Like any large scale business decision, choosing a supplier for your video meeting software should be taken with care and planning. Video conferencing technology has evolved so much that there are now numerous options on the market which makes the decision that much harder.
The most important question to ask yourself is what each piece of software or equipment can do for your business and customers. Here are the most important factors to look out for when choosing software for your office:
1. Value for Money
The most important question to ask yourself is what each piece of software or equipment can do for your business and customers. Here are the most important factors to look out for when choosing software for your office:
About Tech recommends that the first thing you should think about when choosing your software is your company’s budget. There are free video meeting providers, but those are designed mostly for personal use and one-on-one calls and aren’t versatile enough for businesses or multi-user conferences. It also isn’t a good idea to go for the cheapest option on the market. A better idea is to decide upon your budget first of all and then compare each option to your budget to decide which one is the best value for money.
If another system meets your budget but has additions you probably won’t need, you can go for the slightly more affordable option and save your budget for something else. If one supplier requires a large payment for important upgrades on top of a monthly subscription, this is a red flag that they should be avoided. Don’t forget to consider additional upgrades into your budget, as detailed below.
2. Existing Equipment
Once you have some idea of the options available to you, it is worth considering what equipment and office set up you already have and if it can support modern conferencing software. Technology updates so quickly today that it can become easy to be left behind, which is costly. A slower internet connection might not be able to keep up, for example, and an outdated webcam might not provide the video quality you need to impress clients.
It might be worth updating your outdated tech to keep up with new trends and make the most out of your system.
3. Ease of Use
Not everybody is as familiar with technology as IT professionals are. Even with modern upgrades making video conferencing easier and more common, some people are still not used to it and may feel that it is beyond their capabilities. This could potentially put off new clients or customers. Choosing a system which is not only versatile but user friendly for even the biggest technophobes will be a huge asset as you can assure new users that they will have no trouble using your system. Video conferencing vendors such as BlueJeans are designed for easy access, are compatible with practically every system and device, and are upgrading all the time, so you won’t have any excuses not to use them.
The last thing you want when introducing a new client is to tell them that their device isn’t compatible with your software. They will be much more impressed if they can make a high quality call to you with only a few mouse clicks.
4. Security
This is a prime concern for any user, and especially for businesses who may be conducting financial deals through video conferencing. Look at the websites for each vendor to see what security features they use to ensure that calls stay private and any files shared cannot be hacked. It is also worth checking out online reviews or word of mouth recommendations to see if any other users have had security issues. If you can’t find any complaints, then that is a good sign that the system has trustworthy security features.
5. Customer Service and Technical Support
Even in the IT sector, things can go wrong and tech support will need to be called in to fix them. This is why it is also worth considering what support is offered by each supplier and how quickly and efficiently they can respond to queries. Most problems are caused by mitigating circumstances such as bad weather knocking out a signal, but even then you want your software up and running as quickly as possible.
Again, it is worth checking with other users to see what experiences they have had. Another good indication of customer service is to send some queries about the system you are considering and see how long it takes for the company to respond and how helpful their information is.
The sheer amount of video conferencing vendors all fighting for attention can seem daunting at first, but using careful consideration, sticking to a budget, and deciding on what features you need will make the process of choosing the right one for your business much easier.
Just like choosing the best employee or the best piece of hardware, instinct will tell you which system has the best features, the best security, and the best customer service support.