Choosing a Video Conferencing Solution Based on Your Needs

A few years ago, companies thought very little about video conferencing. It was nice to have and used by some progressive companies with remote workers. Now, it’s one of the most valuable pieces of technology a business has. With the shift to either fully remote or hybrid work, a video conferencing solution must meet today’s needs.

Determining which platform is right for you depends on reliability, security, features, and cost. A key consideration is implementing something that will work for you today and in the years to come.

Assessing Your Needs

Before you go to the market to see what’s available, you’ll benefit from a needs analysis.

• Accessibility: Do workers need to use it on any device and from anywhere?
• Budget: What are you comfortable spending on the solution?
• Usage: Will you use it for company-wide meetings, smaller department sessions, webinars, customer calls, etc.?
• Features: What are the must-haves that will make the tool valuable?
• Users: How many will you have? Will there be anticipated monthly meetings?
• Security: What are any concerns you have about this channel of communication?
• System configuration: Will it be part of a unified communication(UC) platform or a single application?

Once you answer these questions, you can begin to compare offerings. In doing so, there are some key things to prioritize.

Video Conferencing Should Provide an Easy User Experience

Ideally, you’ll find a solution that requires no training. Starting and joining sessions should take seconds with one click. Users can participate on their desktop with a headset or mobile device with no issues.

Screen Sharing and Annotation Plus Meeting Notes

In addition to screen sharing, screen annotation supports better collaboration. This feature is beneficial if you need to work on a document or detail the next steps. Further, having a notes feature makes follow-up simple. The system captures notes in real-time. Post-meeting, all attendees receive a copy.

Integrations Provide a Streamlined Process

Depending on your tools, most video conferencing solutions can integrate with Outlook, G-Suite, Slack, Microsoft Teams, and other comparable applications. Having the ability to connect programs will be a time-saver for busy employees.

Added Features That Deliver Value

Several additional features that not all platforms provide may be vital to your business.

• Can the meetings be recorded?
• Does the platform have the ability to transcribe?
• Are there remote control options that allow participants to control a keyboard or mouse?

Security Shouldn’t Be an Afterthought

Security should be a priority in implementing a platform. Be sure to evaluate products based on their adherence to regulations and best-in-class data security measures.

Reliability Means Everything

A video conferencing solution can have all the bells and whistles, but it won’t mean much if the system is unreliable. Ask providers questions about their uptime availability and support capabilities should problems arise.

Explore YeoVoice powered by Elevate

In implementing a video conferencing system, you want one that checks all the boxes and is easy to use and affordable. That’s what you’ll find with YeoVoice. Contact us to learn more and schedule a demo.

Information used in this article was provided by our partners at Intermedia.