How to Choose Inexpensive and Inventive Video Conference Equipment
The advances in video conferencing equipment due to breakthroughs in technology provide a lot of options for customers to choose. It is not easy to choose the right video conferencing system. Without the proper equipment, video conferencing cannot be run successfully. You need to know the below factors to choose the best system for successful video conferencing. Here are few factors to consider:
Number of Attendees
You need to know how many attendees are going to participate in the meeting. It helps you to determine the video conferencing system and buy equipment accordingly. You can’t have 100 people attend on a video conferencing system designed for 25 participants. Know beforehand whether you want one-on-one or a group setup. It allows you to plan for equipment that picks up sound and picture effectively from the entire room. You may have to go in for mounted cameras. Find out whether conferencing is going to include many IT parties from different locations simultaneously. According to Blue Jeans, it requires sufficient bandwidth when multiple parties are accessing video conferencing equipment for IT purposes.
Quality Counts
Have the right expectations and decide on the kind of quality you expect from a video conferencing system. You can’t expect the best quality when the equipment itself is not designed to produce high quality. Even before you choose the equipment understand your quality requirements. If you want the highest quality, then you may have to go in for HD cameras. If you want to make an impression on your clients, then you may have to invest little more to get that quality equipment.
Location of Participants
It is important to know the location of various members so that meetings can be planned accordingly. You have to take into account time zones and differences in the technical specifications since they can affect video conferencing. Many people think that location does not matter since people can connect from anywhere. It is right that people can connect from anywhere but for successful video conferencing, AGSCI suggests you have to plan meetings based on the time convenience of participants.
Multimedia Requirements
Understand what other supplement materials are required to make a point during meetings. You may need charts, graphs or videos integrated into the presentation. When you have these additional materials to make the point ensure that the equipment supports these other materials. If power point is used, check whether the equipment supports all formats of documents. You should integrate these materials directly into the video call instead of pointing camera onto a projection that may not be very clear to the participants. It is best to share the slides to all members for clear visibility.
Playback and Recording
It is best to record all the meetings to ensure archives are maintained which serves as proof for any agreements and also helps in training people based on these recordings. It can also be used for playing back the videos in case any point or recommendation discussed during the meeting needs clarification. It is good practice always to record meetings. It can also help to improve future meetings by learning from the mistakes committed in prior conferences.
Security
Video conferencing should always be considered along with the security. It is important to have proper security to ensure safety and privacy of the participants. Bright Hub website indicates hacking has become widespread, organizations should make sure all the content is encrypted, and safety aspect of the equipment is addressed. Make sure you understand the safety issues and never compromise on the security of video conferencing equipment.
Round the Clock Support
It is best to have a good support system for the conference equipment. Systems can malfunction anytime despite all the precautions. Having a solid support system at hand to handle any problems will go a long way in ensuring successful video conferencing.
Ease of Use
Having sophisticated equipment that you don’t know how to use is not going to serve the purpose. Choose equipment that is straightforward and intuitive to use; complication is not necessary unless it provides some benefit. A simple interface makes video conferencing a success because it will be easy for all participants to use and doesn’t require any specialized training. Make sure that the solution can be utilized by everyone efficiently.
Understand Your Needs
Keeping your needs in mind is the most important factor while making a choice. It is important to customize the equipment to suit your unique needs. Every organization will have certain requirements and policies that have to be kept in mind for choosing equipment that suits your business model.
The choice of equipment requires some time and effort. Making hasty decision without proper research can lead to problems down the line that can provide a bad experience to users. It is worth the time and effort to provide a good experience to customers and employees who are going to use the system extensively to stay productive.
