A unified communications market report from Canalys shows enterprises of all sizes have been driven towards video conferencing technology following the continuous success of consumer tools like Skype and Apple’s FaceTime.

Implementing video conferencing into a business has previously proven to be problematic, expensive and even a security concern.  The developments in interoperability and bandwidth mean video is now of a higher quality, more resilient, and importantly more affordable making it available to everyone.

Also supporting the rise in video usage is BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) which has been adopted by many businesses. Employee’s using tablets and Smartphones with front facing cameras encourages the use video communication and makes collaborating with mobile users simple and productive.

People are naturally using video in their professional and private lives. Video is considered by many as the preferred method of communication over email and phone calls. Collaboration is no longer just a buzz word. People are constantly communicating and sharing information, even whilst on the move.

At Videonations we have been supplying and installing collaboration equipment for over ten years.

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At some point during the evening the topic of discussion turned to work, as it often does. When discussing my line of work, my friend, an IT Exec who works in a small town in Yorkshire, told me about the video conferencing setup in the main boardroom of the business. He told he had heard how impressive the kit was and how much the Managing Director seems to enjoy using the technology. “Who else utilises the setup?” I asked him. “Oh, only the MD uses it. It’s really only for him to use” he responded. I wasn’t surprised to hear this as it’s often the way it is when video is restricted to the boardroom. I then went on to tell my friend about the deployment of video comunication across entire organisations in both conference rooms and desktop setups. He fully understood the benefits of further deployment, but he could not see video being rolled out across his place of work anytime soon. “Why?” I asked. “The MD sees video as a corporate tool for high level environments.”

This conversation has led me to re-visit why businesses are depriving their staff of video communication, even after they have invested in the technology.

For those who have adopted video conferencing and restrict its use to the boardroom and for director use only, I suggest re-educating yourself about the benefits of the technology. You are depriving your staff of one the most productive communication tools available in the business world. Whether it’s for internal or external use, video communication technology delivers faster decision making, reduces travel expenditure, and ensures a highly productive workforce.

If you believe:

• Video is a corporate tool for high level environments

Many still believe video communication is a corporate tool for director level only. This is the belief of diminishers (those who diminish the smarts of their people). Think about the last audio conference call you took part in. Now imagine that conference call being up to 70% more productive. That’s what video delivers. Seeing the facial expressions of all meeting participants results in faster decision making. Allowing employees to use the technology will increase their productivity levels. Now is the time to give employees the tools they need!

• It would take too long to train all staff on how to use the technology

Historically this is true. Staff would spend hours in training sessions learning how to use the technology. However the latest video equipment is highly intuitive. The user interfaces are as simple as a SmartPhone or Smart TV. If your employees can work a Smartphone or Smart TV they can work video communication technology in a matter of minutes.
There are thousands of organisations expanding video communication across the entire business. You may have the latest in collaborative technology, but if you are depriving your staff of its use you really aren’t getting the most out of your investment.

Joel Noden, Marketing Manager, Videonations Ltd.

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Although the “Cloud” is a hot new topic, it’s important to note cloud services are not exactly new to the video conferencing arena. In fact the service has been available for quite some time. The recent buzz around the “Cloud” meant VC providers simply couldn’t ignore the opportunity to re-badge their formerly named “Managed Service”. And why should they, since most service providers have added the “cloud” to their offerings.

With video conferencing fast becoming a must-have communication tool, and with IT departments becoming more accepting of cloud offerings, businesses are keen to explore the various options available to them to ensure their existing or future investment doesn’t become a white elephant, which can often be the case if not installed and configured correctly. It’s important for them to recognise the benefits of these services over traditional hardware solutions.

So, what are the advantages of cloud video conferencing?

1. Reduces Costs – Rather than investing and maintaining expensive infrastructure equipment, users can simply dial into a virtual meeting room, managed by the service provider, resulting in reduced maintenance costs.
2. Interoperability – Most cloud video conferencing services inter-operate with, and support, video equipment from the leading manufacturers; including Cisco, Polycom, LifeSize and Radvision.
3. Fast and simple – Existing video conferencing users, and even non-video users, can connect to a video conference within a matter of minutes. For non-video users, cloud service providers offer downloadable desktop clients allowing anyone with a web cam to connect to a video call.
4. Bandwidth relief – Ideal for organisations with bandwidth limitations, as well as those without in-house support.
5. Higher level of resilience – Service providers are likely to have a backup Multipoint Control Unit (MCU) to ensure a high level of service is delivered at all times. Businesses, who have invested in one MCU, are unlikely to have purchased a backup MCU.
6. Scalable video – The service provider’s equipment ensures smooth operation so users experience minimal interruption and packet loss.
7. Security – Service providers and data centres are usually highly secured environments. Data encryption and secured access to virtual rooms using login and password information ensures real value is added in terms of security.

Although cloud services are increasing in popularity, the unwillingness of many organisations to use them is understandable. Where infrastructure provides you with full control, cloud services offer little in terms control, and can often prove to be more costly in long term.

However, the robust and scalable infrastructure of the service provider guarantees quality of service, and is proving to be one of the main contributing factors when adopting the technology. Video conferencing requires efficient infrastructure in order to achieve the best possible results. In addition to this, the on-going cost of cloud services can be considered as an operating expense rather than capital expenditure.

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VC providers renaming their managed services has been a good move, and has no-doubt created new opportunities in what is clearly a desirable, yet competitive arena.

With the continual rise of video collaboration adoption in the corporate space, organisations are prepared to investigate alternative options to that of infrastructure solutions, typically labelled as expensive and unreliable by service providers.

There is no doubt a market for cloud based video conferencing solutions, but will organisations be prepared to relinquish control of their video network? Unlikely!

Below are the advantages of video conferencing infrastructure over cloud based solutions.

• Bandwidth Management – The deployment of video conferencing across an entire organisation will have an immediate impact on bandwidth usage. Centralised bandwidth control ensures bandwidth if managed effectively.
• Scheduling – For organisations who carry out multiple video conferences, centralised scheduling ensures meetings start and finish at the correct time and require little, if any, on-site support.
• More cost effective (Long term) – Cloud conferencing incurs a monthly or annual costs for as long as the service is used. Owning infrastructure, although more expensive at the outset, is more cost effective in the long term.
• Dedicated IT staff – Infrastructure is likely to be managed by the IT department. If any problems do arise during a call, IT staff will be available to provide immediate on-site support and maintenance.

Although cloud services can offer a higher level of resilience through their backup MCU’s, the chances of an MCU failing are extremely low. Even the security offered by service providers is yet to fully convince network and IT managers, and no doubt they find peace of mind through infrastructure being positioned on their network.

So what is likely to lead the way in the coming years? Both infrastructure and cloud based solutions will continue to have dominant positions in the market. Many predicted accelerated growth for cloud based offerings, and this is still likely to be the case, however the introduction of virtualised video infrastructure, which requires less space, energy and manpower, and ultimately costs less to run, enables multiple virtual machines to run on existing servers. This eliminates lead times when planning further deployment of video.

The aim of centralizing control, load balancing and scalability are pushed by IT managers’ desire to provide a higher quality of service without manoeuvring hardware components for every change or adding a new user.

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So rather than battling against the free video applications, the aim of the vendors is to work with them and ensure video becomes the preferred choice of communication irrespective or device or location.

Room based video collaboration solutions have proven to be successful, and there is still a place for the technology in meeting rooms and boardrooms, however there has always been the frustration of being unable to invite a Skype user into a boardroom video call. That was until services from the likes of BlueJeans Network, and the latest addition to Polycom’s portfolio, CloudAxis, have been able to break down these barriers and enable interoperability between business and social applications. So now Skype users can communicate with standards based video conferencing and telepresence solutions which, in some cases, could tempt people back to using the solution they invested in all those years ago.

So why have the telepresence vendors chosen this route and what impact will introducing these services have?

Open doors – Well firstly it could open up the doors to the social market. The opportunity to develop brand awareness through social channels cannot be over-looked. However, unless they are offering a free service, they will struggle to gain new desktop users.

Attract new users – Secondly, by offering a desktop video service which requires no software download the telepresence providers could quickly attract desktop workers who do not have the required permissions to download software.

Squander existing users – On the other hand by offering interoperability with social tools, telepresence providers could potentially push their own users towards the free, social desktop tools and run the risk of de-valuing the brand.

The expected growth of video communication shows no signs of slowing. With new video suppliers emerging every week the competition is quickly becoming fierce, and as predicted has caused the price of desktop video communication to be driven down.

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Before the release of the latest hi-tech devices, mobile video conferencing struggled to take off according to Ian Carter from VC specialist Videonations. “Face-to-face communication over a standard mobile phone was in the past too data-heavy and often delivered a poor user experience. Video collaboration was restricted to the conferencing room, and expanding video across an organisation couldn’t be completed to full effect.”

Ian feels the introduction of tablets and smartphones has reignited interest in mobile conferencing. “Whether you’re using an iPad or Android tablet device, or even a smartphone, the applications used for video communication have been optimised to deliver the best possible video experience. Tablets and smartphones are much more intuitive and convenient which makes the video experience far more enjoyable.”

With multiple organisations introducing tablet devices into their business operations Ian says many benefits can be experienced from mobile video conferencing.

• Face-to-face video communication whilst on the move – Even when you are out of the office you can participate in important meetings over video. Face-to-face communication is far more productive than teleconferencing.
• Fast, simple connectivity – Applications for tablets and smartphones are optimised to deliver a high quality, user friendly experience. It’s as easy as making a telephone call and you don’t have the inconvenience of having to wait for a laptop or PC to power up.
• Convenient – When a laptop isn’t suitable for the environment, especially whilst on the move, a tablet or smartphone is a convenient, efficient replacement.
• Bring your own device – Many businesses have introduced bring your own device (BYOD) to the workplace. Employees can use their personal device, whether it’s a tablet or laptop, for business use. BYOD can save the business money.
• Continue your conversation– Your conversation doesn’t have to end in the boardroom. If a critical decision needs to be made, but your time slot has finished in the meeting room, you can continue your conversation on your mobile device.

Videonations is now part of the Nycomm Group of companies, as Ian concluded: “2012 saw the introduction of mobile solutions from all the leading video conferencing vendors. The launch of these applications have been quickly followed by the release of cloud based offerings which all support mobile devices. Now face-to-face communication from anywhere, on any device is no longer a possibly but a reality.

“Will these recent developments be the start of mobile video becoming the preferred choice in communication in place of traditional telephone conversations? It may be too early to predict, but as costs are driven down and bandwidth availability increases, we will no doubt see more face-to-face conversation taking place over mobile devices in both our business and personal lives.”

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Video has become an important business tool, and for millions of workers it has become a part of their everyday business lives.

Video communication can rapidly improve business processes whilst saving time and money. Even though video can quickly benefit any organisation, there are a number of factors to consider before investing in the technology

Do you have the required bandwidth?

Before rolling adopting video conferencing technology it is important to identify if your business has the required bandwidth speeds to support video communication. Traditionally video has been bandwidth heavy, and although you may have experienced high quality video communication in a rented facility or at another location, it does not mean video will operate successfully in your environment. Video uses less bandwidth now than ever before, however to achieve high definition video communication in a boardroom setup it is recommended you have at least 2mb available bandwidth.

What video conferencing technology equipment are your partners using?

You may be investing in video upon recommendation of a partner or supplier. Although the majority of video conferencing solutions are now interoperable (communicate using the same language), it’s often recommended to select the same brand of equipment of those you will be regularly conferencing with so the best possible experience is consistently delivered. That said; interoperability challenges are less frequent with the latest technology so it’s also recommended to look at comparable solutions from multiple vendors.

Do you require data and presentation sharing?

The requirement for data and presentation sharing is not always considered when exploring video conferencing options. The vast majority of video solutions offer data sharing as standard, however it is important to consider how you wish to share presentations and data whilst on a video call. In a single screen setup, the far-end face-to-face element is compromised in order to view the information being shared. If data sharing is an important factor, a dual screen setup is often recommended where video appears on one screen and data appears on the second screen. This ensures the face-to-face interaction remains throughout the conference.

Do you require multi-party video calling?

Another factor not always considered is the requirement for multi-party calling. Often there is a need to bring more than one person into a video conference. This multi-party function does not come as standard. There are video conferencing systems which offer multi-party functionality through their own embedded MCU (Multipoint Control Unit) however these systems can be considerably more expensive than a basic point to point system. An alternative option is to use a hosted/managed service that offers a multi-way virtual meeting room which allows point-to-point users to be part of a multi-way video call.

Who will use the technology?

Who in the business will be using the technology? Don’t restrict use of the equipment to director level only. Often a video solution is implemented into a boardroom setup and only used for high level meetings. Aim to reduce your travel expenditure, improve collaboration, and increase the productivity of as many employees as possible by encouraging them to use the video conferencing solution.

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Collaborative technology is fast becoming a vital component in the business world and Videonations can provide complete solutions to meet the requirements of any organisation.
SMART solutions are designed to address areas that businesses need to make more productive and efficient. The right collaborative technology for meeting rooms, boardrooms, training rooms and workspaces can speed up the decision making process, improve productivity and reduce travel expenditure.

The SMART product range further enhances the Videonations solutions portfolio, allowing us to integrate more tools into collaborative environments.

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However, preparation was required by many organisations to ensure travel disruption, a result of the increase in visitors, had minimal impact on business. Employees were expected to face challenges traveling to and from work, and business travel to visit suppliers and clients was expected to be severely affected.

An important area to address was communication. Business relationships and operations needed to remain unaffected throughout the games. The solution – Video conferencing and collaboration technology.

Organisations who use the technology have seen what benefits video conferencing and collaboration equipment brings. Employees can work from home, productivity is increased, travel expenditure can be significantly reduced, as can an organisations carbon footprint.

Following a rise in video collaboration hardware sales over the past 12 months, Videonations expected to see a sharp rise in demand for hosted/managed video conferencing services during the Olympic games.

Our reports show during the first week of the Olympics, our cloud service usage has increased by 245%. This clearly demonstrates the importance of video communication, especially when it is required to replace travel.

Throughout the London Olympics we believe organisations across London will be exposed to video communication more than ever, helping to further realise the benefits of the technology and see it as the preferred, cost-effective method of communication over traditional meetings.

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“Skype does everything I need it to, AND IT’S FREE! Why would I pay for video conferencing?”

We often get this response when discussing how our video solutions can improve communication and collaboration within an organisation.

So, why should your business adopt corporate video conferencing instead of using Skype?

First of all we do not dislike Skype. We believe it is a great consumer solution for families and friends to stay in touch.

However, Skype only works with Skype!

It uses it’s own proprietary standard (communication language). Standards based video conferencing solutions communicate using a different language, the H.323 communication protocol. The LifeSize Passport is the only video conferencing endpoint that allows for point-to-point video calls through it’s hardware.

In short, Skype video calling can only take place between Skype users. It offers poor resolution, uses high amounts of bandwidth, and offers no support or management.

Listed below are the features of corporate video conferencing solutions vs equivalent features of Skype.

Interoperability

Corporate – Call any standards based video conferencing system – room based, desktop and mobile solutions.

Skype – Skype can only call other Skype users.

Security

Corporate – Supported video conferencing infrastructure ensure secure networks remain secure.

Skype – Uses a web protocol which is deemed inappropriate to secure networks, i.e. government networks.

Camera

Corporate – A room based video conferencing solution uses a high quality pan-tilt-zoom camera (PTZ Camera). This is capable of remote directional and zoom control.

Skype – Does not have the ability to zoom and focus, meaning in a multi-point call the participant speaking will only occupy a small part of your screen.

Microphones

Coporate – Clear audio from multiple microphones so all participants can be heard clearly.

Skype – Microphone is integrated into the camera resulting in regular echoing. Background noise disrupts audio quality.

Echo Cancelation

Corporate – High quality, echo cancellation to prevent echo caused by microphones and speakers.

Skype – The integrated microphone and display speakers are positioned too close to one another, resulting in regular echoing.

Packet Loss

Corporate – Integrated packet loss functionality significantly reduces still and broken images, meaning a high quality viewing experience.

Skype – Suffers with regular packet loss and latency, meaning a low quality, distorted viewing experience.

Resolution

Corporate – High definition video at 1280 x 720 (720p), or 1980 x 1080 (1080p)

Skype – A resolution of 320×240, which can look reasonable on a small screen in a small Skype window.

Bandwidth

Corporate – From 128Kbps required for multi-party call

Skype – Requires 4mb for a 5-way multi-site call

Participants

Corporate – Unlimited. Up to 12 recommended for quality viewing.

Skype – Up to ten. Only 4 recommended.

Scalability

Corporate – Multipoint Conference Units (MCU) offer scalability and bandwidth management to ensure the optimal viewing experience in multi-party calls.

Skype – Limited scalability and management. Multi-party calls significantly increase bandwidth usage.

Usage

Corporate – Unlimited

Skype – Limited to up to 100 hours per month for multi-party calling

Management and Control

Corporate – Full control and management of bandwidths, scheduling, software updates and reporting.

Skype – No control over network infrastructure and no support helpdesk to contact

Advanced Features

Corporate – Video streaming, recording and annotating

Skype – No advanced features

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