Video Conferencing is a fast, easy and effective way to:
accelerate the decision-making process
increase flexibility and encourage collaboration
get expert advice from remote sites
improve intra-company communications
reduce travel time and expenses
Benefits of Video Conferencing
Reduced Costs: Fewer travel, accommodation and entertainment costs
More Productivity: Less time spent on travel and more on productive work
Best Use of Resources: Key people and information become more accessible
Improved Communication: People meet more often and share knowledge more effectively
Faster Decision Making: Easier access to key personnel
Improved Employee Morale: Less time, energy and stress spent travelling & away from home
These benefits can create the following strategic company benefits:
Optimised Decision Making: Decisions are not only made faster, but with more consensus and agreement from every one involved.
Faster Crisis Management: Executives can meet at short notice – wherever they are in the world.
Faster time to market: Faster decision making and greater consensus means new products can be bought to the market quicker.
Increased Customer Responsiveness: With an increased availability of people, customer requirements and needs can be discussed and answered more efficiently.
Video Conferencing Connection Options:
Until recently, high quality, affordable Video Conferencing was not possible, as ordinary telephone lines could not carry the volume of data associated with video. However, today’s data compression techniques and the increased availability of LAN based networks means the transmission speeds required by video are easily handled.
Connection via IP
For companies that have existing network bandwidth in place, videoconferencing via IP can be a worthwhile and cost effective option. Alternatively you can access bandwidth via the internet using your ADSL connection as an example. Depending on your bandwidth and existing network traffic you can potentially access up to 2mb for IP videoconferencing but most VC systems with IP capabilities will conference up to 768k.
This source of connection can at times be unreliable and you need to look at the overall demands on your bandwidth and existing network traffic. Mission critical data (emails etc) may be slowed down while conferencing is in place or you may experience dial up issues at different times of the day as the internet receives high access (end of day server downloads in the Northern Hemisphere as an example). Internet hits while conferencing can cause metallic audio / jittery movements and pauses.
However, as network bandwidths are increasing and new audio and video protocols enable better quality over lower bandwidths, it does mean that conferencing via IP is becoming more robust and more widely accepted.
Costs include:
Initial set up cost
One set monthly fee
No individual call charges
Video Conferencing Communication Options
There are three ways you can use video conferencing:
Point to Point:
This is the direct connection of 2 Video Conference systems, similar to a phone call.
Point to Multi-Point:
This is the connection which allows a priority site to broadcast to other sites, enabling them to interact and ask questions. This is ideal for training sessions or in situations where a head office would like to address all regional offices simultaneously. The priority site must have a unit with multipoint conferencing facilities (MCU) built in.
Multipoint:
This enables more than two sites to take part in a conference and all parties are visible and able to interact. Most systems will have either 4 site MCU or 12 site MCU built in.
Additional Features Available
Peripheral Equipment
Document camera to transmit documents or objects
Whiteboard to transmit drawings
PC to transmit files
VCR to transmit video
Data collaboration
Video Streaming and Recording
Casual Video Conference Bureau Hire
ProVision Technologies Ltd has an on site 24 Hour Video Conference Bureau available for hire. Casual hire can be a good introduction to the technology, giving you a feel for how it works and how it can fit into your business communication structure.
ProVision Technologies Video Conference Bureau Charges (New Zealand local time)
Business Hours
Monday - Friday | 8am - 5pm
$125 + gst per hour
After Hours
Monday - Friday, Weekends, | 5pm – Midnight; 6am - 8am
Public Holidays
$185 + gst per hour
Late (Crazy) Hours
Midnight - 6am
$300 + gst per hour
Visual Concert
Ability to display computer content
$100 + gst per conference
Bridging cost
Ability to initiate 4 site multi point call
$50 + gst per conference
Any applicable line charges will be invoiced should you use our facilities to dial out. If some one calls you, no line charges apply.
