How Advances in Video Conferencing Technology Have Opened the Doors to International Business

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Just a few years ago, conducting business internationally was rife with annoyances and obstacles, from long, expensive plane trips and hotel stays to dealing with customs officials and even unruly locals. Now however, advances in video conferencing technology have made all of those inconveniences a thing of the past, and have opened many avenues for both small businesses and large corporations.

Here are some of the top changes in international business thanks to video conferencing technology.

24 Hour Accessibility

No longer do meetings have to be scheduled strictly during the office hours of the host. Organizers can work around the schedules of attendees if need be. This helps improve attendance rates and interaction. It also enables emergency meetings to be conducted extremely quickly, without having to book a hotel conference room and wait for attendees to arrive. With conferencing tools available on mobile devices, even more opportunities to stay connected abound, even when not at the office.

Real-Time Sharing and Collaboration

Modern video conferencing technology allows much more than mere conversations. Meeting attendees can share a plethora of documents, including PowerPoint presentations, spreadsheets, videos, PDFs and more. Some platforms even allow collaborative editing and commenting right on documents, boosting productivity by getting actual work done during the meeting itself, rather than simply talking about it.

New Markets

Since videoconferencing can allow someone to cross borders in an instant, virtually all over the world, new markets can be tapped into which might have been impossible to access before. The result is an expansion of business partnerships, greater networking power, plus a sharing of cultural and creative ideas between companies in two or more countries physically far apart.

More Personal Interaction

Telephone conference calls are a quick way to get an important message out and get feedback, but since attendees only hear each other and do not see each other, communication and interaction is somewhat hampered. Allowing conference attendees to connect a real, live face to a voice improves dialogue. It Is also extremely useful and important in the context of international business, where body language and facial expressions can more clearly communicate the intended message despite issues such as language barriers.

Dramatically Reduced Costs

International travel is reduced thanks to video conferencing, saving a large company potentially millions of dollars per year, as well as recovering the lost productivity from executives or salespeople sitting in airports or taxis waiting to get their destinations. Long distance charges are also eliminated with video conferencing platforms which use technology such as VoIP. It is estimated that the installation of a robust video conferencing solution in a corporate office will pay itself after just a few meetings thanks to the costs savings.

Expect video conferencing to become even more important for international business with the growth of smart phone and tablet use, making it even more convenient for attendees to join in regardless of where they happen to be.

About the Author:

Steven Chalmers’ illustrious career of freelance writing and owning a small tech business has afforded him the ability to continuously gain extensive knowledge of the tech industry. When he’s not writing, you can find him covering Intercall’s web conferencing services.