Video conferencing is perfect for those who want to productively communicate and successfully collaborate with colleagues remotely. It is especially convenient for those with offices located not only across the country but also around the world.
After 2020’s pandemic and lockdown almost everyone knows what a video conference is. The necessity to work from home has given people the opportunity to explore the world of different platforms for online meetings and find the one that is perfect for them. Even though video conferencing is a good friend of working people and not only, it has, like everything around us, its advantages and disadvantages. Let’s take a close look at them!
Key Advantages of Video Conferencing
If you want to integrate online meetings into your daily workflow, but don’t know much about their benefits, the list below is for you. With video conferencing you can:
1. Save Time and Money
Video conferencing assists you in collaborating with colleagues and communicating with clients and partners remotely. No more spending money on business trips. Just start a video call to discuss important issues with colleagues or clients from other cities or countries. You can even embed YouTube video during the call to share presentations or tutorials, enhancing the collaboration experience.
2. Increase the Efficiency of Collaboration
Video conferencing perfectly recreates the office work environment and is more effective than a phone call, text chat or email.
During an online meeting you can share slides or your screen with the participants and work on projects remotely in real time.
Additionally, most video conferencing services offer a built-in recording feature, allowing you to revisit the meeting agenda at any time. Tools such as QR codes and digital business cards greatly simplify collaboration.
3. Manage Live & Virtual Events
Conducting webinars and online events allows companies to showcase their product line to a wide audience, strengthen relationships with existing customers and attract new ones. This video conferencing format also expands marketing opportunities by increasing brand awareness, reaching new prospects, and making valuable contacts.
With TrueConf Server up to 1 500 participants can attend your online meeting at the same time which will benefit your business a lot.
4. Improve Hiring Process
Online meetings help HRs quickly find suitable candidates for vacancies and conduct remote interviews, saving time. Video interviews allow recruiters to objectively assess applicants’ skills, recreating the atmosphere of an offline interview.
Additionally, virtual meetings expand the search field for good employees, enabling HR specialists to look for employees in other cities and countries.
5. Keep Accurate and Consistent Records
Online conference platforms usually have a built-in recording feature. It saves you from taking notes during a meeting and allows you to focus on discussing important issues with colleagues. Videos are always available for playback if you need to revisit earlier discussions.
TrueConf gives you an opportunity to turn on, stop or turn off the recording of an active conference at any time without interrupting its progress.
6. Share Content During Online Meetings
One of the best features video conferencing platforms can offer is the ability to simultaneously show speakers and participants videos, photos, presentation slides and more. With TrueConf everyone can share 4K UltraHD content during online meetings. Display detailed CAD models, tables and make presentations using third-party applications.
7. Easily Use Your Chosen Platforms
A video conferencing platform can often be installed and configured on your computer or phone in 15–>20 minutes. For example, installing TrueConf Server Free within your corporate network takes no more than 15 minutes.
You don’t have to worry about booking conference halls for your meetings anymore because gathering 100 or more people in a couple of clicks is really easy.
8. Hold Multi-Language Online Meetings
Some video conferencing platforms allow you to hold online meetings with many participants who speak different languages.
Disadvantages of Video Conferencing
1. Difficulties with Working in Different Time Zones
Working with people around the world is amazing in terms of exchanging valuable experience and sharing various points of view, but sometimes it can be really hard.
The point is that different time zones can become an obstacle when it comes to working with foreigners. Planning and organizing online meetings is never easy but coordinating schedules with those who live abroad is especially challenging.
2. Lack of in Person Communication
Sometimes having to work with your colleagues or clients remotely all the time can feel isolating. In person meetings bring people closer and give them a sense of belonging, so meeting offline is crucial even though the world of video conferencing can benefit your work process a lot.
3. Facing Problems with Internet Connection During Online Meetings
Online meetings can be fraught with technical difficulties. Among them: poor quality of sound or HD video, connection problems, communication interruption, fuzzy contact and picture.
4. Privacy and Security Concerns
The issue of security during video conferences is crucial, especially when discussing important or confidential information. Using strong passwords and encryption helps to prevent data leakage.
TrueConf is a video conferencing platform that ensures complete security for your communications. It offers offline operation in LAN/VPN encryption and complete control over your communications. A secure team messenger with personal and group chats will help you forget about unsafe communication.
TrueConf Server is deployed on your company’s equipment and works autonomously inside a closed corporate network, which guarantees reliable protection of personal data from third parties. The platform operates on-premises which means that it is using its own infrastructure and resources for software deployment.
5. The Initial Financial Investment for Purchasing a Software License for the Video Conferencing Program
If you want to use a video conferencing platform that will perfectly meet all your needs, you usually have to spend some money on it, because free versions do not always offer you enough features for your online-meetings. You may want to run a break-even analysis to determine how much time it’ll need to save you for it to be worthwhile.
6. Video Conference Fatigue
Bad fatigue during video conferencing is a major problem, as prolonged screen exposure can cause eye strain and headaches. More than 30 million American workers suffer from overwork when using a camera.
Facilitate Business Processes with TrueConf
• a wide range of tools for collaboration
• a secure messenger with personal and group chats, working even without an Internet connection
• allowing up to 1 500 participants in one video conference
• client applications that are available for all popular operating systems
• working inside your corporate network
