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

Charles Cheow asked:




Today, many businesses are adopting the use of video conferencing because it brings many benefits to the organization. With video conferencing, businesses can save time and money. Also, it increases the efficiency of the employees too.

One aspect of video conferencing that appeals to many businesses is the ease of installation. Anyone who has a computer and a webcam can enjoy this technology. You just need to install a software into your computer and plug in your webcam to start conferencing. You do not need to buy an advanced webcam. Just buy a simple one and you are ready to go.

Today, LCD monitors also become very popular. With a few hundred dollars, you can get a huge and good LCD monitor for your home or office. This makes it very affordable for you to get a good LCD and enjoy conferencing with your colleagues or friends.

With the popularity of video conferencing, the digital world is guaranteed success. As more and more aspects of a business are handled through the computer, the ability to have a meeting within minutes of the thought, will definitely win out. With trains, planes, and automobiles being the competition, video is sure to win. Who would not rather have an important meeting online, instead of a wild goose chase for the same meeting?

Although it may seems like a hefty investment for now, but in the long run, you will definitely reap the rewards. So if you have not try video conferencing, the time to try is now.

Jacqueline

Bentley asked:


I was wondering if anyone knows of a site or company that has figured out a way to have live video on a cell phone. For e.g. I have a computer with a webcam and skype installed so I place a call to a phone. Is it possible for the cellphone user (iPhone) to answer and also see my video via their phone or the web?

Or do you know of any reliable web/video conferencing websites where two people from two remote computers can view each other, obviously a webcam will be needed. I hope this all makes sense, thanks for your help

Rebecca

bender77 asked:


Vista doesnt have netmeeting, so if I want to call a video conferencing device such as a polycom using its IP, how do I do it?

Charlie

thunderbox666 asked:


I am looking at making a small video conferencing webpage for my own use. How do i get the ASP page to show my webcam?

Renee

multicastcoder asked:


www.camtrek.com, just wondering if anyone uses it for Multicast Video Conferencing?? It’s suppose to do high quality video over the internet with just a webcam, Please Help?

Valerie

Ken B asked:


I’m having an issue with setting up my video conference system in our conference room. A 16 feet USB is not long enough to reach the laptop hosting/displaying the video conferencing laptop. We are placing the webcam atop our flat screen.

Any solution? Are Wireless Webcams a solution? What do major companies do when dealing with video conferencing?

We will be hooking up our Webcam ontop of our flat screen that will display the video of the other party. However, running a USB down the Flatscreen and to the table is impossible because USB does not work past 16 feet and we need at least 20 feet. Anyone know of a solution? thanks.
I’m having an issue with setting up my video conference system in our conference room.

We have designed it bury wires (HDMI, VGA, 3.5 audio) coming from a Flat Screen.

We also want to have video conferencing.
We will be hooking up our Webcam ontop of our flat screen. The USB connected to the Flat Screen would then run down the wall, through our burried tunnel of wires, and into the middle of our conference table (along with HDMI/VGA/3.5 Audio jack input.)

However, we have come to find out that running a USB down the Flatscreen and to the table is impossible because USB does not work past 16 feet and we need at least 20 feet. Anyone know of a solution?

Are Wireless Webcams a solution? What do major companies do when dealing with video conferencing?

FYI: I am not an IT person, I am simply doing it myself and looking for helpful tips and guidance. Thanks.

Gina