Virtual Office Featured Article

Video Conferencing's Effective Use in the Office

February 08, 2016
By Steve Anderson, Contributing Writer

Most have at least some idea of how video conferencing can bring a whole new level of capability to the office environment. Cost savings and new communications capabilities mean great value for businesses, but is there more to it than that? Video conferencing can have a lot of value in improving the office, and in some ways that might not be immediately obvious.


Naturally, the biggest two improvements video conferencing can generate for an office are cost savings and better connections, which can in turn mean greater productivity. With video conferencing, people can communicate as if in the same room, and on a deeper level of connection than is normally found with the telephone. Whether on the other side of the building or on the planet, users can more readily connect and share information. That level of ease of use means that there doesn't need to be a lot of schedule coordination, and there doesn't have to be a lot of business travel, either. Lessened business travel means fewer travel-related expenses.

There are other benefits as well; consider the impact of video conferencing in hiring. While this has some issues as well—it assumes that every job seeker has access to the necessary bandwidth—it allows users to physically connect without the costs involved. It encourages a wider pool of operations and improves the chances of getting the best talent while still allowing that traditional interview process to take place.

There's also the benefit of face-to-face communication. Some may call this a cheat, but even with a screen separating both users, both are still able to look each other in the eye. That improves the emotional connection—users can better establish context and take advantage of nonverbal cues like body language—and may ultimately sway some potential customers into buying with a particular company.

Naturally, such a wide-ranging solution can't be put to use without the right equipment, and Yealink (News - Alert) has a variety of such tools available. One of its specialties is video collaboration tools, available for everything from the large-scale head office meeting room to the smallest conference room, the recently-established “huddle room” and going down to the individual desktop level.

Admittedly, no video conferencing system will completely eliminate the need for business travel; that face-to-face dynamic requires the physical touch at least every so often. It demonstrates a willingness to bear expense and inconvenience for the sake of a closer relationship, and that can have an impact all its own. However, even one trip saved in a year is one less trip paid for, and brings a company that much closer to a payback point for the installed video conferencing system.

Video conferencing has a lot of benefit for businesses, delivering convenience, cost savings, improved relationships, and collaboration capabilities. With all these points together, it's easy to see why more businesses are making the jump to video conferencing to establish the personal connection without the expense and hassle.




Edited by Maurice Nagle

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