Hurdles Remain In The Adoption of Video Conferencing

The popularity and prevalence of video conferencing systems in the business world has certainly grown in the past handful of years, but unfortunately many roadblocks yet remain in the path of making unified communications technology a truly strong and lasting presence. Many businesses still report hesitance to adopt the technology and cite a number of obstacles that make the integration of video conferencing and/or telepresence services a difficult task. A recent survey conducted by CompTIA, a nonprofit association related to the IT industry, shows that although 80 percent of companies are interested in unified communications, many are still struggling with the various difficulties associated with it. In their article on the subject, Fierce Enterprise Communications notes that the most prominent obstacle in the path of the adoption of this technology may be the user: “Just 27 percent of employees are extremely comfortable with the format, and video accounts for less than 10 percent of communications in companies where it is installed.” Before we tackle this, let’s take a look at some of the other common roadblocks in the way of video conferencing and unified communications solutions.

A primary point of focus in looking at problems related to VC is money. Budgets for communications solutions are not known to be extensive, and with the price of sophisticated technology, many businesses (especially those that are small- to medium-sized) will have significant trouble affording unified communications systems. However, because video conferencing technology cuts down substantially on costs related to travel, many businesses may find that it actually improves finances in the long run. It’s all a matter of working with initial amounts of spending to find the right solution that can benefit the business without causing a financial conundrum. Unfortunately, many businesses working with tight budgets will look to find solutions for other problems related to technology such as upgrading computers and getting in touch with stronger support systems for immediate technical assistance.

Another cited concern is the problem with integrating new technology with existing systems. Many businesses feel that the addition of unified communications tools will be difficult to incorporate because of the possible need to change service providers, computer systems, and more. But with the growing popularity of collaborative, multiplatform systems, this may not be a concern for long. Most businesses should be able to keep their current systems and improve upon them without much difficulty.

Despite the various concerns listed above, video conferencing has the potential to breach these barriers and push into the mainstream. In order to do so, service providers must continue to look for ways to offer low-cost solutions for communication that can be fully interoperable with a wide range of existing systems. They should also be concerned with developing strong mobile services for businesses with employees on-the-go. The best way to overcome obstacles and hesitance is through the development of stronger and more reliable products.

If video conferencing service providers can continue to create more efficient and accessible tools and services, then businesses may be willing to set aside their doubts about the technology and adopt it as a new form of communication.