Whatever happened to video conferencing

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Let’s face it: For meetings, face-to-face is best. But as businesses increasingly connect with partners around the world, in-person meetings are often impossible. Cloud based videoconferencing is the next-best thing. Of course, not everyone is rushing to install a $200,000 high-end online video conferencing room. Though many large enterprises are thrilled with their Cisco or Polycom systems, other businesses are embracing new, less-expensive solutions—including some that use the cloud. Whatever happened to video conferencing With so many choices, there’s bound to be a video conferencing server system that fits your company’s needs and budget. Here’s a wrap-up of what’s out there: La Crème De La Crème: The Video Conferencing Software Room Spending millions of dollars for a first-rate desktop video conferencing room may sound extravagant, but for some organizations, it makes perfect sense. Cory Rehfeldt, director of collaboration services for Logicalis, a Cisco and NetApp partner, sold his first telepresence system for $17 million to Madison Technical College in Wisconsin. The school had a main campus and four other locations, and used the system to give all students access to main-campus classes—without building more space or hiring more faculty. The school also found another use for the system: setting up online meeting software between students and local business recruiters. No other local school offered anything like that. “It was a competitive advantage,” Rehfeldt said. For enterprises, Rehfeldt can provide a custom room with a table and chairs on one side and three 65-inch video screens on the other side, giving the illusion that the video screen participants are sitting on the other side of the table. Another scenario uses one screen and “smartboards” that let presenters collaborate on drawing and modifying whiteboard online teaching images. Conference rooms aren’t just for meetings—they can also be used as mini-recording studios to create videos for marketing, corporate communications, and training. The Software Solution For those who don’t have the resources for a room, there are desktop software solutions that cost $8,000 to $10,000 and can be used by executives and home-office workers using a 20- to 25-inch screen. For office customers, portable units can roll between rooms. A variety of software is also available. Cisco’s WebEx is perhaps the best-known of the bunch. Partly Cloudy, With A Chance Of Collaboration Some businesses use a combination of methods. “We have Polycom for conference rooms and we’ve used WebEx for phone, and we have Blue Jeans,” said George Hegedus, director of enterprise services for Rosetta Stone, the language-learning application. Blue Jeans Network delivers lan video conferencing as a cloud-based service. People can connect using conference room equipment, a computer browser, or a mobile phone. Hegedus loves his conference room, but said it can be tricky if he wants to connect to clients outside the company’s system. “WebEx and Polycom don’t necessarily play together nicely. When you’re messing around getting set up with third-party calls, people get frustrated.” Blue Jeans bridges the gap. “We didn’t have to reinvest in hardware or get rid of what we already had.” He uses it not only for clients, but for company meetings when he’s traveling, connecting through his smartphone or tablet. Blue Jeans is priced monthly. “It’s a classic SaaS model,” said Jay O’Connor, the company’s CMO. “It changes the game from one where you charge up-front and the client takes all the risk. The power has shifted completely to the customers.” The system allows document or image sharing, which customers can tailor to display the speaker, the image, or both, in various configurations. Free, or Nearly Free For those on a budget, Skype is one well-known option, which is free for two users but requires a premium subscription for more. Other free solutions incude ooVoo, Tinychat, WebcamNow, CamRoll, and Google Hangouts. Simon Berg, CEO of Ceros, a venture-capital-supported software startup that creates interactive marketing, uses Google Hangouts both for company meetings and clients. He recently used a Hangout to meet with executives in London, Maryland, Lithuania and St. Lucia, combining it with Google Docs viewing. “I ran mine off an iPhone on a 3G connection. It works perfectly; you have to give it to them.” Hangouts are free, but his company uses Google Apps for Business, which includes a custom email domain and other business upgrades. The cost is $50 per user per year. “I honestly could not imagine a world without it at this point.” The Bottom Line For any business with executives, employees, or customers in more than one location, web video conferencing may be the only way to bring everyone together. From high-end conference rooms that give the illusion of being in a single room, to inexpensive or free software, to cloud-based applications, there’s a free web conferencing solution for every need and budget. For detailed information, please visit