I have been following some (very lively) discussions lately and it occured to me that we might be losing sight of the real value of video, audio, data conferencing in our lives.
It is NOT all about super high definition video or audio (although good audio is important), and it is NOT about the most expensive, fanciest, room you can build (or sell to someone). Nope…
It IS about effective communication at a price YOU can afford. Communication that allows YOU to communicate anytime, with anyone, from anywhere. Communication that improves your life at work, at home, or at school.
You do NOT N-E-E-D super high definition to effectively communicate (you may want it, and if you can afford it…go for it), you just need to be able to effectively communicate at a cost that fits your budget and culture.
OK video is OK. Good audio is important (but HD audio is not…sorry). The ability to share data is important. The ability to connect to any device is important. Ease-of-use and the ability to work remotely as if you were face to face (“Hi, nice to meet you again, here are the documents I was talking about”) is important.
There are lots of great companies out there with lots to offer. YOU need to filter the sales pitches and buy, or implement, the video conferencing application that suits YOUR needs.
TechyMike: Technology Made Easy 