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Video conferencing

It can save you time and money, reduce stress levels and improve your work/life balance. It can give you instant access to an expert or provide on-site training. It's even good for the planet. Although it doesn't have all the answers videoconferencing has enough advantages to make it worth considering.

Video conferencing allows two or more people to see and talk to one another even if they're on opposite sides of the world. The best videoconferencing products boast pictures as good as a DVD and sound that never fades or lags behind the speaker.

The Pros
Videoconferencing can:

Shrink your carbon footprint.

Travelling less means your business isn't contributing as much to harmful emissions from cars or planes.

Reduce the need for air travel.

Some of your customers may be reluctant to fly because of terrorism or because they can't face delays due to extra security. Jet lag makes you less productive and the ban on laptops means it harder to catch up on work during the flight.

Save you money.

You won't have to pay for travel or accommodation. It can also save on wear and tear on company cars.

Be good for your health and productivity.

Long hours in a car can lead to back problems and stress - two of the biggest causes of days off sick. Travel is now rarely seen as a perk and most people would rather be heading home than queuing at an airport check-in.

Help you meet your legal requirements.

Some lawyers believe that forcing your staff to travel too much is set to become a health and safety issue that might lead to heavy fines. If you send staff abroad you could also be invalidating your insurance policy. Long hours on the road may mean you are infringing the EU's Working Time Directive which limits the number of hours an employee should work.

Getting started

The cost of installing a video conferencing system can vary enormously. Tiscali's webcam service is currently free to members but other systems can cost as much as £100,000.
Alternatively, you can rent equipment or a conferencing suite. Some chambers of commerce and universities hire out facilities.

Whichever route you take make sure staff are prepared to try out the new technology. It only takes one uncooperative person to scupper a video meeting. Training is vital and will allow everyone to concentrate on the meeting, rather than worrying about whether the system is working.

Audio Visual Machines (AVM), which specialises in video conferencing, recommends that you nominate a "video champion". He or she must have the enthusiasm and authority to encourage everyone to use the system. Or you could pick someone who's an enthusiastic convert - for example, a salesperson who won't need to spend as much time on the road.

Think carefully about where you put your system. It should be in a quiet spot but not somewhere like a boardroom that might be seen as exclusive.

Making the most of a video meeting

If you're in charge of a videoconference include all participants. This is particularly important if someone is giving a presentation. You won't be able to rely on eye contact so remember to ask everyone if they have questions or comments. Repeat the question to ensure that everyone has heard and to allow for any sound delay.

Remind participants not to point at graphs, figures or other information in their room. They should use graphics that everyone can see. Tiscali Pando allows you to email full-length videos, audio files or presentations in seconds.

Make it clear when the meeting is drawing to an end by asking if anyone has a final question. This should ensure that everyone feels they have had their say.

When video won't work

For some people a videoconference will never take the place of pressing the flesh or looking a customer in the eye. Ideally, it's best not to meet someone for the first time via a video link - especially if they come from a culture that values the personal touch. Networking will always be better in person and if any of your team is camera-shy a video meeting will fail.

But, as more of us own our own video camera, being filmed has become less of an ordeal. And if it means fewer hours at the airport videoconferencing may be a good thing.

Find out more about video conferencing.

Tiscali Pando: Tiscali Pando is free software that allows you to send and receive large files and folders in a snap. You no longer have to wrestle with the limitations of email attachment size restrictions. With Tiscali Pando you can send full-length videos, audio files or presentations up to 1GB in size. You can make videos, photos, podcasts and RSS downloads available on your site with one click and at no cost to you.

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