Back in the day … You typically had a PABX and voicemail. If you were lucky someone may have paid extra for audioconference ability. There were capacity constraints on how many conferences could be held at one time and how many people could join in. If you did not have audioconferencing on your PABX, well there were 3rd party providers – Telecom (Spark) being the most popular, but they were not the only one.
Video conferencing was for those with very deep pockets because it was appallingly expensive. You could stump up the money for an in-house system (usually fixed in the board room) or travel to a local studio which was rented by the hour.
As time went on audioconferencing became common and a basic but functional system was usually built into the PABX. Video conferencing slowly got less expensive but was still something few could afford.
Now fast forward to 2015.
IP networking and UC (Unified Communications) have radically changed the landscape. IP networking just made things, well … easier. And UC removes the barriers between what is provided on a traditional PABX and that on a private IP network. So what should you expect with a contemporary voice/VoIP solution? We would expect:+
- Audioconference
- IM and Presence
- Desktop sharing, collaboration
- Videoconference, both peer-peer and group, desktop or room systems
- Mobility – people have peer-peer video on mobile phones and tablets now so they also expect to join wider workplace conferences
You will of course, need to pay for appropriate licences/Cloud subscription before it will work and whilst things are far more cost effective the dollars can still add up.
If you have an up to date enterprise platform then definitely look to leverage that investment.
If on the other hand your system is more basic, then Cloud based conferencing may be the way to go. Costs can vary widely. As an example say for the ability to have 10-12 attendees to a hosted videoconference around NZ, costs can vary from as little as $100 per month to over $2,000. It all depends on what you want.
Costs for accessories such as headsets and webcams should be included in the purchasing decision. Laptops, tablets and mobile devices with built-in video cameras are common.
The quality of the whole conferencing experience depends on some key things. Firstly there is the quality of the end devices, the Cloud services taken and Internet/WAN connections. Then there is having a clear set of requirements and taking the time to trial a proposed system before committing.
There are considerable benefits of improved productivity and efficiency as well as cost savings to be made i.e., reduced travel expenses. You should be looking to introduce this technology as soon as possible. TeleConsultants can help analyse your business to identify how user friendly conferencing and collaboration can help your business and what solutions are best for you.
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