Virtual Business Meetings with Online Video Conferencing

In this age of multinational companies with world-wide branches and a global workforce, holding a traditional business meeting or conference is a cumbersome task. There would be huge expenditure, time constraints and effort towards accommodation and travel. Online video conferencing or video chat can be hugely beneficial in cutting down the costs involved in the modern day scenarios.

Video conferencing systems enable people to communicate interactively with many people located at many different places simultaneously over the Internet. With the digital revolution and proliferation of high-speed broadband, video and audio transmission is no longer as slow and erratic as it was a few years ago. Now a days, cutting edge technologies have made video transcription also a reality, thus enabling easier and faster documentation of business video conferences.

Here’s a brief guide to video conferencing, how it is used and some technical requirements.

Online Video Conferencing – How It Works

Using video conferencing systems, you can connect two or more locations so that people in these locations are able to interactively communicate with each other.

Video cameras and display screens are set up in each location. The video and audio from the cameras are transmitted over the computer network so that participants in each of the locations can see and hear each other. Files and presentations can also be viewed and shared by the participants in a video conference.

Types of Video Conferencing

Based on the number of locations, there are two types of video conferencing:

• Point-to-Point – As the name indicates, this type of video conferencing involves two locations.
• Multi-point – In multi-point video conferencing, several locations are connected during a single conference.

Video Conferencing Equipment

To conduct or participate in an online video conference, the following are required:

• Video cameras and microphones in all locations
• High speed internet connection
• Video conferencing software including CODEC, that is coder/decoder to convert digital signals

Video Conferencing Room and Environment

For optimal transmission of data, the video conferencing room should be modified. This is because data transmission over a computer network such as the public Internet cannot be totally smooth. There may be sound delays and halting video transmission.

In this context, care should be taken that any extra noise such as traffic sounds should be blocked out. Similarly, there should not be too much contrast in the visual environment, as it may affect the quality of the video transmission.

It is also advised that the participants should wear plain, light-coloured clothing, avoiding any patterns in their garments, so that the image transmission is quicker and smoother.

Some Scenarios for Use of Video Conferencing

Ways in which Video Conferencing can be used include:

• Interactive Online Classrooms – Lectures can be delivered to remote students through video conferencing. The students and teachers would be able to interact and share notes and presentations.
• Business Video Conferencing – Meetings, seminars and presentations can be held. Interviews can also be conducted via video conference. This can lead to significant cost savings.
• Remote Medical Consultation – Doctors can give medical advice to patients in remote villages via video conferencing. The medical records of patients if present can also be shared over the system.

For more information on video conferencing, do explore the various sections of this website.