Teleconferencing
Are you one of the growing numbers who use the new way of teleconferencing? There is no reason you shouldn’t be. It’s cheap, easy to use, and so available it’s practically commonplace!
The new way of teleconferencing features audio (and video, if you desire it) and, more recently, the ability to exchange documents and make live presentations in real time!
It used to be costly to use this new way of teleconferencing in its early stages. As the ’90s began, the technology was there for video conferencing, but prices were restrictive. And most companies that offered audio conferencing were service carriers that kept their prices out of reach of the general public.
But as the ’90s drew to a close, conferencing service companies that offered teleconferencing (mainly audio in its early stages) began to emerge. The growing market competition brought down the prices, making it affordable for small and medium businesses to avail themselves of this new way of teleconferencing.
However, many enterprises were of the opinion that, though the prices of this new way of teleconferencing were no longer restrictive, the technology still was.
Yes, teleconferencing was a great way for remote colleagues to stay in touch (no travel expenses, better sound quality even in multiple-person meetings, etc.) but what about document exchange capabilities? (Teleconferencing then still had you switch to e-mail!)
What about live presentations? (Record a presentation and send it? Then it would no longer be LIVE.)
But technology (and the competitive IT market) has a way of catching up with consumer and business needs. Soon enough, the new way of teleconferencing combined audio conferencing and Internet conferencing. Participants could now hear each other, see each other, and share data without switching to e-mail.
With this new way of teleconferencing, live presentations and virtual face-to-face meetings were now possible.
So what where the drivers of these changes in teleconferencing?
It was driven by the rapidly growing global economy where business partnerships and subcontracting agreements were done across continents.
It was also driven by the fact that the technology that powered it became more and more efficient with each passing year.
Internet speeds became faster as service rates became lower. And the bandwidth requirements for exchanging data over the Internet were no longer excessive. Teleconferencing only requires a minimum 56Kbps connection and a phone line.
Furthermore, if video is desired, the new way of teleconferencing no longer requires a dedicated line for video. All users need to do is set up a webcam (inexpensive versions have flooded the market).
The new way of teleconferencing has become so pervasive that its use has crossed vertical markets. It is feature-rich, cost-effective, very flexible (synopses and recaps are available to absent participants) and extremely scalable (you don’t have to pay for every feature, just the ones you need).
Enterprises use the new way of teleconferencing for product presentations to remote clients, research, collaborative decision making, and other aspects vital to business for it to survive and succeed in the highly competitive, borderless 21st century economy.
