What is Video Conferencing?
Video conferencing is a visual communication session between two or more users regardless of their location, featuring audio and video content transmission in real time.
In broad terms, video conferencing software is a solution that allows two or more persons to talk and see each other remotely. Initially video conferencing software only enabled users to make video calls or hold group video conferences. However, as technology advanced, video conferencing software acquired plenty of helpful tools and features for remote communication and learning.
Today, video conferencing is rather a tool for integrated into video collaboration and unified communications platforms that also offer screen sharing, slideshow, recording, instant messaging, project management tools, telephony integration among other features. As an increasing number of companies switch to remote work, video conferencing is gradually becoming the new normal, shaping the way we communicate, learn and work.
Video conferencing trends
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In 2020, video conferencing apps have seen an unprecedented rise in downloads due to COVID-19 pandemic. According to Transparency Market Research, the video conferencing market is expected to grow from $6.1 billion in 2019 to $11.56 billion by the end of 2027. What are the main growth drivers of the video conferencing market?
The rise of remote working
An increasing number of companies tend to switch to remote work and online collaboration. This trend has persisted for a number of years, however, it has certainly become mainstream due to the far-reaching implications of COVID-19. Many businesses have to adopt video conferencing solutions in effort to maintain their efficiency amidst travel restrictions and quarantine. In many ways, recent events have made it quite clear that effective video collaboration tools are critical for the proper performance of any organization.
Ease of use and no downloads
Video conferencing software should be easy to adopt and use by non-experienced IT users. It should be simple to start or join a video meeting, invite meeting participants or manage your conference from any device. It is also important to allow users to connect from their browsers without installing any apps. This opportunity was opened up by the development of WebRTC technologies facilitating in-browser communication.
From meeting rooms to huddle spaces and workplaces
Users do not want video communication to be limited by the boundaries of conference halls and meeting rooms. Instead, video conferencing has become a simple day-to-day communication tool that is used on workplaces: you can take part in large video meetings, share your content, record conferences, exchange messages - all of it from your own PC. Such changes have been made possible by the wide adoption of SVC (scalable video coding) architecture allowing organizations to hold thousands of conferences on usual servers. Besides, this technology has made it easier and less costly for businesses to connect new users.
Security and reliability of your meeting solution
Meeting solutions should be able to operate in changing network conditions or low bandwidth to allow consistent video conferencing experience. This is essential for users working from home in regions where there’s insufficient internet bandwidth.
Video Conferencing Modes
Point-to-point video calls
![Point-to-point video calls]()
Video session involving two participants who can see and hear each other simultaneously. Video calls are perfect for face-to-face communication with your colleagues.
- Healthcare: use point-to-point video calls for effective doctor-patient communication or integrate video into health information systems.
- Video Banking: TrueConf offers a wide range of video banking tools and allows customers to receive professional assistance and financial services regardless of their location.
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Multipoint video conference
![Multipoint video conference]()
Full-duplex video session involving more than two participants who can see and hear each other simultaneously. Multipoint video conference is similar to a roundtable discussion where all participants have equal rights. This video conferencing mode is perfect if you need to engage all meeting participants.
- Education: Video conferencing opens up new possibilities for learning by making it more collaborative through face-to-face communication, allowing for instant feedback and engagement. For example, a teacher can make a video tour of Africa, the Brazilian jungle, or arrange a remote meeting with an astronaut for his class.
- Government: Deploy a secure video collaboration platform managed and intended for government use only and perform critical functions to support continuity of government services.
- Business: Run weekly business video meetings, give presentations, share plans or conduct training sessions: with TrueConf Server video conferencing, you can bring up to 1,000 users in a single video conference.
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Key features of video conferencing software
Nowadays, video conferencing allows users not only to communicate by video, but also to use collaboration tools, which are essential for corporate communications.
Video conferencing
Gather your team and simplify workflows faster and more efficiently.
Instant messaging
Connect with teams before, during, and after meetings in personal and group chats.
The best video conferencing software
Which video conferencing platform is right for your business? The answer generally depends on your organization’s unique requirements and needs. While personal communication is not demanding and doesn’t require complicated setups, enterprise customers are usually looking at more advanced features, such as 4K resolution, large-scale meetings, integration with conference room systems, reports and monitoring, etc.
When choosing the best video conferencing software it is important to note that cloud-based video conferencing systems largely depend on an Internet connection and third-party security measures, creating vulnerabilities for enterprises adopting the technology. Privacy-conscious orgs usually opt in for self-hosted collaboration platforms that operate totally offline in your LAN/VPN network to ensure that all communications, meeting recordings and personal data stay within your company network under your supervision.
Here is an overview of the best video conferencing software with a breakdown of features our customers care about the most.
