4 Video Conferencing Myths

Are you looking to deploy video conferencing across your organization but keep hitting stumbling blocks when it comes to common misconceptions or just plain misinformation? In the last five years video conferencing and calling technology has changed almost beyond recognition, and in doing so has left behind so much of the baggage of its previous incarnations. Here we separate video fact from video fiction to bust some of the most common myths we’ve encountered.

 

1. Video conferencing? You mean Skype, right?

No we really don’t. Let’s get this clear from the start. The differences between business-grade video conferencing and free video calling software could not be more pronounced. And if you’ve ever tried to use the latter across your organization, you will have run into issues with quality, security and (lack of) support. The limitations of free calling software become even more apparent when trying to equip a meeting room with video. A group of colleagues huddled around a laptop, all vying to be seen and heard, does not a video conference make. Most modern video conferencing and calling systems address all of these issues, so when you are looking for a solution for your business, make sure it not only offers HD audio and video, secure end-to-end encryption, and has a dedicated support line, but also allows you to connect meeting rooms to desktops to mobile workers – to anyone in fact.

 

2. The cost of video conferencing is too high to roll it out to an entire workforce.

Traditionally, yes. Video conferencing and calling did have a limited value for the majority of an organization because it was once just too expensive to deploy across an entire business. Clunky, expensive video hardware, high maintenance and usage costs, plus a need for expert human resources, meant that deploying video across your entire organization just didn’t make sense financially. Thankfully, those days are behind us and today’s cloud-managed video conferencing and calling is completely scalable. The best video conferencing providers deliver a sleek and simple user experience with no cost-per-minute charges. What’s more, being able to provision anyone anywhere with enterprise quality video calling software at no additional cost, means that video conferencing and calling has truly become a cost-effective way to keep your colleagues and clients connected.

 

3. I need a qualified engineer/brain surgeon/rocket scientist on-hand just to make a video call.

Well, you can if you want the company, but really any video conferencing and calling systems you choose should be easy to deploy, install and manage. Some video conferencing providers still charge a premium for a proprietarily ‘certified’ engineer to install and manage your video conferencing system, but thankfully they are very much a dying breed. This means there are now plenty of user-friendly video conferencing options available, many with smartphone-like user interfaces, that are intuitive and require little to no training or resource to get up and running. What’s more, a few video conferencing providers offer a central portal so that internal administrators, or even your video conferencing supplier, can provision, add and remove endpoints and users themselves, with no need for additional external resource.

 

4. I already have a video conferencing system in place, upgrading it will mean ripping and replacing all our existing equipment.

A video conferencing and calling system is an investment, there is no doubt about that. And like all good investments, it should withstand the test of time. Now, more than ever, we expect to be able to integrate our existing technologies; video conferencing and calling is no exception. Longevity is key here. Ideally, a video conferencing solution should interoperate seamlessly with whatever you already have in place and also allow you to call anyone on any other system. Even better if you can then manage both deployments from one central location and not worry about who is calling whom from what. As for worrying about the longevity of the technology itself, the beauty of cloud video conferencing systems is that any software upgrades are rolled out automatically, so you can be sure that you are always using the latest (and greatest) version and are not left stuck with obsolete infrastructure.

 

So there we have it. Four video conferencing myths well and truly busted. If you’re ready to get your organization connected and collaborating, contact us today to arrange a demo or make use of our Trade-in Offer and see video conferencing and calling that just works in action.

Wainhouse Research whitepaper: The Video Conferencing “Cloud of Confusion”

Demystifying the myths behind video conferencing cloud services

The subject matter of the study to cut through the fog and provide clear answers to key questions that conferencing managers are often afraid to ask like:

  • “What is a cloud service?”
  • “What makes one service different from another?”
  • “How can I choose between service offerings?”
  • “How can I minimize the risk associated with a cloud service deployment?”

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