Bringing videoconferencing to life

With tough economic conditions, volatile fuel prices and organisations looking to slash their carbon footprint, we hear from Matthew Light about the real difference videoconferencing is delivering today.

What impact is the recession having on organisations installing videoconferencing facilities? With lean times is now the ideal opportunity to make cost savings?

Matthew Light. There has been a trend of companies trying to get videoconferencing facilities installed as soon as they can, as they recognise the benefits of reducing travel costs and saving time. Whole offices have been closed as staff are encouraged to work from home. There has never been a better time for companies to enhance their communications and move to videoconferencing. With the increase in bandwidth and lower cost connectivity, now is the time for videoconferencing.

If any organisation is considering a videoconferencing facility what would you highlight as the key benefits?

MD. The main benefits include:

Increases in productivity. As well as the benefits of being able to meet face-to-face without having to travel to physically be in the same location, it is now possible to share just about any type of information during a videoconference. This enables decisions to be made much quicker. Videoconferencing enables you to be in several different places at the same time, enabling you to keep in closer contact with customers and staff.

Saving money. Videoconferencing provides a substantial saving due to reduced travel costs, both in terms of fuel expense and the time taken to travel, which could be more usefully used catching up on emails and contacting customers.

Better communication. Videoconferencing allows you to see the facial expressions and body language of conference members, important aspects of conversation that are lost using a standard telephone call.

Safety. Videoconferencing ensures the safety of conference members by removing any concerns surrounding travel.

International Business. It allows for multi-point meetings across time zones and international boundaries.

Environment. With the green issue, videoconferencing is playing an increasingly important part in reducing carbon emissions and allowing businesses to strive to be carbon neutral.

Can you give an example of how your products and services benefited a customer recently?

MD. Recently a managing director was due to attend a meeting in Montpellier in France, which would have entailed all the hassle of booking flights, arranging hotels and all the time involved in travelling to the meeting. Instead, we were able to arrange for the installation of our Tempura Video system, which involves a simple software download together with an inexpensive camera and speaker/microphone device and the customer was able to hold the meeting via videoconference. The cost saving in terms of travel and time was phenomenal, and as the meeting was on a Friday, the MD did not have to use any of his weekend time travelling home.

What predictions do you have for the videoconferencing and communications sector in the years to come and how will businesses be able to work quicker and smarter?

MD. The increase in the bandwidth of broadband connections and leased lines, together the falling cost of these communication services, means that videoconferencing is now an easy business decision. Over the internet, videoconference calls are free. It will be just like picking up the phone and speaking to someone as you do now, with the added advantage of being able to share information from any application that you are using on your PC, and thus will increase the scope for further developments in home working. However, people may choose to congregate in a physically shared working environment to benefit from the interchange and flow of ideas and general camaraderie. It is really the combination of the PC/laptop and videoconferencing which is the key to working quicker and smarter. With so much work now conducted using computers, the ability to stay in touch with customers and colleagues visually via videoconference means that you can be physically located wherever you want, yet use your skills to achieve your business goals at the same time. The latest systems provide higher quality and lower bandwidth. The evolution in videoconferencing technology will continue to make the environment even more life-like and natural.

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Matthew Light, MD of Tempura Communications based in Basingstoke, has over 11 years' networking and videoconferencing experience and works to advise UK, European and American businesses through their base of channel partners customers of SMEs, Corporate and Government departments and organisations. The focus and expertise spans the network technologies and VOIP as well as videoconferencing.