Video conferencing technology has enabled us to seamlessly connect face to face with people all over the world. Its usage has exploded in recent years and become a fundamental tool for global companies. In fact, almost 50% of respondents in a recent survey cited an increase in video usage at work compared to just two years ago. Chances are you’ve used video conferencing at some point in the past few years to connect with coworkers, clients or potential customers, but you still may not fully understand the different types of video conferencing and their real-world usage. In this blog, we break down the four types of video conferencing, talk about industry-specific use cases and show you the best video conferencing solutions for each industry.
4 Types of Video Conferencing
Among the most common and major types of video conferencing are 1:1 conversations, internal video calls/team meetings, external video calls with a customer or vendor and large, all-hands meetings.
1. 1:1 conversations
Perhaps the most common and intimate way people use video conferencing is through one-on-one video calls. This allows managers to effectively manage remote employees and have private one-on-one video chats. In addition, video conferencing is a cost-effective way to conduct a first-round interview with a potential employee, saving time and travel costs. Unlike phone calls, a one-on-one video conference call gives you the advantage of seeing the person you’re interviewing and picking up on nonverbal communication. Things like facial expressions, posture, gestures and tone of voice help you determine the credibility and trustworthiness of the person you’re interviewing.
2. Internal video calls/team meetings
Internal video meetings are essential for keeping all team members in the loop, especially for companies that have remote employees and more than one office location. Face-to-face team meetings let you connect with your team members on a deeper level and help create a collaborative and stimulating environment to ensure everyone on your team is being seen and heard while working together as one unit.
3. External video calls/customer and vendor relationships
It’s obvious that it’s easier to build better client relationships when you can see them face to face. When meeting with customers and outside vendors in person isn’t an option, video conferencing provides a great alternative. The face-to-face connection allows you to be present and engaged in the meeting and build deeper relationships, regardless of your physical location. External video calls also works well for call center customers services with ACD systems your call agents can rely on.
4. Large/all-hands meetings
Town halls and all-hands video conferencing meetings generally take place in large meeting spaces and auditoriums with a number of remote employees calling in. These meetings are often held on a recurring basis as a means of keeping all employees up to date on important events and milestones in the company. Video conferencing makes it possible for remote offices and employees to call into the meeting to ensure everyone is informed of companywide updates and working together toward the same common goals.
Video Conferencing for Different Industries
Whether you work for a small startup, a federal government or a global media conglomerate, you need an easy way to meet, collaborate and share ideas — and the best video conferencing equipment to do so. Here’s how organizations across a wide range of industries have implemented video conferencing to solve their unique communication challenges.
Video conferencing for banking and finance
More than most industries, banking and financial services revolve around establishing and maintaining trust. There’s no substitute for looking someone in the eyes while making some of life’s most critical decisions and business deals. Video conferencing removes the burden of traveling while still empowering your teams with authentic, relationship-building, face-to-face conversations.
The Lifesize® Icon 700™ is perfect for connecting with employees, investors, board members and partners located anywhere. The best quality in the industry gives you a more meaningful face-to-face connection and makes you feel like you’re in the same room with the people on the video conference call.
Video conferencing for education
Video conferencing technology has revolutionized education and schools by bringing the best learning opportunities from around the world to your classroom. From visiting world-renowned museums to learning about the stars from astronauts who have seen them from space, video conferencing in the classroom facilitates incredible, interactive learning experiences.
For large classrooms like lecture halls and auditoriums, the Lifesize® Icon 800™ is the perfect fit. The multiple audio and video inputs let you connect multiple devices to drive an immersive classroom experience.
Video conferencing for global business and technology
Whether collaborating with internal teams or with partners and customers, global businesses rely on video conferencing to share information, solve problems and make decisions quickly. Video conferencing technology has drastically cut travel costs and time waste associated with in-person meetings. Your teams can now collaborate easily and cost-effectively across offices and with remote workers, keeping projects on time and the business moving forward.
Lifesize makes connecting with your clients and potential customers easier than ever before. With a single click of a meeting invite link, anyone can join a video conference call right from their browsers on their mobile phones, tablets or laptops without having to download an app.
Video conferencing for government and public sector
For government agencies and public sector institutions, video conferencing provides a cost-efficient way to extend the reach of your programs while delivering an authentic way to stay connected with your teams and partners. Video conferencing technology connects office workers and field staff instantly, creating operational efficiency and strengthening relationships along the way.
Government agencies around the world need video conferencing products that meet rigorous government security, interoperability and performance requirements. Lifesize uses best-of-breed data centers with independent third-party security and privacy certifications to ensure the most secure and reliable foundation possible for government agencies and public sector institutions.
Video conferencing for health care
Telehealth has completely transformed the health care industry. Immobile patients or patients who live in remote areas can receive medical care and be monitored from the comfort of home via a computer or a smart device while still benefiting from face-to-face appointments with the physicians they trust through telehealth video conferencing. Likewise, physicians who manage multiple clinics can use video conferencing to connect with nurses and support staff without having to commute between locations.
When dealing with sensitive patient information, data privacy should be your top concern. Lifesize has aligned its products, policies and procedures to support customers in accordance with HIPAA privacy and security rules.
Video conferencing for legal professionals and law offices
In the legal world, efficient collaboration can make or break a case. From communicating with colleagues, experts or witnesses to working with or preparing clients, effective interaction is crucial for success. Video conferencing lets teams of attorneys meet, prepare documents together, converse with clients and witnesses, train on new procedures or protocols and participate in executive briefings from the comfort and convenience of their own offices in real time — all without spending valuable time traveling.
Only Lifesize supports 4K video conferencing for the clearest, most impressive video and content sharing clarity to strengthen client relationships with more meaningful face-to-face communication.
Video conferencing for manufacturing
To manage global operations efficiently, manufacturing companies need quick and easy access to their worldwide resource and supplier base. Video conferencing enables real-time virtual product reviews with remote plants. This is a dramatic time saver compared to shipping products for in-person feedback. From procurement to engineering to final product review, video conferencing improves manufacturing efficiency every step of the way.
Lifesize lets you share fine levels of details with partners and customers every stage of the manufacturing process with full-motion 4K content sharing.
Video conferencing for entertainment
For media and entertainment businesses, video conferencing solutions keep collaboration moving as simply and cost-effectively as possible so you can complete and promote your latest project without adding travel to an already packed schedule. Casting calls and auditions no longer need to happen at just one location or in person. Potential actors can meet with interviewers over a video conference call, and the interviews can be recorded and live-streamed for future playback — leading to a more efficient casting process and a significantly smaller bottom line.
Lifesize Record and Share lets you record auditions and interviews and instantly saves them to your personal recordings library to review at a later time or to share with external stakeholders.
Video conferencing for oil, gas and energy
For businesses in the oil, natural gas and energy industry, efficiency is key. Whether you are trying to cost-effectively communicate with workers in the field or manage teams through crisis conditions, seamless collaboration is a necessity. Video conferencing technology connects office workers and field staff instantly, streamlining operations and reducing costs by eliminating the need for unnecessary travel.
With data centers in every major geography, Lifesize’s industry-leading global presence helps you connect with teams around the globe with 4K video and 4K full-motion content sharing quality.
Conclusion
As the globalization of all industries drives the future of small and enterprise companies alike, video conferencing technology is poised to be a necessary communication tool for years to come. Whether you’re having a one-on-one video call with a potential customer you’re meeting for the first time or hosting a companywide town hall with hundreds of remote employees calling in, Lifesize lets you meet face to face and connect on a deeper level in the most effortless and effective way possible.
