Business travel cost is a nightmare for several organizations. The sales representatives are required to travel across the globe for meetings that ultimately result in more business for the organization, but regulating that cost is a serious concern for the admins and finance departments. It is primarily because the expenditure is a necessity. But what if you could just minimize that cost to nothing? What if your representatives could meet anyone around the world anytime without incurring any cost?

Technology has come a long way in the past few years and one of its fruitful offerings is Video Conferencing Solutions.

What is Video Conferencing?

Just like you carry out a conversation through your mobile devices across continents without paying a hefty amount, video conferencing is the technology that allows you to have a face to face conversation instead. Like any other technology, it has come a long way ever since the origin of its capabilities in the 1970s. Earlier, no standard protocols existed on which video conferencing could rely upon. It was an extremely expensive affair. However, with cloud technology coming in, we have extremely affordable networks. Interoperability of video teleconferencing systems is virtually guaranteed now that standards and protocols have been clearly established. This is the reason why many firms are now investing in video conferencing devices and replacing the way conferences and meetings were held traditionally. It allows the company officials to meet their clients anytime, without actually traveling to their location. In addition, they can also collaborate among themselves even when they are not present in the organization.

Which video conferencing solutions are right for your business?

Yes, it is extremely convenient and allows any organization to save a major expenditure on travel. But there are several providers in the market today which has opened up a stiff competition among them. This is partially beneficial for the customers but has also given rise to several queries:

• What solution will be the right one for my business?
• How is video conferencing different from remote desktop support or web meetings?
• Is video conferencing secure to discuss sensitive information?
• Which video conferencing solutions are available in the market for different room sizes including executive room, small meeting room, big conference room and auditoriums?
• Is there an instance where I can use video device over Wi-Fi?
• Can I replace my IP phone with video endpoint but still retain the same extension?
• I have no budget to buy a license for the multiparty feature but I need the service. Is there any other option I can explore?
• Can I use my Skype for business with Telepresence?
• Can I call my US and UK sales persons on their mobile devices via video device?
• How secure is video conferencing as a means of communication?
• If my video device went down, what will I use as the SLA and backup for my device?
• I’m having a problem connecting branch offices and meeting rooms within a single video call. How can I be helped?

These are a few of the questions that are asked by customers generally. It is difficult to answer them all by generalizing everything because every customer has a different requirement; they all have different architectures, different allocated spaces, and different budgets. To provide the perfect solution, any provider requires all the necessary details so they can analyze and suggest the best options.

Types of Video Conferencing Solutions

Board Room Video Solution

There is a wide range of solutions to all boardrooms ranging from the small (4 people) to the large (18 people) boardrooms. Products such as Cisco IX series, TX series and MX series will totally change the way you conduct your business meetings to face to face meetings at ZERO travel cost. This solution comes with some of the advanced features like Speaker Track & Presenter Track camera, HD video Quality, Screen-sharing, and presentation on different devices like smartphones, Laptops, and Tablets.

Desktop Video Solution

You can now convert your desktop into a smart workspace ideal for video/audio call, screen-sharing, and screen extension. Using Cisco EX, DX series and video phones you can connect to board room-meetings and Web call with just a click of a button.

Mobile Video Solution

A mobile video solution has opened a world of new opportunities for companies having a presence in remote locations, home-workers & customers. Cisco Jabber, WebEx, Cisco CMR and Spark solution have totally changed the way we interact with everyone.

Apart from being used for business purpose, the mobile solution will prove to be a big-time success for your educational and training verticals. It will be as easy for you as doing a call with ZERO implementation and connect to multiple people through a single call.

Video Wall

Convert your non-functional brick wall to video wall and share timely and accurate information related to our business using HD video wall.

Cloud Solution

Cloud-based video conferencing solutions are available for you depending on your industry requirement. With them, you can create your own personal meeting rooms and invite your customers and colleagues over a video conference without investing in any hardware.

It’s time to save your business meeting expenses.

A good provider will offer a free consultancy to all their consumers. They will listen to your requirements, understand them, analyze them and only then suggest you the right solution for your business segment. With a right solution, you can collaborate with your employees but also with your clients, anywhere and anytime.

Whenever you come across a business traveler walking around the airport, there are many thoughts that cross your mind. Let me begin by warning you, a lot of these might be wrong.

Business travelers face plenty of challenges. Always racing against time, they are constantly going from one airport to another, catching one flight to another. Lack of sleep, longer than expected working hours and sometimes even skipping meals are what a lot of travelers can tell about their trips. Naturally, it is not easy to cope up with such a routine and only the toughest manage to survive.

Traveling faces a lot of misconceptions. Here are some of the top of these.

1. It’s Always about Pleasures

Typically, whenever you hear of business travelers a lot of people think this trip is all about pleasures. Of course, all they can think about at that time is a paid trip, free air travel and all the other expenses.

It’s true that most of the companies pay for the entire trip. However, it’s way more than free meals and a stay at luxurious hotels. A business travel person often have to sacrifice a lot of their leisure time in order to meet deadlines and fulfill tasks.

2. They Travel in Style

It’s true that business travelers mostly have a charismatic personality and no matter how many insomniac days they’ve lived, they’d always travel in style. But the definition of style for many is entirely a different one. When you think of business travelers, you are automatically inclined to think that they must be traveling through the luxurious classes of the airline and staying at the most royal hotels.

The truth is, not many companies are able to afford this. Many business travelers commonly fly through the economy class and stay at the budgeted hotels.

3. Formal Clothing

It’s always desired to arrive at a meeting looking your best. However, the luggage restrictions can often make it hard to carry your best suit to a foreign land for the business meetings. It’s a huge relief that the businessmen all around the globe understand this restriction.

So the next time you’re eager to spot a traveler, they don’t always have to be in a suit to qualify as one. A fine looking pair of trousers and dress shirt would do an equally good job. A suit is no longer a qualification criterion of being a businessman.

4. A Lot of Work is Done

Of course, the trip is planned to get certain projects fulfilled. However, this is not always the case. Business traveling may not be always as successful as what the company has planned.

At times, business trips mean no work actually gets done. However, that trip might open more pathways to future successes. The trip might keep you very busy, but the company might not get the desired results.