With the web conferencing industry growing more complex choosing a video conferencing provider can seem like a huge task. However, breaking this job down into planning, research and comparison shopping stages helps make the decision easier. Whether this task falls to an IT director of a large firm or the office administrator at a small startup, many of the same rules apply. Follow the steps below to ensure the video conferencing solution you select provides the best value for your organization.
Determine Needs
The first step to making an informed decision about any office solution is determining the need. The best source for this information is the people who will actually be using the product. Gather a group of potential users for an informal round table about what they need in a video conferencing solution, or if the pool of users is large, consider sending out a brief online survey to gather the information. Be sure to ask not just what the employee’s current needs are, but what they can foresee needing in the next year. The assembled list of needs combined with an approved budget will provide an excellent starting point for researching providers.
Research Products
Begin gathering a list of video conferencing providers whose products meet your needs. Review product information in detail and get on the phone with company representatives to have them walk you through the system. Ensure that you understand the basic technology used for each system so equal comparisons can be made across products. For example, ask what happens if one connection is dropped in a multi-point conference. With some technologies the rest of the connections remain intact and that person may simply reconnect, while inferior products the entire meeting is terminated across all connections.
Some additional questions include:
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What type of technology is used to make connections with each location?
This can range from a cloud-based solution to data streaming over the Internet to use of digital phone lines.
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What is the process for site certification?
Site certification determines if meeting attendees will be able to connect prior to a meeting time.
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What are your redundancy capabilities?
Redundancy is the ability of the network to support backup connections that can be used in the event that a primary connection to the meeting is disrupted for some reason.
In researching any conferencing solution remember that features don’t just include things like sub conferencing or document sharing. The level of customer support for both the conference moderator and guests can vary widely between products. A solution with robust technical support takes a lot of pressure off in-house information technology employees. Also video conferencing is frequently used to bring in new clients, so the overall professionalism of the system is an important consideration as well.
Take a Test Drive
Participating in a product demonstration is a helpful way to understand the basics of how a video conferencing solution operates, but actually using the system is the best way to determine if it’s the right fit for your organization. Once you have your list narrowed down to two or three options see if there are free trials available.
During the trial period:
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Ensure all stakeholders use the product. The IT manager may find one system easy to use and intuitive, while the account manager who will actually be using it day-to-day finds it confusing and ineffective.
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Thoroughly test out the system. Even if client needs don’t dictate using a feature during the time period, have a traveling team member try it out while calling in to the office to see how it works.
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Record any issues or questions that come up in the course of practical use. Discuss them with the company representative to see if the issues can be resolved and questions answered.
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Gather feedback from the people on the other end of the connection. Ask clients and partners what they thought of the system. A slightly more expensive video conferencing solution that clients rave about is likely to be more valuable to your organization than a solution they find unprofessional or complicated.
At the end of your research and product testing a clear winner should emerge. Consider selecting an option that provides scalability to extend your product use during growth periods. This prevents having to repeat the search process again in the near future. With some planning and research, businesses large and small should be able to find the video conferencing solution that perfectly suits their needs.