Video Conferencing on a Budget

June 6th, 2008 by Video Conferencing Expert

Videoconferencing and online meetings, which instantly bring together video and audio communication between multiple participants in disparate geographic locations, traditionally has been seen as an expensive solution best suited for large companies with global offices and deep pockets. While those enterprises are still enthusiastic users of videoconferencing, the variety of solutions today, along with a realization that travel takes a significant toll on companies of all sizes, has caused many smaller companies to further explore this option.

Analyst Rebecca Swensen of IDC:

The value of videoconferencing is much more than cost savings, but for small and mid-sized companies, that’s usually what they look at first, especially today, with the cost of travel skyrocketing.”

On the surface video conferencing can seem like an expensive solution, however many companies both large and small are realizing its cost benefits. Videoconferencing helps companies disseminate information more quickly and effectively to sales teams, associate partners, and internal divisions. It also can help unify dispersed work teams, including those working from home.

For most small businesses, high-end telepresence solutions like Halo from HP are too expensive, but there are many lower-cost solutions for webcasting and video conferencing that are much more affordable. The best way to figure out what type of videoconferencing set-up to consider is to first determining how your employees typically conduct meetings, what technologies they use for communication, how much travel your employees do—both to customer sites and to other company sites—and the capabilities of your network.

Companies like InstantPresenter.com offer a wide range of webcasting and video conferencing solutions that can easily support small and very large online meetings alike. Many of these companies offer pricing plans that allow you to pay-as-you-go, or package deals to accommodate recurring online presentations.