Most big businesses have become accustomed to using video conferencing. But, what are the video conferencing advantages, and do they outweigh the disadvantages? I have been for a long time a strong believer that video conferencing will never be able to match in quality the effects of a face to face meeting. I still believe that if it’s possible, very important decisions should only be taken in face to face meetings, because the dynamic of a conversation is much different in real life than in front of a computer screen. Still, I do understand that the advantages of video conferencing are enormous once you have a big business that involves having branches in different parts of the country or even the world. I have made a list of what I believe these advantages are, but I feel I must reiterate that video conferencing shouldn’t be applied in any situation, and that delicate decisions should always be made after meetings where people are actually standing in the same room. So, let’s see what the video conferencing advantages are:

1.    Less time wasted. From my point of view this is one of the most important video conferencing advantages. Time lost on traveling can very well be turned into time spent actually producing something. Of course, development in transportation methods makes it much easier for people to get from one place to the other, but unless a teleport system is invented it is unfeasible to ask somebody to travel around the globe for a meeting when you have the alternative of video conferencing, unless at the middle is a crucial decision for the company.

2.    Lower costs. From an economic point of view, video conferencing advantages are enormous. If you have to pay travel expenses, as well as hotels for the managers of all your local branches all around the country, you will see it’s no sum to sneeze at. So, from this point of view, organizing a video conference seems to be a good idea for weekly or monthly updates on the situation of every branch of your company.

3.    Instantly connect to anyone anywhere. Now that PC’s and Internet have become indispensable for any sort of business, it is pretty easy to get anybody, wherever they may be in the world in front of a webcam to organize a videoconference. So from this point of view, video conferencing is as commonplace as a telephone call.

4.    Decisions that have been made at headquarters can be easily transmitted to everybody who needs to apply them. Through videoconferencing it is very easy to transmit and make sure that your decision has been received as intended to anybody who is affected by it. This way you can avoid costly misunderstandings, as well as wasted time.

5.    Better coordination. One of the most important video conferencing advantages is the fact that you are able to better coordinate everybody in a position of power in your company. Coordination is probably one of the key differences between a successful and an unsuccessful company, so video conferencing can prove to be one of the most important tools at your disposal.

6.    There’s no limit to the number of participants. This is one of the greatest video conferencing advantages because you are don’t have to make individual calls to everybody who needs to get informed about the decision. At the same time, the possibility of simultaneous conversation greatly the time spent on reaching a decision.

7.    The conversation can be taped. Another advantage of video conferencing is the fact that it can be recorded and revisited anytime anyone has any uncertainties about the topics and problems discussed at the meeting. This will in effect save time while lowering the possibility of any misunderstandings.

8.    More comprehensive than a telephone call. Video conferencing is proving to be more and more popular than normal telephone calls. This is of course down to the fact that you can have a more life like conversation when you can see the persons face. You can understand more from the body language and subtle expressions on someone’s face than you can from just hearing his or her voice.

I believe that video conferencing advantages heavily outweigh the disadvantages. This doesn’t mean though that it will inevitably take the place of face to face conversations. I believe that no matter how good the technology gets, probably including 3D effects, so that you feel the person is in the same room with you, it will never come even close to all the subtleties that a face to face meeting produces. That doesn’t mean I’m not for video conferencing, I am just saying that it doesn’t apply in any situation.     

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