The first thing you need to do is forget about how video conferencing works. Think about what video conferencing can do; not how it works. Think about your business and how you communicate to the supply chain, key clients and other locations in your organization. Your network, telecom, cell phones, company cars, and travel budget are critical and help your business grow and stay in business. Look at video conferencing the same way you look at these other expenses.
The potential return on investment is tremendous, especially in small and mid-size enterprises. Imagine what would happen to your business without email, faxes and cell phones. Now image what you can to with video conferencing if you are a small to mid size enterprise. Your sales forces can make more face-to-face calls in more places faster and more efficiently. Customers and prospects do not need any video conferencing equipment – Only internet access and a computer, iPad, iPhone or Droid. The average salesman can increase face-to-face time with customers by 30% to 50% with very little additional time with far less expense. One small business eliminated the need for field techs to go on calls. Salesmen have iPads and bring the field tech people with them via hosted video conferencing. Clients are impressed with the efficiency and the salesmen are happy because they have an opportunity to sell other products and services on a trouble shoot call.
Another new developing application is found in healthcare. There are several companies designing doctor kiosks to be placed in drug stores –Kiosks have video conferencing. Patients can meet with their doctors for a general check up and get their prescriptions right in the drug store. Health costs are only going up. This application will certainly have a major impact on keeping these costs down and leveraging the doctor’s limited time.
Mergers and Acquisitions are another very good application for video conferencing. When two parties need to meet, standards based video conferencing makes this a simple process. If one company has video conferencing in their board room and the other company does not. No problem – There is an International network of public videoconferencing rooms that can be rented by the hour. The principals, lawyers and accountants can meet face-to-face and collaborate with their computer input seamlessly. The decision making process is compressed.
Look at how technology made our businesses more efficient. Finding applications for video conferencing in your enterprise is simple. You just need to think about what video conferencing does; not how it works.
J.W. Hornyak Videoconferencing & Telecommunications
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