Video conferencing software, which provides many more features than just video chat, is a relatively new innovation. Video conferencing in its current form has only been around for a few years, but it has already become an extremely popular workplace tool. In fact, over 85 percent of workers in North America use video conferencing, and the vast majority of those working adults use it daily or weekly.
Video conferencing software, which provides many more features than just video chat, is a relatively new innovation. Video conferencing in its current form has only been around for a few years, but it has already become an extremely popular workplace tool. In fact, over 85 percent of workers in North America use video conferencing, and the vast majority of those working adults use it daily or weekly. This is largely because of the simplicity, convenience and accessibility of video conferencing software, which are possible thanks to the fully-featured suite of mobile apps available from almost all developers. The many users of video conferencing are not limited to one sector of the business world, either; all types of businesses have found cost-efficient and time-saving ways to incorporate it into their work. The following list details some of the most noteworthy and distinct jobs for which top companies use video conferencing.
- Business Meetings: This is the most obvious corporate use of video conferencing. According to a survey issued by Polycom, 90 percent of video conferencing users experience higher rates of productivity, teamwork, and cost savings because of it, and its use as an easy way to conduct in-depth collaboration is a large part of the reason for that. The many uses of video conferencing software as a general business collaboration tool for top companies include:
- Allowing people far from each other to “get together” at short notice.
- Reducing travel costs.
- Providing a medium for quickly and efficiently conducting interviews.
- Providing the ability to record and relive meetings.
- Providing meeting participants with a deeper understanding of the content than other remote collaboration media (90 percent of communication is non-verbal).
- Telemedicine: Upscale medical offices are some of the businesses that have very recently started using video conferencing to communicate with customers more often. Many people in need of medical assistance are physically unable to visit the hospital or doctor’s office themselves. In the past, medical practitioners would charge greatly inflated fees and take time out of their busy schedules to make a physical house call to see the person. As web cameras become more common and more portable, however, patients and doctors can communicate without having to leave their respective buildings by having a high definition video conference with video conferencing. In addition, the long-distance capabilities of various video conferencing platforms make it possible for someone to meet with a specialist a great distance away, even if the two cannot meet in person.
- Telecommuting: More than one in five Americans work from home at least some of the time, and studies show that they are 13.5 percent more productive. With the rapidly increasing use of this great new technology, that number is sure to get higher as time goes on. This is because video conferencing allows employees to connect with their peers and workplace superiors in a very real way. In fact, because of the huge array of communication aids high-quality provided, receiving and delivering work is easier than ever. Setting up an extremely effective video conferencing station in a home office can be done for a minimal cost, and it is being done more and more by top companies in order to cut land capital costs and raise employee happiness.
- Education: Employee training and educational seminars can easily be transmitted remotely via video conferencing. The interactive features offered by video conferencing software, such as polling and testing make the experience more customizable to those being taught, and they also contribute to making the experience more engaging. Experts on whatever subject a company wants to offer instruction in can give that instruction without having to travel out of their houses, and employee interest will surely be higher if they are allowed to learn from their home offices rather than being crammed into a stuffy lecture hall.
- Legal Environment: Many courtrooms and prestigious legal offices use video conferencing in order to connect with witnesses or prisoners who are unwilling or unable to physically appear to testify or be questioned. Thanks to the incredibly immersive measures taken by high-quality video conferencing, the person will feel like he or she is actually there. Having a witness/prisoner transmit themselves digitally is often even more convenient than having them appear in person, in fact, because their likeness can be broadcast in multiple locations at once. Although technologically savvy courtrooms are the places who most often utilize video conferencing for this purpose, it can be of use to any company that needs to call upon the testimony of someone who cannot or does not want to appear in physical form.
Quality video conferencing services are creating extremely useful business tools that can be used in many new and exciting ways. Any business can use this technology to take advantage of the same boost in cohesion, productivity and progress as the top companies.