Five Common Misconceptions about Video Conferencing

Businesses and government agencies alike have the same priorities: to lower costs and increase productivity. Mobile Work Exchange has recently done a study to show that video conferencing had potential to deliver results for both. According to this study, if only half of government workers used video conferencing they would see an increase of 3.5 hours of work each week and almost $5 billion annual savings in travel expenses alone.   As a result of these findings one congressman is promoting a new bill called “Stay In Place, Cut the Waste Act of 2013”. This bill highlights video conferencing services as a way to cut Federal Government travel expenses in half.
Even with all of the obvious benefits, some are still hesitant to support video conferencing as a reasonable replacement for traveling and in-person meetings. Whether they are unsure the savings will ever outweigh the initial investment, they are technology phobic, or not knowing which system will work with their partner’s system.

Below are a few misconceptions that could possibly help influence those who are still on the fence: 

1. Video Conferencing is Too Expensive: Even on a small budget companies are able to afford high quality enterprise grade equipment that doesn’t require a fleet of IT technicians to set up. These multi-point, standards based video conferencing set ups with content sharing capabilities are available for less than $1,000 for each room.
2. Specialized Video Infrastructure is Required: New video conferencing and telepresence options mean cloud-based infrastructure rather than serves and hardware. Some even work with older in-house infrastructure in addition to the cloud.
3. Video Needs IT Support: Newer video options are being designed for even the least technical users. The best options for those not wanting IT support or extra spending are all-in-one systems. These do not need to be connected to a computer, microphones, speakers or a camera, there are less moving parts.
4. Rooms Need to Have All One Brand: Newer systems are able to work with older equipment and equipment from other manufacturers for total compatibility.
5. Either Cloud Based OR On-Premise Video. Not Both: Refer to #2 - Cloud based options now work with on-premise options and are available through the same appliance. Customers are able to mix and match these solutions in different rooms and offices within the same organization and still achieve user-friendly video conferencing.