What to Consider Before Choosing a Videoconferencing System
With many businesses keen to save money and reduce their carbon footprint, videoconferencing is quickly becoming commonplace in meeting rooms around the world. But with hundreds of different hardware and software options available, how do you know you’re making the right choice? We’ve compiled this list of important factors to consider before integrating a videoconferencing system to help you make the right choice for your requirements.
Size of the Room
Meeting rooms can range from a small huddle room all the way to a large conference hall, and videoconferencing systems aren’t one-size-fits-all. For larger meeting spaces, a high quality camera and large screen will be needed so that all attendees can see and be seen by the callers. For smaller rooms, a wide-angle camera such as the Lifesize Icon 300 is a great fit, as it’s larger field-of-view makes sure that all participants can be seen, even if they’re all sat close up to the camera.
Number of Participants
If you’re expecting a lot of attendees in your video conference meetings, you need to think about camera and microphone quality. With the ever-growing popularity of videoconferencing in recent years, there are hundreds of different cameras and mics to choose from. As covered above, the camera you choose will mostly depend on the size of the room, but when it comes to microphones, the right solution is crucial for sound quality. A great option for all room sizes is the Nureva HDL300, which creates a virtual microphone array that ensures sound pickup from anywhere in the room.
Quality
Quality doesn’t always come down to the hardware, software plays an important role in an efficient video call. With so many providers of videoconferencing software, you need to think about how important audio and video quality is to you. For higher budgets, there are providers offering effortless 4K videoconferencing solutions that can support multiple users on the same call. For lower budgets there are of course, lower quality solutions available with less features included. So look around and request a demonstration from a few providers to see which solution best fits your budget and requirements.
Where the Calls Take Place
If your videoconferencing only ever takes place in one meeting room, calling participants in another meeting room, you have numerous full room solutions to choose from that can transform your space and turn it into a complete communication hub. However, video conference calls aren’t always one meeting room to another. A lot of videoconferencing takes place on-the-go on laptops, tablets and mobile devices, so you need to look into software that supports a range of devices and operating systems.
Collaboration
Video conference calls are often used to remotely collaborate with others, meaning you need a videoconferencing system that’s designed to help make things easier. A lot of software supports collaboration by allowing live document sharing and editing by participants of the call, so everyone can see, discuss and edit files on-screen with each other in realtime.
Our Solutions
Get in touch to discuss your videoconferencing requirements, we have been designing and installing videoconferencing solutions for over 13 years so we can provide a range of options and offer expert advice on getting the right solution. Give us a call on 0800 368 7358 to request a free demonstration of our videoconferencing systems and software.