what we are doing currently really cost effective and time efficient?

"We used to have one in the company - no one used it, in fact no one knew how! Absolute waste of money!"
Couldn't agree more, we find this to be common feedback from users with older videoconferencing systems that were not well supported - so let us ask a question. In your opinion, are the hours of queuing, driving, flying, waiting on platforms, in lounges, reception areas - are they examples of money well spent?
This is a perfect example of when an idea is not implemented properly - it does not follow that it was a bad idea.
Better question: "Is modern video equipment more user friendly? Can it deliver better quality video and audio? Can our staff be trained successfully - even the technophobes?"

"If this stuff really is OK - how come the whole world isn't using it?"
The majority of opinion about video communications is based on OLD EXPERIENCE, valid experience at the time, but 3 - 5 years is a long time in a high tech communications field.
When was the last time you had this experience? How old was the kit then?

Acceptance is hampered only by confusion between proper professional standards based video systems and hobbyist toys on the Internet.
Let's face it... travelling in the UK and other countries around the globe is becoming more and more of an all round pain, whilst videoconference equipment gets better and better, cheaper and much easier to use.

"I understand there are loads of confused standards, and "my kit can't call your kit" type nonsense?"
No - this really is all in the past - everything calls everything else. All manufacturers comply with ITU standards to ensure this doesn't occur.

"There is no substitute for a personal face-to-face meeting - it's good to get eyeball to eyeball"
Of course! There is nothing better than a face-to-face meeting - no doubt about it! Videoconference facilities add an alternative way of getting in front of your colleagues and business associates - If you use the telephone to keep in contact you'll find that video meetings are so good now, with video of TV like quality and audio as clear as FM radio, that they increase the effectiveness massively. The experience will feel natural just like being there.
Ask yourself... What if we could get by on video for 3 meetings out of 4 - the face-to-face meetings then becomes more meaningful and cost effective, whilst maintaining and increasing the personal rapport between individuals - it can become a treat instead of a bind!

At Videonations, we try to provide answers to these and other questions. What we can do is explain how this business technology is bringing benefits to business efficiencies - whilst more importantly, at the same time it is reducing the hassle and stress of business travel. Our goal is to dispel these common myths and explore with our customers just how to best utilise this technology in their business or organisation.

 

 

VideoConferencing Advice
Generally, anything which has been achieved by participants meeting across the same table has its equivalent in the remote conference world.

How Do I...? Use our videoconference system and projector to show a presentation? Link it to our interactive whiteboard? Show a video / DVD / CAD drawings / document / medical data? Create the right meeting atmosphere? Use it with our ADSL / IP network? Use it with our PBX telephone system?

Can it do...? PC application sharing? Or PC collaboration between sites? Good quality video and audio for Face-to-Face meetings? Link with more than one site at a time? Video streaming? So that people who can't make the meeting can see it live on their PC...?

We want to... Make the conference room look impressive and high tech Cut down on our travel time and reduce meeting overheads Be able to get together at short notice Make sure it is easy to use Ensure our field staffs feel part of the HQ team Stream the meeting over the internet Link to crisis management teams / staff on site / patients at home

It is of course difficult to second-guess all of the possibilities and applications that different situations will call for, but we have encountered a good few! Videonations have developed an approach for selecting the appropriate equipment and options with an experienced team who have extensive VideoConferencing and AudioVisual expertise.We draw on our experience of similar or related applications which have been proven, to provide the required functionality.
Call now on 0845 084 3000 to find out more about our Trade In / Trade Up Option or to discuss how we can help improve your meetings.