Video conferencing systems can provide many benefits to a business. From increasing communication between personnel in different locations, assisting with job training and interviews, and exhibiting updated quality technology within your office space, video conferencing systems can be a great addition to your daily workflow.
As an office technology provider, Usherwood Office Technology has worked with many businesses to help them discover what kind of video conferencing system they might need. Our video conferencing specialists give businesses a few things to consider when choosing which system may be the best fit. To help, we've compiled our top factors companies should consider before selecting a video conferencing system.
Establish the Purpose of Your System
The first step is to understand why you think a video conferencing system would benefit your business and what role it would play in your daily workflows. This can be determined by reaching out to your employees and departments to decide what functions they believe could benefit your company's success or their own.
During this process, you may produce a long wish list of features and functionalities that could be more useful. Here are a couple of helpful questions to specify the essential functions to implement and narrow your search:
- How often would you use that feature/functionality?
- How do you handle that need currently?
In most cases, you'll find many required features that are optional. They can take a simple video conferencing deployment and escalate it into a complex and pricey deployment with no good ROI.
Make Sure Your Network's Infrastructure is a Good Fit
The next step should be validating that the network can handle the traffic and security needs before implementing any system. If your new video conferencing solution is a Ferrari, you want to ensure your infrastructure isn't a dirt road. If the road is too bumpy for such a vehicle, everything impressive about driving the Ferrari will be negated.
The same is true for your video conferencing system. Many vendors provide tools that'll allow you to assess your infrastructure readiness. This is important because, in some cases, the required infrastructure changes may cost several times that of the new video conferencing solution.
Consider the Ease or Difficulty of Using the System
This is likely the top consideration that is often overlooked when determining if a video conference solution will be successful. You could purchase the system with all the best bells and whistles, but it could remain unused if your staff does not feel comfortable using it. Ensure that the video conferencing solution's complexity level matches the team using it.
Who Will Support the System if You Are Having Trouble?
It would be best if you had an idea of who will support your deployment. Most video conferences start five seconds before the scheduled start time, and there may be times when your workers need help to ensure their content is finished and shared. Who will you call when the meeting starts in two minutes, and something is not working?
Unless you have an in-house expert to support video conferencing deployments, you must ensure everything is set up and ready to go ahead of time. Many organizations need in-house expertise to support video conferencing deployments.
If your organization needs an in-house expert, you must ensure you have a support contract with a reputable managed service provider or direct vendor support. This will help you be prepared for who to call before the presenter's stress level elevates to DEFCON 1. In our “The Benefits of Fully Managed IT” article, we discuss more positives businesses experience when they hire on an IT provider.
Determine the Cost That Will Provide You with the Most Value
The cost of a video conferencing system is one of the most crucial factors for your finance department. Many organizations still purchase the most expensive solution with all the fun parts and pieces, only later discovering that only three of those features are fully utilized. Some organizations opt for the cheapest solution and struggle to achieve their goals due to lacking features.
For more insight into how much video conferencing systems cost, refer to our “What is the Cost of a Video Conferencing System?” article. The correct price of a solution is the one that meets your needs and allows for foreseeable growth without breaking the bank. For this reason, eliminate any added features that might raise the cost without adding additional value.
Ready to Look Into the Right Video Conferencing System for You?
To discover what may be best for your business, contact providers and find what type of video conferencing systems are offered. Usherwood Office Technology offers Microsoft 365 Business Voice to our clients as a managed technology provider.
This application includes Microsoft Teams, which can be utilized for voice calls, video calls, presentations, collaboration, etc. If you want to learn more about this video conferencing system, check out our article "What is Microsoft 365 Business Voice?" or reach out for a tech evaluation today.
