Conference solutions have come into the mainstream over the past few years. Video conferencing solutions, in particular, are finding broad acceptance in Corporate America because they enable real-time, face-to-face communication.
As technology advances, so will conference solutions. 3G mobile applications is one of the latest vehicles for conference solutions, such as streaming, instant messaging, and scheduling. Indeed, the conferencing solutions market is skyrocketing.
According to Global Industry Analysis, the United States is the largest video conference solutions market in the world. It was worth an estimated $4 billion in 2007. Europe is the second largest market for video conference solutions, followed by Asia. The growth rate for video conference solutions is estimated at between 6 percent and 14 percent.
What’s more, the IP video conference solutions market is expected to be worth $1.2 billion by 2010 while IP video conference services are set to swell to $8.3 billion by 2010. Companies like AT&T, Alcatel-Lucent, Polycom, Sony, and Verizon are all competing for a slice of the conference solution pie.
So how do you choose the right conference solutions to fit your needs? You may not need video conference solutions. You may only need audio conference solutions. You can also choose web collaboration or online meeting services. The avenue you decide to take will dictate the equipment you need to have.
Let’s focus for a moment on video conference solutions. The cost of these conference solutions has dropped significantly in recent years. Simple video conference solutions don’t require much. You could get started with a webcam, a sound card, a microphone, some speakers and video conferencing software. The software is the most expensive part of the equation.
If you don’t need to meet face to face, you could choose conference solutions that are audio-only. In today’s market, there are several high quality conference solutions via telephone that are absolutely free. Some of these services even let you record the conversation so you can reference the group discussion later.
Web-based or online meetings are conference solutions that offer the ultimate in collaboration because you can view documents on another participant’s PC. No matter what conference solutions you decide to pursue, be sure to do some comparison shopping between vendors – even when it’s free.
