There was a time when videoconferences were limited to large corporations and government establishments that could afford expensive video conferencing hardware. Today, the effect of video and web conferencing on communication can be seen everywhere.

This is because web and video conferencing has become more affordable thanks to the development of powerful processors and high-speed Internet lines. Companies don’t have to spend 50,000 dollars to set up video conferencing hardware. They can do so at a fraction of this cost.

The areas where videoconferencing is already making an impact are telemedicine, live distance learning, business meetings, sales presentations and job interviews. More and more hospitals, especially in the developing world, are making use of videoconferencing to treat patients in remote and inaccessible areas.

Companies are realizing the value of videoconferencing in hiring personnel. They find that they can now find quality staff faster, and at a much reduced cost. The same is true of sales presentations. It has now become possible to reach out to a much larger audience from the comfort of your office. The presentations too are more standardized, and hi-tech.

But it is in education that the impact of videoconferencing is being felt the most. Schools and colleges are realizing the value of videoconferencing in delivering education. Lesson plans are being redrawn, and students are being encouraged to get involved in lesson development. Distance education is similarly changing gears, and moving to live video-based delivery to distant and remote sites.

Affordability is not the only reason for the growing popularity of videoconferencing. It is the interactivity that the medium brings. Company heads can now have a two-way communication with their sales staff based at distant places. Organizations can announce quarterly results to scores of correspondents and shareholders based in different locations in real time.

What’s even more important is that this communication is not one-way. Participants can ask questions on a one-to-one and one-to-many basis. There is also the possibility of sharing documents and files and making videoconferences a collaborative learning experience.

The setting up of several small and medium videoconference companies has given a further push to videoconferencing. These companies help first-time users conduct videoconferences across multiple sites. Besides hardware and software support, they also provide moderators who can help conduct a videoconference smoothly.

It is therefore not surprising to see several organizations turn to videoconferencing as an important communication tool. 

 

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