|
Home >
How Does
Video Conferencing Work
How does video conferencing work? A look at some of the basics of setting up a video conference
September 29, 2006
By: Lynn Marotta
Video conferencing is becoming more and more popular in
the workplace as a tool to conduct business meetings. You
have probably heard the term before, but you may still be
wondering what the exact meaning is and just how does video
conferencing work? Taking a few minutes to understand the
definition and the technology may open a completely new set
of possibilities for your business.
What is video conferencing? The definition of video
conferencing is a communication method that connects people
that are in different physical locations with video, audio,
and computer technology. Video conferencing creates a
meeting environment that allows you to interact face-to-face
with other meeting participants without having to be in the
same physical location.
There are two basic types of video conferences. A
point-to-point video conference takes place between
individuals in two separate locations. A multi-point video
conference on the other hand involves interaction between
individuals located in three or more different locations.
When you think about the possibility of being able to see
and talk to individuals from multiple different locations
together at one time, the possibilities are endless.
Setting up a video conference
Now that we have discussed the meaning of video
conferencing, let us look at the technology and setup
required to host a video conference. The most common method
used to connect individuals for a video conference is
through a computer network. The basic concept is that the
computer network acts as a central hub where all the
participants go to connect in to the conference.
There are two main ways of networking conference
participants to the central hub of the computer network to
participate in the video conference. These are through
either ISDN networks, or IP networks. An ISDN network
utilizes phone lines and an IP network consists of a
specific computer address accessed from the participant's
computer over the Internet. Both types of networks are
suitable, you will just need to decide which works best for
your organization depending on your specific needs.
Once you have determined which network configuration is
best for your company's needs you will need to consider
which audio and visual equipment you will utilize to conduct
your conferences. The basic pieces of equipment each
conference participant group will need include a monitor,
video or web camera, microphone, and speakers. All these
components often come together as a single dedicated video
conferencing system or you can put together your own system
by purchasing all of the components separately. The choice
really depends on your specific business needs.
The process of utilizing video conferencing technology
for your business can be as simple or advanced as you
desire. If you are new to the process and are not quite sure
of the benefits to your company, you can set up a simple
point-to-point video conference very inexpensively by
purchasing individual components. If however you need to
conduct a lot of corporate wide meetings or training
sessions, you may want to consider consulting a video
conferencing professional to set up a system to meet your
exact needs.
About the Author
Lynn Marotta is a successful freelance writer and
contributor to Video-Conferencing-Guide.com. Your definitive guide to everything you need to know about video driven communications, including multi-view video conferencing solutions for business, broadband video phones and personal webcam chat rooms.
Also See:
[
Live video
chat dating services -- video chat rooms for video dating ]
[ Video
teleconferencing in schools & benefits of video teleconferencing ]
[
Where to find room &
equipment rentals for video conferencing in Omaha, NE ]
Home Page:
[ Video-Conferencing-Guide.com ]
Related Articles
[ top of page ]
|
