Top 3 Components in Choosing Your Video Conferencing System
Posted on Tue, Aug 03, 2010
Component #1 - Ease of Use
When evaluating which video solution to invest in, a very important element is how easy the system is to use. Meaning will your users be comfortable with scheduling a meeting, initiating a video call, and using the remote control to control the system during a meeting. The good news is that the systems for the 3 major vendors, Lifesize, Polycom and Tandberg have gotten easier to use over time. The other good news is that there is very little operation required once the call is established. The 3 elements that are key to ease of use are, making the connection, moving the camera, and sharing your PC content (if applicable).
We really like the way Lifesize has focused their attention on making their systems the easiest to use on the market. They have done this in a couple of ways. First off the Lifesize remote control has the fewest buttons on it, which helps reduce user anxiety and makes it easy to find the right button quickly. They have also put most of the actions a user would take on the screen with instructions on what button to push for a certain function. Those directions are also situation sensitive, so you get the most relevant options for immediate application.
We also really like the fact that Lifesize offers the best outlook integration for scheduling a video call which allows a user to schedule a meeting in outlook as they normally do and have the video systems automatically connect with each other at the appropriate time, so the users don’t even have to touch the remote when they walk into the room.
Lifesize also has an automatic PC sharing feature that auto starts your presentation as soon as you plug in the cable to your PC. Again there is no need to touch a remote and nothing additional to learn for the user. It really is plug and play.
When comparing the systems for purchase, play close attention to how easy it is to use. Insist on handling the remote during a demo so you can get a real feel for the operation of the system. Even better get a potential user to test drive the system and get feedback. Video conferencing solutions are designed to exceed user expectations with their ease of use and reliability. You will find a video conferencing solution that fits your organization's unique needs.
Read the other important 2 components in our blog posts
Author: Walter Somsel