Video Conferencing Software

One benefit of using video conferencing software is that it reduces travel expenses, especially when the participants are in distant geographical locations from one another. The cost of airfare, car rental, lodging expenses, and meal allowances for multiple participants will far outweigh even the initial costs of the purchase and installation of computer applications that will allow the participants to stay in their own offices and engage in a video and audio meeting over the internet. For some groups, such as family members who don't live close to each other, the cost for such video/audio chats can be practically zero. They can take advantage of one of the many free video conference software programs that are available from a variety of online vendors. However, potential buyers need to keep in mind the old saying, "You get what you pay for." This holds as true in the case of free video conference software programs as it does in so many other areas. The free program may have limited features, especially compared with video conferencing software that is marketed to businesses and large nonprofit organizations. For example, the freebie program may only allow two people to meet with each other rather than several individuals. Some programs offer additional features such as video email options. The free program may allow only a limited number of these emails to be sent or received and the length may be restricted to just a few seconds. The same vendor may offer a similar application with additional features and benefits. By paying a monthly fee, an individual may be able to send and receive a higher number of video emails with a longer duration, perhaps of a few minutes.

Perhaps the greatest benefit of a video conference is seeing the participants' facial expressions. Though communication is often thought of in terms of verbal interchanges and tones of voices, people also pick up cues from a speaker's facial expression. Imagine how it must have been for Moses and the descendants of Israel: "And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them. . . . The LORD talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire, (I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to shew you the word of the LORD: for ye were afraid by reason of the fire, and went not up into the mount;) saying, I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage" (Deuteronomy 5:1, 4-6). Then Moses communicated to his listeners the message from God -- what are now popularly known as the Ten Commandments.

A business or large nonprofit organization who wants to cut travel expenses by utilizing video conferencing software should appoint an individual or team to research the available options. The research team will want to begin by determining exactly what application features are most needed by management and conference participants. Many vendors promote programs that allow the participants to share applications or to upload, view, and make changes to documents. Another popular feature allows one individual to take remote control of a colleague's computer. Any particular application may have a limit on the number of people who can be seen on a monitor, but does this limit the number of people who can participate in the conference? Will those who are not part of the video still be able part of the audio? For larger companies that need to bring together many participants, these are important questions to consider.

The team will also need to consider the hardware and installation aspects of the various options. Which will best serve the company's needs: microphones and headsets or a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) system? What system requirements does each software program require and will the company need to upgrade the computer network to meet those requirements? Some companies boast that their products work with any bandwidth. The claim may be true, but the research team should keep in mind that the bandwidth could affect quality. Just because the software works doesn't mean that it works effectively. One complaint, especially with free video conference software, is the time lapse in the audio. This can cause an echo or just an annoying experience of watching someone's mouth move out of sync with the words being said. There are video conferencing software program vendors that promote products that do not require special equipment or any installations to be made to the customer's computer network. This may sound like a money-saving feature. But here again, the research team will need to see if these programs provide the needed level of quality for the company's conferencing needs. It may be better to spend more money upfront on hardware upgrades to ensure a quality program that meets a company's expanding needs.

Many vendors provide a free trial period or an online demonstration of the promoted products. Once several top-ranked choices are selected, the research team should take advantage of these promotions to get a hands-on experience of how the conferencing software works. This is also a good time to contact the vendor's customer service department. A lot can be learned about how a vendor treats its clients with a simple phone call to the listed toll-free number. How long did it take for the call to be answered? How friendly was the person on the other end of the line? Were questions answered in a professional and efficient manner? All these aspects may be important in the future so it is a good idea to get a sense of a prospective vendor's view of its customers ahead of time. Video software programs are an innovative means for businesses and organizations to save on travel expenses. Families and other small groups can use free video conference software programs to have face-to-face chats without incurring any expenses at all, except perhaps for any needed hardware, such as microphones and headsets, or an upgrade to an adequate computer system to handle the program's requirements.



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