3. Cloud Computing
While companies may have previously been interested in videoconferencing technology, many did not want the hassles that come with deploying and managing the videoconferencing infrastructure. Enter cloud-based services, offering SMBs a wide range of videoconferencing options.
On the low end are companies like ooVoo, Skype, Vidyo, and Vivu, whose services can be free. Vendors such as AT&T, BT, Cisco, and Verizon are pushing more sophisticated conferences, which cost about $10 to $50 per user, per month.
4. Improved Video Quality
What good is a conference if one can't clearly see the participants or their materials? "Previously, issues such as latency interfered with video transmissions," noted Jonathan Edwards, a research analyst at International Data Corp. With the emergence of low cost, high-definition systems and the availability of more network bandwidth, companies now find that video quality -- even with the low-end systems -- is quite acceptable, in most cases.
5. Simplified Conferencing Systems
Traditionally, the underlying infrastructure was proprietary, cumbersome to deploy, and difficult to use. Not anymore. Users can now start a video session by clicking on a link in a meeting invitation, accessing a permanent link on a corporate intranet, or entering an address in a videoconferencing system's directory.
Subsea cable alternatives can provide a level of comfort for those concerned about disruptions. Realistically, they will continue to play a small, but critical role in the short term.
Maintaining existing network infrastructures often incurs huge technical debt before newer technologies are adopted over time.
Amid ongoing regional uncertainties, telecom infrastructure in the Middle East has expand to include terrestrial low-latency network infrastructure, which offers resilience and agility in navigating political complexities without relying solely on undersea networks.
