Usages of Interactive Videoconferencing
Videoconferencing allows distant parties to achieve real-time visual communication, using computer networks to transmit audio, video and data.
A number of factors are driving organizations' videoconferencing needs.
Market forces
Increased global competition, globalization of suppliers and customers, and distributed work forces have resulted in ever-shrinking time-to-market intervals. There simply isn't time to gather essential personnel for face-to-face meetings. On the other hand, the slow economy has increased the need to cut costs for expensive air travel. The potential for bio-terror and other fears have only added to the need to achieve alternatives to frequent business travel. Better communications and enhanced productivity are essential to meet these constantly increasing time pressures.
Sending personnel to distant meetings is no longer efficient, given the availability of low-cost, high-quality videoconferencing capabilities.
Holding distance meetings electronically has a number of advantages. Cost reduction is an obvious benefit, for reasons already stated. Another major benefit is easy access to key personnel, no matter where they happen to be. The Tokyo-based designer can log in to a meeting just as easily as the Vice President in New York or the Project Manager in Los Angeles. The ability to hold meetings with geographically dispersed personnel also fosters stronger team building, enhanced partner relations, less down time, and more efficient selling.
Technological Readiness
A number of technological factors have converged to make videoconferencing more attractive then ever. IP-based videoconferencing systems offer higher performance at lower cost, are easier to use, and offer more reliable audio and video. Other advantages include
- more network service providers, thus cheaper to use network for distanced meetings,
- robust corporate LANs,
- faster personal computers,
- better integration with collaboration tools, and
- more robust scheduling and management systems.
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