Let’s get on a Zoom call or join the Microsoft Teams meeting – these are the common phrases that people use daily at work. Video conferencing has been around for years to connect and collaborate with team members from different geographies.  The first glimpse of video conferencing dates back to 1956, when AT&T developed a picture phone. It used to send still pictures of the user in two-second intervals over a Public Switch Telephone Network (PSPN). Since then, several leading technology giants such as IBM and Apple built new video conferencing systems.

Today, internet penetration and high bandwidths have made real-time connections easy and convenient. In fact, after the pandemic, the usage of video conferencing has exploded. Zoom witnessed a 370% jump in sales, while Microsoft Teams added more than 145 million daily active users during the pandemic. The video conferencing market size is expected to reach $9.95 billion by 2028. It would be fair to say that we are living in the age of the Video Conference enterprise.

With most enterprises shifting to hybrid working, video conferencing will remain a prominent part of daily communication. It’s convenient and saves unnecessary expenses on travelling. It also improves collaboration and productivity as members across different geographies can do a simple share screen and get the work done together.

Applications such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams understand this development well and are innovating their products to make them useful for modern workplaces. Let’s look at some ongoing evolution developments happening in enterprise video conferencing.

Recent Developments In Enterprise Video Conferencing

1. Real-time engagement (RTE): Given the distance between the teams, keeping up the engagement throughout can be arduous. That’s why real-time engagement has become an essential feature in video conferencing tools. Whether it’s Zoom or Microsoft Teams, team members can send chat messages, interact with each other or 1:1, and even share documents in real-time with others. Features such as screen sharing and whiteboard encourage team members to engage more and contribute to the discussions.
2. Enhanced security: Team members share documents and critical data through these applications. Weak security policies could expose the enterprise to vulnerabilities and cyber-attacks. New-age video conferencing tools come with advanced security features. Enterprises can also set access controls to prevent unauthorized access and mitigate security risks.
3. Cloud-based communication: Cloud-based communication is quickly replacing on-premise communication tools. In fact, Microsoft has stopped offering support for Skype for Business – the on-premise enterprise video conferencing application in July 2021. They have replaced it with cloud-based Microsoft Teams. Cloud-based communication allows easy exchange of data in real-time. It is more convenient and requires minimal IT support. Enterprises don’t have to spend on separate infrastructure or hardware and can save on maintenance expenditure.
4. Integrations: There are so many video conferencing applications available in the market. Various users use different video conferencing applications. Buying separate licenses is an unnecessary expense. The new video conferencing applications allow seamless integration between different applications such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom. The users can easily switch between the applications and join meetings.
5. Compatibility with all devices: The new video conferencing applications are not just compatible with laptops and desktops, but can also be accessed through mobile devices and smart TV devices. That has simplified communications and allows the users to interact with each other from anywhere and at any time. With the right delivery partner, tight integrations can also be set up with your existing conference room infrastructure like speakerphones and projectors.

How Are Zoom And Microsoft Preparing For The New Normal?

1. Zoom

Last year, when Pfizer announced its vaccination for coronavirus, the stock prices of Zoom toppled by 17.4%. Zoom also reached market saturation as almost every individual had a Zoom account. Zoom started to focus on its new products, such as Zoom Rooms. For example, they integrated voice commands to control Zoom meetings without touching the shared room controller. Meetings can also be controlled using a mobile device or with voice commands. There is also a kiosk mode in Zoom Room that allows virtual receptionists to be present at different enterprise locations and interact with visitors and employees. These kiosks can also be customized to display messages. Teams can also see the number of people in the room and how long a particular meeting would continue to reserve the room accordingly. Apart from these developments, Zoom has also partnered with various hardware companies like Logitech, Poly Studio, and Neat to enable enterprises to get adapted to hybrid workplaces.

2. Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams has introduced new features that are suitable for the hybrid workplace. For example, team members can now co-create agendas, take notes, and assign tasks within Teams itself. The notes and agenda can be stored and shared with other members using digital note-taking apps such as OneNote. This enables both the remote workers and the in-office workers to collaborate and work efficiently. It has also upgraded interaction features such as chat, whiteboards, and live reactions.

How To Make Enterprise Video Conferencing A Part Of Your Enterprise?

Even before the pandemic hit the world, video conferencing had made work easier for enterprises. A 2019 Video Conferencing report revealed that 55% of enterprises using video conferencing confirmed improvement in collaboration and a 50% increase in innovation. Video conferencing can change organizational culture too. Today, we are seeing increased collaboration between the global workforce and remote teams. They feel as involved in the decision-making process as those present in physical offices. The credit goes to video conferencing and other collaborative tools. However, it’s important to build engagement and ensure seamless collaboration between enterprises.

Resurgent has been helping enterprises leverage the full potential of Zoom Rooms and Microsoft Teams for crucial meetings. By enabling centralized room management, setting up meeting rooms, and ensuring easy content sharing with all conference rooms using single hardware, we can help enterprises achieve the goal of having improved and productive meetings.

To know more about our video conferencing solutions, contact us.