Cisco, as does Polycom, believes customers don’t want to be restricted in the devices they can use for video (and voice), regardless of whether they are using Macs, PCs or mobile devices.
Jabber is already available or in development for Windows, Nokia, Android and BlackBerry handsets and iOS devices, and will launch on Macs in the second quarter of this year.
The potential for managed video
Joe Sweeney, IBRS analyst, nominates education, government, and construction as being high users.
However, a lot of IT departments are struggling to meet increased use of video communications technology. “Video communications running on internal networks (reduces) performance if much of the network is given over to video.
“The next big growth area may be fully managed and customised video communications, (where an outside organisation) runs the network and video communications.
“There are major costs in buying and running a network, but if video is used on an iPad device, communications are not going over the company’s network,” Sweeney says.
If the National Broadband Network (NBN) is successful, then there could be a huge explosion of customised video communications in rural areas, Sweeney says. However, some remote areas may be using satellite.
IT research company Gartner expects the videoconferencing market to see strong double-digit growth during the next five years.
Last year, a Gartner worldwide survey of organisations that used videoconferencing showed that opportunities for managed services will grow, particularly where the service provider is willing to minimise the capital investment by hosting solutions in the cloud or as a managed onsite service.
Vendors are likely to gain more from upselling
(see break out). “The financial industry is a big (videoconferencing) user, but not significantly higher than the average number of users,” says Gartner analyst Bjarne Munch.
“Among the top users are IT and research and development departments, where there is a need for collaboration to increase productivity.
“We are beginning to see a lot more use in marketing activities, (such as) talking to business partners, suppliers and resellers. I get invitations myself from vendors to do video conference presentations.”
There is a strong trend away from using videoconferencing in a conference room to the end user. “Executives prefer a videoconferencing unit sitting on their desk. It’s more personal. It could be a stand alone unit on the desk, or integrated with a laptop,” Munch says.
There is strong growth on using videoconferencing on laptops or desktop so people don’t have to leave their desks, Munch says.
Happy staff make a stable business
As the list of reasons for buying videoconferencing continues to grow, taking the pressure off travel- weary staff could be an unexplored area. Business efficiency, faster decision-making and savings in plane fares and hotel accommodation are always great things to talk about.
But by focusing on employee satisfaction a company could also save money in reducing the rate of turnover.
Fast Track's Ball says she helped one employee cut down travel from weekly to quarterly as he demonstrated casings for optic fibre around Australia.
“It saved his marriage,” Ball says.
Videoconferencing plays an important role in helping to retain staff by giving them more flexible working hours and the ability to work from home, says Shervin Fathinia, chief technology officer at iVision.
“Executives can take part in video conferences and talk to international staff from their homes using mobile videoconferencing on laptops. This gives them a better work/life balance.
“The day may still be extremely long, but at least the late night or early morning communications can be done from home,” Fathinia says.
Ten tips to sell videoconferencing
1. It’s a mistake to try to sell a technology solution. The business use determines the need, and that determines the product. Understand the business needs then align the technology with that.
2. Educate the organisation you’re selling to. It is critical to be able to explain all the potential ways a business can use videoconferencing.
3. The most effective approach is to see a demo of the experience. Only after that can people truly understand what it’s about.
4. Target the chief executive officer. The best way to get everyone using videoconferencing is when the CEO uses it in a meeting.
5. Target busy people.
6. Make sure everybody works on open standards, which means any different videoconferencing equipment of customers and suppliers will work together. Make sure any videoconferencing system works with, say, an IBM or Microsoft solution. Make
sure it’s not a standalone solution and can work with another vendor’s product.
7. The network is critical. Make sure there is adequate bandwidth.
8. Try lowering the total cost of ownership through rental or hosted programs. (Systems now start from as little as $25 per week.)
9. Lower the total operating costs through using less bandwidth. For example, Lifesize and LG can operate on ADSL2+.
10. Appeal to SMBs by lowering the barriers to entry. For instance, promote a broader range of solutions with lower upfront costs and include a mobility solution that can work with 3G.
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