Vizual Symphony joins the blogging world!

So much to say, and so little time.  Since we have worked with many clients exploring video conferencing, we thought it might be of interest to read a recent article I posted.

Video Conferencing — Has Its Time Arrived?

By Susan Holguin, Vistage Group Member

In a recent commercial, actress Ellen Page, from the movie Juno, walks into a classroom.  She is introduced to children sitting at their desks talking about going on a field trip, to China!  She says, “Wow, when I was a kid we would just go to the farm.” They cut in a brief shot of her as a child startled by the “Moo” by a cow. “No seriously, where are you guys going?” As the kids in the class yell, “Ni Hao!” she looks to the front of the room and sees a large monitor showing Chinese kids in a classroom shouting and waving back “live” to the class that Ellen is visiting.

The commercial ends with the tag line “The NEW Classroom.“  The irony is that the two classrooms depicted in the commercial are about as 19th century as they can get — wooden desks, blackboards, and no electronics other than the monitor we see. But what we also see in this commercial are walls coming down, barriers being broken, and students having an opportunity to expand their thinking by meeting new cultures and discovering other worlds. And all this is made possible through a “NEW” application of video conferencing technology.

So is it really possible that your kids could take field trips to China from their classrooms?   Will video conferencing be as commonplace as the telephone?  Well, while some continue to sit back and evaluate the technology, many others are jumping on board, at record rates.  A major video conferencing manufacturer has stated that the market for video conferencing is predicted to expand from the current $5 billion per year to $34 billion annually in the next five years! If that’s the case, then you may well find yourself on board in the next few years, if you aren’t already.

Naturally, many questions arise.  What will it look like for me?  How will we adapt?  How will it affect our businesses, our homes, and our children’s education?  As we ponder these questions, we may discover a few reasons that some have hesitated to jump in with both feet.  I have a few theories: 

• The Economy: In this economy, it is hard to justify any new expenditure.  You might not justify replacing a “couple of meetings a month” for the price of the technology.  Sure, you vote “Green”; but really, isn’t it kind of nice to get out of the office two times a month?
• Video Address Book: OK, you are ready to adopt the technology; but what about your satellite office, your client?  This is not a one-way street.  You need to have people to talk to on the other end.
• Camera Shy: You don’t want to be “on camera.”  If you wanted to see yourself on camera you would have gone into broadcasting in college. Why would you now want to see yourself with the “camera ten” … the ten pounds that the camera seems to add, that is.

You get the picture (pun intended).  Implementing video conferencing involves making changes, and adapting to a new form of communication.  Nevertheless, the schools and corporations that have implemented video conferencing have seen a strong return on their investment (ROI).  Most have experienced an ROI even in the first year, just by changing a few offsite meetings to video calls!  Compelling, right?  There are many more uses and benefits of video communication. Here are some examples:

• Recording training sessions for playback later.  The HR department can conduct regular trainings for staff onsite and off.  The meeting can be broadcast to all participants, then recorded for playback for all who missed it or who want to review.
• Meeting and “seeing” clients, vendors, and employees remotely before meeting in person.  It’s often valuable, sometimes invaluable, to see others’ expressions, catch their mannerisms, and interpret their intentions.
• Conducting interviews without having to pay travel expenses for interviewees.
• Creating expanded learning and training opportunities, by connecting with outside resources. 
• Reviewing a product through video, before touching it, can cut R&D time in half.
• Making live announcements to all your staff, as with PowerPoint support.  Talk to employees in your conference rooms, at their desktops, and on the road.

Yes, video conferencing has landed.  It can open up possibilities and communication that was not convenient or cost-effective before.  And it does expand connections and understanding sooner, as in that commercial with the “field trip” to China.  The time is now to take our current way of communicating, meeting, training, sharing, and researching, and create a “New Normal.”

Vistage Group Member Susan Holguin is CEO/Founder of Vizual Symphony, Inc. (www.vizualsymphony.com). CLICK HERE for a PDF sheet about their ACT IV Mobile Conference System.

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