There was a time that people had to send messages via a telegram or through the post office to get their message across. The telephone changed all that when you simply have to call the other party. Now that we are in the digital age, we get to hear and also see the person and this is perhaps just one of the many advantages of video conferencing.
So what are the other advantages of video conferencing? For one, it increases productivity. This happens as offices in various places are able to talk with one another to brainstorm and make fast decisions.
Second, video conferencing saves money because you don’t have to pay for the airfare or traveling expenses for one employee just to get the work done. Studies have shown that it reduces fatigue and stress brought about fro the travel so you don’t feel pressured when a job needs to be done there.
Very close to money is that video conferencing saves time. You don’t have to sit on an airplane or drive a certain distance just to meet someone when you can have the conversation in the boardroom and talking to the person on the other end as you seen them through the screen and hear them through the speakers.
Apart from the corporate world, educational institutions can also benefit from video conferencing as students who want to earn a degree through distance learning can use this medium. Instead of just listening to the lecture being given by the instructor, students will be able to ask questions thus enabling visual participation.
Video conferencing can also be used to transmit files and documents. There are companies that can provide what is known as real time information exchange so you don’t need to use the fax machine anymore or send these through email.
The healthcare industry can also use this technology to their advantage. This allows both the doctor and the patient to review the examinations that have been done and also send this information to colleagues in other places if the hospital or clinic where this was conducted does not have the proper facilities.
The law can also benefit from video conferencing as witnesses can give their statements before the court without compromising their safety. A good example of this was used a few years ago when some Afghans gave their testimony regarding a military inquiry into an alleged incident.
In all of these examples, you can see that it increase productivity and saves the user both time and money.
The only thing you need are the equipment to make this happen and the technical support that goes with it to make sure everything is working.
There are a lot of companies that provide this service. In fact, you can even download one into your computer as there are a few free services available like Yahoo messenger and Skype. Corporations on the other hand need something better as the free ones mentioned have limitations in what they can do for the person.
This new technology has evolved after years of research and development. Given that there are a lot of advantages associated with video conferencing, we have to make the most of it. If you haven’t tried it yet, perhaps this should be introduced where you work especially if it has offices in other states.
