As internet providers work relentlessly to offer faster broadband because of the Covid-19 pandemic, better infrastructure for remote working and video calls is being created.
Businesses will always need to communicate and conference calling has been a regular occurrence in business for some time now. But how has it changed in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic?
Businesses that have recently been forced to switch to remote work may grow to prefer this working arrangement and wonder if they should continue paying to lease an office. A significant number of users may continue to rely on video conferencing solutions. As internet providers work relentlessly to offer faster broadband because of the Covid-19 pandemic, a better infrastructure for remote working and video conferencing is being created simultaneously.
Video conferencing software is a digital tool that allows remote users to conduct face-to-face meetings and it has never been more necessary than it has been in the past few months.
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Now that a large majority of the world’s workforce have had no choice but to work from home or participate in social distancing measures, the need for video calls has changed dramatically.
In fact video conferencing offers huge financial benefits for businesses. People still have the ability to meet face to face via video calls, whereas once people would fly across the world for a business meeting, they’re now conducting their business via online methods. In turn this reduces the need to travel, slashing the budgets needed to pay for flights and accommodation.
What methods are being used?
The most common solutions for video conferencing include Skype, Zoom, Google Hangouts, Microsoft Teams and Slack. The best software for your business depends on several factors, such as your number of employees, company budget and any specific features your team requires.
It is now an easy and affordable communication tool now thanks to cloud based services and most users won’t need to buy special hardware or pay for installation. Cloud-based software also offers convenience to users, as they can access conferencing solutions from laptops, tablets and cell phones and nowadays, many providers offer a basic, free service that you can use on most devices.
Video conferencing solutions are primarily used for cost-effective, real-time and long-distance communication for teams based in different locations. As remote work becomes increasingly normal, video conference usage will continue to rise. Most businesses use video conferencing for webinars, meetings and events.
Now video calling is evolving by the nature of its functionality, how easy it now is to use and fundamentally, the cost, which is much more attainable than it used to be. There is also a host of support available to businesses with IT companies such as VTech Support, Inc, that are there to help with the smooth implementation of this technology.
Most video conferencing software uses the video camera and microphone that is built into computers or mobile devices – so all that is involved is the downloading of the application that runs it.
How will video calls change businesses moving forwards?
Businesses that have been forced to change their practices to remote work may actually see the advantages to their new working arrangements. It may mean that they no longer see the leasing of an office as a viable option, especially due to the nature of social distancing and how precautions will need to be used for the foreseeable future.
Video calls not only increase the flexibility and freedom within teams but by working remotely, it can improve employees’ work-life balance – which will increase productivity, employee engagement, and ultimately, retention.
