Frank Owen asked:




How Video Conferencing Can Support Education

Video conferencing technology is all the rage among corporations. Recently educational facilities have begun taking advantage of video conferencing technology to support learning and education. Video conferencing equipment can help facilitate instruction and provide distant learners with a host of resources and access to content providers, teachers, librarians and more.

More and more teachers are adopting video conferencing as a method of enhanced communication and instruction. Many California schools are using video conferencing to connect with one another and produce networks carrying large volumes of video and text data to educational facilities, teachers and students. Other people that benefit from video conferencing technology include librarians who can use video conferencing to develop strategies, provide resources and improve the quality of their service and delivery.

Video conferencing And Learning

Video conferencing facilitates learning by allowing remote or distant learners to meet regardless of their location. Students can take classes at multiple universities. In essence classes that are not available at one location may be available at another through video conferencing. Video conferencing can also benefit non traditional students who are not able to attend classes during normal hours.

Video conferencing can also be used as a career or employee training tool. Many colleges are now collaborating with local businesses to offer students certification and business training. Expert subject matter delivered from individuals in the field is easily delivered to students using this new technology. Student can also take advantage of mentoring services offered by companies in distant locations using video conferencing technology. The possibilities are virtually endless.

Beatrice

Carlos Montenegro asked:




When companies have to buy something, it has to be approved by management. With the cost of air travel going up, it is only right to justify the use of video conferencing since it is more affordable to do so in the long term.

How do you justify that? Most companies use numbers as their basis in making a decision so if you look at the expense report and notice that a huge chunk is spent on traveling, they will realize that they can cut cost here and use the money saved somewhere else.

But doesn’t video conferencing equipment cost a lot of money and isn’t the system very complex? For a time but this has changed. This is because vendors no longer use ISDN lines and they have now shifted to IP networks. This is the same system used by the Internet thus making it easy to integrate with other systems.

For those who are concerned about how much it costs, the price of video conferencing equipment has gone down through the years making it more affordable for businesses.

A decade ago, a video conferencing system costs $75,000 or even more. Nowadays, you can find one for less than $10,000. Other accessories like a webcam will cost you less than thousand.

As a result, it is no wonder that a consumer report has shown that there was a 22% increase in sales of the equipment in 2006 versus 2005. So although you may need a lot so this can be installed in each office, in the long term it doesn’t because you already have the system in place which is not affected by the price of oil in the world market.

Another way to justify the need for this technology is to do a study by interviewing those who have gone on business trips in the past and ask how well it went. Previous reports have shown that traveling takes a toll on your body due to fatigue and stress. By the time they get to where they are going, their mind is not focused with what needs to be done thus decreasing their productivity.

You can also argue the other benefits of video conferencing like the ability to increase the sales and product development cycles, improve the quality of communications, better delivery of training and coaching to the other offices as well an improvement in the quality of the work after a staff meeting.

There have also been other improvements both in audio and video quality so you get to communicate with the other party in real time. But the best part about such systems is that they are user friendly since most of the systems currently available are menu driven so you don’t need to study a manual inside out and no special expertise is needed.

When management has approved your request, it is time to go out shopping for the right system. Ideally, you should get one that has an audio and video channel but the latest is the kind that allows multi-media communications. This allows the user to send and receive data in a dual stream IP environment.

Do I need to say more to help you justify the need for video conferencing systems? Maybe not so do your research and use the system to your potential.

Jane

Carlos Montenegro asked:




What is the difference between video conferencing equipment and video conferencing tools? When we talk about equipment, we are referring to the hardware and software that is used to make this happen. But when we talk about tools, these are things that you can add to enrich the video conferencing experience.

How do you enrich this experience? By using software programs that can do more than just let you see and hear the other person.

A good example is when you are talking to someone and then another person comes along. You don’t want to end one conversation just to begin with another so the best thing for you to do is to chat with the other party by sending text messages.

Another tool is the ability of the program to have an interactive whiteboard so both sides can see the same document and make changes instantaneously. This is useful when you are finalizing the paperwork of any project that will be submitted.

Sometimes, you want to express to people how you feel and instead of seeing this in your face, you can do this by using emotional icons or emoticons.

It will also be cool to have a video conferencing tool that allows you to surf the web. This will be useful when you need to put in additional information or have suddenly found new ones that should also be mentioned.

Majority of the video conferencing tools can be found online and downloaded into your computer. Some offer a 30 day trial and charge around $20 to $30 monthly.

Some examples of these include Acrobat Connect Pro formerly known as Breeze, Horizon Live Classroom, WebEx, Microsoft Live Meeting and Marratech. You can try your luck to see if there are freeware tools around as well so you can use these tools for free. Some examples of these include Web diagnostics, AB Cam, Motion Detection and Instant Translator.

Since there are quite many and it is really hard to pick one, narrow down your choices by asking friends and family who have used this before or read reviews that have been posted. Eventually, you will be able to find the right software that has the video conferencing tools you are looking for so can get the most out of this system.

When downloading any of these tools, make sure that your PC meets the minimum requirements that are needed to make it work. Otherwise, you are wasting your time getting something you can’t use in the first place.

Many people perceive video conferencing as a virtual trip that can take you to different parts of the globe. This is perhaps because you connect with people not only in the US but also in other countries making distance no longer an obstacle.

The video conferencing tools mentioned can do a lot for those that use this medium to finish a project, conduct in house training or make a business decision. Of course these tools will not function on their own since you have to learn how to use them. The best part about any of these is that they all user-friendly so you don’t have to attend a class to learn how to use the system. You just have to be patient and eventually, you will be able to use this to its full potential.

Andrew

Magdi Mikhail asked:




Video conferencing has been one of the most sought after technologies that are being used today not only in home setting but also in medium to large scale businesses. If you are one of those who are planning to take advantage of this relatively new means of communication, two of the major factors that you should consider are the financial costs and benefits of video conferencing.

More and more people are now into video conferencing because they are finally seeing its benefits and advantages. However, no matter hoe advantageous video conferencing is, there will still be major things to be considered to ensure that you will benefit more than you have spent for the technology.

Financial cost of video conferencing

Video conferencing refers to a means of communication that enables two or more people to a conversation in a real time. It involves the use of a high capacity personal computer, a web camera, a microphone, and high speed broadband connection to the Internet. Aside from these video conferencing equipment that have been mentioned, essential tools for making a video conference work are the equipment to be used, the video conferencing systems, and the video conferencing services offered by various people that are in the field of Information and Technology.

When it comes to financial cost of video conferencing, you will need to prepare or set budget for it. Before making any decision, make sure that you yourself understand everything about it. Don’t be overwhelmed too much by its convenience because you might be paying more than what you need and expect.

The major factor for financial cost in video conferencing is how much would the equipment would cost. Since you will be getting transmission-both audio and video-in real-time, you need high capacity personal computer that would amount to $500 to $1000 depending on the brand its specifications. Since video conferencing involves face to face meetings, you will be needing a web camera to capture the image/s and send it back to the other party.

A typical web cam can cost from $100 and above depending on its size and capability. For voice communication, you will need microphones that can either be tabletop or wireless that would range from $150 to $300 depending on its capabilities and brand name. Other major expenses would include a video, a wall mount, and speakers which don’t require too much sophistication and budget.

Aside from video conferencing equipment, another major cost for video conferencing is the need for high speed lines or ISDN to ensure that there will be efficient, fast, and hassle free communication. You can look for video conferencing providers online that can suit your video conferencing needs and offer packages and discounts for you to choose from. The price of video conferencing services could amount from $200 to $1000 depending on its timely rates.

Benefits of Video Conferencing

Although video conferencing would cost you a lot of money from the installation process to the equipment, services, and system requirements, these cannot amount to the benefits you can get for your business.

The major benefits of video conferencing include ensuring that there will be increased productivity because people don’t have to spend so much time traveling for meetings and conferences. A lot of savings in terms of eliminating travel costs and allowances in lengthy trips during meetings.

It helps save a lot of time because people can transact businesses without having to spend so much time getting to the place of the meeting and ensured safety of the people involved because they will no longer have to risk their lives during travels just to close a deal or meet a client.

These are just some of the benefits of video conferencing. If you are a business owner, it is always best to conduct a study or a research first about the financial cost or benefits of video conferencing to ensure that you are making a good business move and decision.

Jon