Setting the standards for video conferencing

Looking to install a video conferencing system in your office? Here are the top three features you should look for before you settle on a final choice:

Room to remote

In the “4 Ways Video Conferencing Can Benefit Small Businesses” article that appeared on Mashable, the author cites the power of video conferencing systems to connect disparate employees.

This is one advantage you can expect when you pick a conferencing system that offers room for remote capabilities. In that kind of set-up, you have a room equipped with your choice of a conferencing system. This will include conferencing units, phones, desktops along with other devices necessary for you to establish a reliable connection. When everything is in place, you can go into the room and connect to any contact wherever they are in the world. One such system that allows this is Blue Jeans.

Content sharing

Conferencing services by Blue Jeans also cover quite a several fantastic content sharing features. These are:

HD screen sharing. This allows you to share content, whether in the form of pictures, videos, presentations and even spreadsheets. And because the resolution can go as high as 1080 pixels, that means users not only get to see every minuscule detail that happens onscreen, they can also get a pretty accurate read up on the facial cues and body language of anyone on video. As an article from Red River says, 80 per cent of human communication is conveyed through visual cues.

So if you’re using this feature to talk to a client, you’ll be able to see every single one of your client’s reactions. You can make snap judgments and add a little more or less levity into your presentation, depending on the reception you’re getting.

Real-time video sharing.

Because information sent via video is often delivered at a rate that’s so much faster than text and email, you can expect faster feedback and responses when you communicate via web conferencing rather than through text and email.

Another probable factor that contributes to the speed of the exchange that happens via video conferencing is the fact that, in this medium, people are often pressured to participate right then and there. Humans are more engaged when they talk to someone face to face. It’s harder to ignore, as opposed to, say, being confronted by a long, cumbersome letter or a text message. Users always have the luxury to go back at a later date to write a fitting reply and hit send. Video conferencing has none of that.

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Recording and playback.

Having this feature allows you to keep a record of interviews, talks, meetings and the like. This way, you can readily go back to a conversation or brush up on the points of a particular campaign easily and quickly enough. In the case of HR personnel conducting hiring interviews via video conferencing, being able to record interviews is crucial. Recruiters won’t have to rely on notes anymore. All they have to do is a record, hit playback and thoroughly check over the video of the interview before they either decide to hire or reject an applicant. On the other hand, recorded talks can be reused as seminars or training material for new hires.

Zoom feature.

This works in tandem with the 1080 HD resolution. With that much resolution, you can zoom in all you like and still enjoy the incredible detail in the shot. This is useful if you’re looking to post a few scenes from a recorded talk or lecture. HR staff, meanwhile, use this capability to zoom over non-verbal tells and cues of applicants. Paying attention to these details helps HR professionals decide whether to hire a job applicant or find a new one.

Mobile-friendly

With mobile use outpacing desktop use, it’s practical to choose conferencing systems adapted to mobile. In this day and age, a lot of people count on their smartphones to shop, do some e-banking, read emails and connect. This is why smartphones and tablets must be able to link up to the same video meetings in much the same way as conference systems and computers do.

Cloud-based

Picking a cloud-based solution means the conferencing system is compatible with a lot of devices, ensuring multi-party video conferencing does not need MCU hardware.

Connects to Unified Communications

This feature allows systems like Blue Jeans to expand the reach of your conference room video system. This happens when the conferencing system links up to unified communications platforms. Common UC solutions include Cisco Jabber and Microsoft Lync. This makes for greater access and reaches in connecting to customers, coworkers and partners.

These are just a few of the important features you should consider before you pick a conferencing system. This handy checklist of must-have features gives you a pretty good idea, as far as setting standards for video conferencing goes, of what good systems are made of.