An upcoming trend in business, medical, legal, and educational environments is the avid use of video conferencing. Video conferencing provides a way for people at multiple locations to interact via two-way video and audio transmissions simultaneously. This technology is becoming a popular means of communications between different parties at different locations. In addition to the audio and visual components of videoconferencing, the parties can share documents, charts, and other presentations during the conference. For the participants in the conference, videoconferencing is as simple as viewing a television screen. The use of advanced webcams, televisions, microphones, speakers and a digital telephone network or Internet makes the meeting flow as if the participants were in the same room. For meetings that require attendance by more than two locations, video conferences use a multipoint control unit. The multipoint control unit acts as a bridge or central point for all locations to connect with, similar to an audio only conference call.
As opposed to the planned face to face meeting, video conferencing offers clients another possible alternative. The use of video conferencing is highly suitable for when a live conversation is needed, visual information is an important component of the conversation, the parties of the conversation can't physically come to the same location or the expense or time of travel is a consideration. As travel expenses, time and monetary costs, continue to rise, the solution of video conferencing provides a cheap solution. Local professional video conferencing sites can be found within a reasonable distance for all end users. Additionally, for the last minute or short notice meetings the use of video conferencing has become a highly popular means of communications.
Video conferencing has had a profound impact on the business, medical, legal, and educational atmosphere. Below are just a few way in which video conferencing has improved the following areas:
Impact on Business Environments
- Lower costs for meetings in distant locations.
- Attending meetings on short notice.
- Sharing of presentations and information first hand.
- Reduces travel time.
- Faster decision making.
- Improves customer and employee relations.
Impact on Medical Environments
- Diagnosis, consulting, transmission of medical images in real time.
- More efficient use of health care money.
- Special peripherals such as microscopes fitted with digital cameras, video endoscopes, medical ultrasound imaging devices, otoscopes, etc., can be viewed with video conference equipment.
- Deaf and hard of hearing individuals can communicate via sign language.
Impact on Education
- Two-way distance learning.
- Teaching brought into remote locations.
- Guest lecturers brought into classes.
- Virtual field trips, students can visit another part of the world.
- Small schools can use pool resources and teach courses (such as foreign languages) which could not otherwise be offered.
- Regular collaboration amongst colleagues at other institutions.
Impact on Legal Environments
- Receive testimony from individuals not able to attend a physical location.
- Flexible scheduling of depositions.
- Convenient scheduling of meetings or witness interviews.
- Collaborate with clients or co-counsel.
A well designed system requires a specially designed room and can cost thousands of dollars to outfit the room with proper input and output devices, furniture and other integration equipment. Furthermore, many companies/end users do not have the technical experience to properly run and maintain their own video conference equipment. As an alternative, many companies/end users contract this service through video conferencing equipped meeting rooms in cities around the world. Customers simply reserve the rooms and show up for the meeting. Everything else is arranged and support is readily available if anything should go wrong. To read more on this topic or to schedule a video conference, please click here.
