On Premise Video Conference Buyer's Guide

By Catherine Hensley
Updated: May 16, 2011

As companies increasingly do business with colleagues and clients around the world, telecommunications technology like video conferencing is revolutionizing the way people stay connected. With video conference software and equipment, personnel who would otherwise not be able to attend a meeting or presentation can simply log-in, watch, and participate in real-time. The convenience and affordability of this telecommuting tool have made it very popular with businesses that have multiple physical locations in a wide variety of geographical areas.

When you’re in the market for a video conference system, there are a lot of factors to consider before making your purchase, including cost constraints, features needed, and system compatibility requirements. Minimizing costs usually takes top priority, and one way many businesses do this is by investing in an on-premises video conference system. Rather than contracting with a host vendor every time a conference session is needed, the on-premises option gives businesses complete control over the equipment and use of the system whenever and wherever they need to use it.

Use this on premises video conference buyer’s guide to help you select the best system for your company’s teleconferencing needs and budget.

Budgetary Restraints

Many different levels of video conferencing software exist, and depending on your company’s budget and teleconferencing needs, there is sure to be a fit for your business. Companies with smaller budgets that are looking to connect small groups of employees should explore the wide array of free video conferencing tools, like Skype and SightSpeed. These options require only a basic desktop connection and an Internet protocol (IP connection). Companies with larger teleconferencing budgets can spare no expense customizing and outfitting their conference rooms on premises to broadcast large meetings and presentations.

Features

An on premises video conference system will give you maximum control over how many and what kind of features you employ. You can choose to completely outfit multiple conference rooms in your company’s locations or only a few strategically important rooms. You can also customize particular rooms with certain features (like HD monitors and microphones) while leaving other rooms less outfitted. Companies with varied types of physical structures will find this option very appealing.

System Compatibility

Once you’ve determined the cost constraints you’ll be working with and the features you need, it will be important to determine which system will work most smoothly with the technological and telecommunications infrastructure already in place at your company. The video conferencing software and equipment will need to be compatible with any existing hardware you’re planning to use in the conference set-up, including video monitors, speakers, microphones, and other related tools.

With so many options on the market for video conferencing systems, it can seem overwhelming trying to decide which is the best to choose. Make sure to consult your company’s budget, features needed, and system compatibility requirements before choosing your selection, and you’ll be guaranteed to get the most out of your on premises investment.

Featured Research