Video conferencing, in the recent years, has become an important business and communication tool which has made sending and receiving information faster and more efficient. More and more business enterprises have started embracing video conferencing for contacting customers and their stakeholders. With this rising need for video conference services, businesses are now faced with the task of purchasing the most suitable, financially reasonable, and efficient video conferencing products in the market.
With the inception of cloud computing technology, the communication services have become cheaper and more accessible, prompting businesses to assess their priorities in selecting the best video conferencing services.
Factors to Consider when Purchasing Video Conferencing Products
Flexible Hardware: Businesses need to ascertain if certain products can be used for other providers, and how the different vendor products will vary with regards to operability, ease of installation, cost, and their efficiency. The hardware should be able to be cheaply repaired and updated when required. Whether the hardware is flexible or too bulky to handle and move should also be questions to consider. It is better to choose products that are easier to handle in terms of logistics and transportation.
Financial Feasibility: The cost implications of the products should be highly regarded. Certain products will be more costly to purchase from suppliers than others and businesses should asses which one is the best for their current and long-term financial position. Payment agreements of sellers should also be considered, whether on a month-to-month basis or straight up full cash payment.
System’s Growth: The ability of a manufacturer or supplier to keep up with the technology’s growth should also be highly regarded. Will the supplier be strict in the costs so much that as the technology grows in a business, the costs will increase dramatically or will they be the same as during the installation? Businesses should try to maintain the overall costs of the systems within the range of 50% to 500%.
Communication Strategy: Businesses with unilateral communication procedures and frameworks should keep in mind the type and capabilities of video conferencing products to ensure they don’t have a more advanced or less advanced system as compared to their clients.
Tool Integrations: Firms should be aware of the workability of various programs with certain video conferencing products, as the programs are where the majority of the users utilize their times on.
No Specific Service: Organizations should put into consideration the fact that not all users are familiar with one particular service and they may use what they find most suitable for communicating with customers. Companies should, therefore, consider the ways to cover the broad dynamics of different users with different technology.
Streaming and Recording: Video conferences should be able to be streamed and recorded efficiently and stored in cloud-based storage services or on personal computers.
One-to-one or One-to-many: Organizations need to consider the ability of the conferencing services to distribute organizational data and the ability to provide communication services, since some do the latter better than the former.
Suppliers: Video conferencing, being the custom and specialized product that it is, requires suppliers who are well-versed in their own niches. Some suppliers distribute video conferencing products via resellers and brokers, hence the firms should scrutinize these resellers properly. In addition, it requires UC, IT, and AV expertise for its functionality, hence these suppliers should have these skill sets. Consequently, preferential suppliers with unique services should be put into consideration during the purchase of these products.
Software as a Service Workflow (Saas): Organizations must be aware of how different conferencing services affect their day-to-day activities, as different services have different specifications. For instance, some products allow dialing of users, which is straightforward, while some allow interactions with two or more users in a boardroom. Therefore, firms should assess how such products affect how work is carried out in their establishments.
Featured Image: depositphotos/AndreyPopov
