Video conferencing solutions aren’t just an “option” for businesses in today’s hybrid world of work. The video conferencing market is set to reach a worth of $24.4 billion by 2028, driven by trends like remote work, and evolving collaboration. With the right video solution, companies can enable effective teamwork between employees, regardless of where they are. 

Video helps to strengthen human connections between people who can’t interact face-to-face, and it provides us with additional context and clues in a conversation. Many people agree video significantly increases their ability to understand what’s going on in a discussion.

As of 2019, 98% of medium and large companies were planning on buying video conferencing tools. Since the pandemic, this demand has increased even further. The question is, how do you choose the right video vendor?

Step 1: Know Your Video Needs

The first step in picking a video conferencing vendor, is determining what kind of video technology stack you need to build. While you’ll likely need a solution for video conferencing software, in the form of something like Microsoft Teams, RingCentral, or Zoom, you’ll also need access to other tools, like webcams, video room kits, and microphones.

Before you begin shopping for your video conferencing vendor, ask yourself how much you want to be able to mix and match your hardware and software investments. For instance, you can buy your Microsoft Teams video conferencing software and hardware all through the Microsoft store or implement integrations from your favourite vendors. 

Step 2: Consider your Deployment Options

Consider how you want to purchase your video offerings too. For instance, do you want a VCaaS standalone service (Video conferencing as a service), or a video offering built into a CCaaS or UCaaS environment? Do you want to purchase your hardware outright, or access rooms as a service?

If you’re looking for specific video conferencing “add-ons” to implement into your existing technology, you’ll need to ensure your new technology will align with your initial investments. Look at the integration and cross-platform performance of your vendor.

In some cases, you may want to look for specialist solutions to your video requirements, which could mean working with innovators offering CPaaS and API integrations.

Step 3: Prioritise Ease of Use

Once you know what kind of video conferencing technology you need and how you’re going to implement it into your business operations, the next step is to think about ease-of-use. Today’s employees are used to simple, efficient, and fast-paced video experiences. They need to be able to launch their video conferencing software at the click of a button when using any kind of hardware.

Your employees also need to know they don’t have to rely on complex set-up processes to install and start using their hardware. Plug-and-play video conferencing room kits are becoming increasingly popular for this very reason. In a hybrid world where your employees won’t always have access to IT professionals to help out with their setup questions, ease-of-use is the key to adoption.

For the ultimate ease of use, your technology should also work seamlessly with the tools and systems your employees already use. 

Step 4: Consider Video Management

Speaking of making the video technology you access easy to use, it also needs to be simple enough to manage. Your IT team needs to be able to provision new video conferencing tools, software, and hardware to remote employees wherever they are. Rolling out updates and new firmware should be as simple as pressing a button on an online portal. 

Make sure your video conferencing vendor makes it simple to manage your technology stack, no matter what your business environment might look like. You should also ensure there’s plenty of control available for who should have access to certain features within your video software. Access control options are often very important for determining who should be able to schedule and manage various video meetings.

A good video conferencing vendor may even be able to provide guidance and roadmaps to help you install and provision new tools for your users. 

Step 5: Explore Valuable Bonus Features

Video conferencing solutions in the modern world aren’t just designed to create video streams. The best video tools can also offer a range of other advanced features. For instance, your video conferencing software could be part of a comprehensive collaboration environment, like Microsoft Teams, where people can share information and files with a couple of clicks. 

Your video software could also offer things like intelligent translation and transcription real-time to help improve understanding between employees. Or perhaps it could come with access to virtual assistants to help with recording information and scheduling appointments.

Bonus videos in video hardware can include everything from cameras with AI enhancements which allow them to improve the quality of a video image and track speakers automatically. You can even access intelligent room systems which can track the number of participants and temperature of a room.

Step 6: Consider Privacy and Security

Security, privacy, and compliance need to be essential considerations in the implementation of any new technology, whether it’s a headset for your remote worker, or an entire video room kit. Look at how your video solution can protect you and your business. For instance, video streams may need to be encrypted to ensure people can’t access your information without permission. 

Video tools can also come with extra security and privacy features built into the hardware. For instance, it’s becoming increasingly common for webcams and similar video tools to come with privacy shutters to help provide users with peace of mind. 

If your video solution integrates with your existing communication landscape and allows you to record conversations, can you control where the data you collect will be stored? This is just one of the many compliance issues you’ll need to think about. 

Finding Your Video Vendor

As demand for video conferencing experiences continues to rise, finding the right video conferencing vendor is essential. Don’t be afraid to reach out, ask questions, and explore your options in depth before you dive into your new video strategy. 

 

 



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