Business video conferencing is becoming more common in today’s globally connected business environment. They make daily work in the home office easier and ensure flexible teamwork, which is particularly helpful in the Corona crisis. Employees can collaborate and share information effectively via audio and video without being limited to a single physical location.
In order for this to be possible without any problems, however, suitable video conference systems are required, which in turn create the technological prerequisites for this. Larger companies, videoconferencesystem and institutions are the main target group for video conferencing solutions as they want to keep their communication flows flexible and visually connect people across different locations. However, the advantages of modern conference systems can also be used by SMEs, agencies or other service providers.
In the following guide you will learn what a video conferencing system is, what options are already available on the market and what factors need to be considered when choosing a provider.
1 What exactly is a video conferencing system?
A video conference enables simultaneous audio and visual communication between two or more people located in different locations. A video conference extends a classic telephone conference with the visual element that distinguishes it from the visual representation of the discussion partners.
In addition to extensive room systems, such as desktop systems or cloud-based services, there are currently cheaper options. But for this post, we mainly focus on the fully integrated room solutions that transform a regular meeting room into a virtual video conference room. The types of video conferencing systems are described in the following sections.
1.1 What types of video conferencing equipment are available?
Since real-time data transmission is required for video conferences, a high-performance communication network with sufficient bandwidth should be used to transmit the data. In addition to the right connection, the implementation requires specialized rooms or other solutions. The four most common types of current video conferencing systems are as follows:
A description of the many video conferencing systems
system in one room
Professional room systems, often referred to as “all-in-one solutions”, are often used in larger companies. The transmission and reception technology in a conference room is designed in such a way that it meets all the specifications for interference-free audiovisual transmissions. Smaller systems (5 to 10 people) up to complete high-end solutions for many participants are available.
programmable solutions
Several software-based video conferencing solutions are currently available, as most laptops and many screens are already equipped with cameras, microphones and speakers. These can either be purchased as a cloud service or permanently installed on the computer as on-premise software.
1.2 Which hardware does a video conference system need?
Anyone with a smartphone and fast internet access can theoretically participate in a video conference. However, you must first install a suitable video conferencing system in a conference room before you can use it.
Various full systems that offer full HD video quality and the highest audio standards compete for this. Depending on the model, such room systems typically offer fully integrated solutions with the following elements:
2 What advantages can video conferencing systems offer?
One of the difficulties companies have faced with digital transformation has always been implementing effective communication strategies. Whether for internal communication or external discourse, it is always important to keep communication channels short and decision-making processes effective. When it comes to interacting with customers, employees or other partners, modern video conferencing technologies can be helpful and even give companies clear competitive advantages.
2.1 Collaborate remotely
In a globalized environment, it is becoming increasingly important to communicate with clients, customers, departments or employees from all over the world. Modern conference systems make this possible and connect people, whether on one floor or across national borders.
2.2 Reduce travel expenses
Large video conferencing systems may initially seem quite expensive to buy and require a significant investment, but they do contribute to cost savings in the long term. Because of these solutions, travel expenses can be reduced over time while saving important time that would otherwise be wasted on expensive business visits. no
3.1 Technical Requirements
The quality of the cameras, the video resolution and the supported bandwidth can sometimes vary greatly. For example, there are fully integrated systems that ensure a perfect picture at all times by automatically panning the camera or using the orientation of a wireless microphone as a guide.
3.2 Total Number of Participants
The maximum number of participants is a decisive factor when choosing the best conference system. Smaller solutions are only suitable for smaller groups of up to around 10 people, even if they contain all hardware and software components in one device and can therefore be used on the move.
3.3 Areas of Application
The application scenarios are another consideration when choosing the best supplier. The providers sometimes set different priorities here. In any case, there are several potential fields of application:
3.4 Scalability and openness of the system
Make sure that the provider you choose supports standardized integration if you want to use a video conferencing system long-term or network it with current applications.
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