Technology has become so advanced that many start-ups and other businesses are ditching their brick and mortar offices and going remote to run their operations. With one less overhead cost, business owners can focus on growing their bottom lines and expanding products and services.

Prior to Internet telephony, businesses relied on legacy conferencing equipment to communicate with geographically dispersed staff, and often times businesses would shy away from offering remote working capabilities just because of the lack of presence. With the rise in video communications, now people can work together, collaborate together, see each other in real time, all from the comforts of wherever they are, and all that is required is a camera, screen, and a solid connection.

Remote working in and of itself is a huge boon for business. Allowing remote work in a company will increases profits by increasing the productivity and employee motivation with the lessened costs of office space and commuting expenses. Remote work possibilities make companies great employers and they get the best talent. Of course, something has to be said for the lack of face time and office culture, but video conferencing is a quick and easy solution to help foster work relationships without having to be physically present.

Video conferencing also mitigates the “out of sight, out of mind” phenomenon that often happens with remote work situations. Communication is critical, from both directions. With video conferencing, workers are encouraged to stay connected with their teams and it helps managers proactively reach out on a regular basis.

It’s easy to set up a communications system for your remote workforce, and finding the right equipment is a crucial step to keeping everyone connected.

IP phones are moving in a big way to integrate video along with telephony. Users can use their Web cameras to see the other person over the computer monitor and talk to them over the IP phone simultaneously or use special purpose video phones to see and talk over the large screen available over the IP video phone itself.

Companies like Yealink (News - Alert) offer IP video phones, which bring video and voice together in one device. Features include four VoIP accounts, three-way video conferencing, as well as digital LCD touchscreens for ease of communication and viewing.

Using video conferencing can save overhead costs and do a lot more than a landline connection, and using the right IP phones can help you get the most out of your video conferencing needs.