September 2011 - Why video communications are coming of age...

It’s come a long way, but video communications technology – used effectively – could make a huge difference to your business, says John Masters.

Video communications, like mobile data, has taken a long time to come of age. There are several other parallels between the histories of the two technologies. In both cases it was a poor user experience that disappointed people but commentators made the mistake of questioning the underlying value proposition.

In the case of mobile data, some sceptics ridiculed the idea that people would want to access websites or data applications whilst walking around. However, as soon as Apple served up a mobile phone that delivered an effective user experience for data it became clear that people did in fact want information, connectivity and entertainment wherever they might be. Similarly the recently introduced very high quality and easy to use “immersive telepresence” video rooms from the likes of Cisco and Polycom have clearly demonstrated how popular video communications can be when done well.

Nearly all companies investing in this technology have reported very high adoption rates. Users confirm that it’s infinitely better to be in a telepresence meeting than it is to hold a telephone call. Of course this really shouldn’t surprise us because we all intuitively know that human visual communication is valuable. It is the key to the transmission of messages related to feelings and attitudes. However, the technology must provide an experience that allows us to do so without negative interference (such as lack of eye contact, poor lip sync, blurred or small images or an off-putting requirement to see yourself in a small image in the corner of the screen!).

Our desire to use our most powerful communication tool, the face, is most pronounced when we are engaged in complex and ambiguous interactions that are the staple of many businesses. Consequently innovations that provide a superior platform for these complex interactions can drive competitive advantage and increased productivity.

And the good news is that you can now deploy a reliable high definition video system on or in front of an executive’s desk for less than the cost of a single business class flight to New York. A system of this kind will accommodate use of your whiteboard and document sharing that a telephone clearly cannot. Moreover you’re no longer restricted to doing your business when a meeting room is available or when your diary next accommodates travel.

In addition, high end laptops are now able to power HD video calls and so when high specification cameras become available with USB connections, software based video will also be capable of accommodating the level of user experience that is so important to successful business communications.

Something else that regular video users really notice is the positive impact it has on relationships. This happens because video allows people to easily transmit emotional signals that are so important to driving relationships. For example, it’s hard to underestimate the power of a simple smile.

Industrial applications of video are also proving their worth as, for instance, engineers can collaborate between an innovation lab and a far-away factory floor and specialist surgeons can offer advice to local general surgeons despite being on the other side of the world.

In turn, these various applications of video allow businesses to consider alternative organisation structures. Homeworking may be far more viable and always on connections between some workers, as if in a “virtual open plan office”, can allow a more distributed structure. Some teams who currently have to sit in close proximity may now be able to accommodate remote colleagues from places that have pools of particular know-how or a lower cost base. A business may be able to avoid distributing certain specialists throughout their organisation as they could remain in either a central place or, in fact, any place.

Video has come a long way from being the unloved and unreliable screen that lurks at the end of the board room table. For many it’s a new strategic tool that is driving competitive advantage by facilitating powerful interaction without the need to be in the same room. When used effectively it can save time and money and improve relationships and innovation both within organisations and with partners and customers. It may even facilitate new consumer products and services as high quality video calling arrives in the living room. The key is to remember that while using video technology to incorporate valuable human visual communication between those that are not in the same room can be very powerful it must be done in a way that delivers a lifelike and natural user experience if it is to be widely adopted.

As featured in Brand Yorkshire - Issue 3 Sept / Oct 2011