Debra Schindler-Boultinghouse, President

Last week I looked a little at the mysterious “Cloud” floating out there…somewhere …that’s changing the way individuals and organizations communicate. In that post, I laid out some of the ways “Cloud”, or “hosted” solutions affect VoIP phone systems, as well as some of the positives and negatives of hosted VoIP.

Today, I want to go in a slightly different direction – and that’s to take a look at how the Cloud is adding options upon options to businesses and organizations in need of the face-to-face communication that video conferencing provides.

I’ll start by reinforcing the point that this blog isn’t intended to be a series of sales pitches…rather, it’s to inform customers and non-customers, strangers and friends, and to connect the Genesis family with all of those people! BUT, since I’m most familiar with the video conferencing solution we sell called LifeSize, that’s the product I’ll be basing this post on.

Since it was founded in 2003, LifeSize has been at the forefront of innovation, and Cloud-based video conferencing is no different. Today, along with in-office HD units, you have the option of what they’ve coined “LifeSize Connections”.

LifeSize Connections is a hosted solution that allows organizations the ability to turn any computer, and most mobile devices, into HD video conferencing terminals. That is, you could video chat (in 720p, no less!) from your iPhone with a business partner on her iPad, then bring in your assistant on his android. It’s an incredibly versatile solution for companies who don’t provide their employees a dedicated smart phone.

So what are the benefits and drawbacks of these options?

The benefits are plentiful. Like the VoIP hosted solution, it removes the responsibility for the nuts and bolts of the system’s equipment, so you don’t have to worry about (or pay for) upkeep. Similarly, it removes the stress that the high bandwidth requirements of videoconferencing can place on your server.

It’s also a great option for companies who aren’t willing or able to make a capital investment in the equipment, or companies that are growing quickly or expect to grow quickly, because you can add or remove licenses easily without restriction.

What about the negatives?

To be honest, there aren’t many. The main drawback to choosing hosted video conferencing is the loss of control, which is why many medium and large businesses choose to invest in the traditional structure. Another is the monthly fees, which can add up in the long-term. But there is a strong trend toward hosted video conferencing in our industry, and I don’t expect that to change too much in the near future. That being said, if there’s one thing I’ve learned from working in this industry for so long, it’s that you should never get too comfortable, because technology changes fast, and we’re all just along for the ride!

-By Debra Schindler-Boultinghouse