Audio conferencing is great for your business. Please refer to previous articles to see how to implement it in your business. With the increase of broadband around the world the use of videoconferencing is quickly on the rise. One of the reason why videoconferencing is catching on is because it is now easily available as a managed online service.

It is possible to use software that can be managed locally behind the firewall on a PC server. One can also opt for conventional videoconferencing hardware that can be installed in the boardroom, though of course this solution is likely to be a bit more expensive and complex.

One should be aware that conventional video conferencing systems may cost you around $25,000 or more, which makes them unaffordable for most small businesses. These conventional conferencing systems require at minimum one dedicated phone line and also may require dedicated video switching equipment.

In stark comparison, IP-based web and videoconferencing systems use inexpensive audio and video components that are very easily available. Most small businesses that have a PC, a webcam and a broadband Internet connection can afford to use video conferencing. There is absolutely no need today to buy any expensive software or hardware.

This fact has made it possible to use videoconferencing in very diverse fields as engineering, healthcare, manufacturing, finance, business, commercial training and still unimagined ways. A company can use it to get a global footprint to increase their reach. It is not necessary to open offices around the world with employees but it is possible to conduct business over the net using web conferencing.

Videoconferencing is especially useful for the smaller businesses which has fewer employees and a limited budget. Is is now possible to reach distant markets and compete with larger companies and most importantly, they can do this in real time.

This same principle applies to the personnel department. HR managers do not need to summon candidates to come in for an interview. The manager can now use videoconferencing to conduct the interview even if the potential candidate happens to be based in another country.

Web and video conferencing should be considered suitable for customer support and company training. Training programs can now be conducted at any scheduled time from anywhere in the world. Their is a remote control function that can be used by a remote host, to take control of a participant’s computer, to easily demonstrate how a desired task is to be performed.

The beauty of web and videoconferencing is it allows customers to hear as well as see the people they are communicating with. Do not underestimate this as it makes it an ideal tool for customer and technical support. The customer’s problem can be solved online using a combination of audio, video, the remote control function, chat and desktop/application sharing.

Education is an major area where videoconferencing has made a significant contribution. More and more institutions are turning to video conferencing as an important teaching tool because of its ease of use and cost effectivenessl. They find it a very effective way of reaching out to students and their results show quality of teaching is not diminished.