Video communication, the easy way
More efficient
There are lots of arguments in favour of a more intensive use of video communication: a reduction in CO2 emissions, more efficient communication, a time gain, reduced travel expenses, etc. No wonder that managers and entrepreneurs are increasingly attracted by the possibilities it offers.
How about Skype?
You are, of course, familiar with Skype (http://www.skype.com/intl/en-gb/home), undeniably the most popular service for making phone calls online. However, the days that Skype merely offered Internet telephony are long gone, and today this program also features video conferencing. Since version 5 of Skype, you’re no longer confined to “one-to-one” communication: you can call up to four people simultaneously, including video. But this group video calling option (see http://www.skype.com/intl/en-gb/features/allfeatures/group-video-calls/) is not free. It requires a Skype Premium subscription, and this costs £4.99/month excl VAT, or £68.88 for an entire year. Alternatively, you can buy a day pass at £2.99.
Tip. Interestingly, only one of the participants in the video call needs a Premium subscription. The others can participate using their free Skype account. Group video calling is possible with up to ten people simultaneously, and you can see everyone in separate windows. However, Skype advises limiting this number to five to get the best quality picture.
Note. For intensive communication within your business, you can also choose the Skype Manager, a Web-based management tool which also allows you to organise group video calls.
Are there any alternatives?
In the past we also recommended Vidivic (http://www.vidivic.com), a service that allowed you to make group video calls with up to nine participants free of charge. Unfortunately, this service no longer exists. The same applies to Vawkr (http://www.vawkr.com), where you were able to organise video communication with up to four people simultaneously.
So we looked for a good alternative. And here it is: FaceFlow (http://www.faceflow.com). This webtool can also handle video calls with up to four people. None of the participants need to install anything, but they should all have a free account with FaceFlow.
Video conferences are launched in more or less the same way as with Skype: in your list of contacts, choose the first person and select the Video Call option. You can add the other participants via the Add People button. As soon as they confirm your invitation, their webcam window will appear on your screen. FaceFlow is still in the beta version, but it performed flawlessly during our tests. Moreover, this Web service is completely free to use. The only requirement is, as said, that all the participants should have a free FaceFlow account.
Contract out?
More and more companies contract their video communication out against payment these days, using the Managed Services of providers such as Talk & Vision (http://www.talkandvision.com).
Create your profile to unlock this advice and many more.