Video conferencing moving to smart gadgets, influenced by social networks

The rise in popularity of social networking over the past few years has meant that web based video conferencing is now moving away from the boardroom and on to handheld gadgets such as smartphones and tablets, according to an industry expert.

Thep Ritrangkla, regional manager of Polycom Thailand, told the Bangkok Post that the success of the likes of Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Google+ alongside the astronomical sales of smart wireless devices means that demand for conferencing facilities is being reshaped.

The company is taking advantage of this through its real-presence cloud software which allows contacts from social media networks and business email to be included in a video call.

Mr Ritrangkla explained that in the past conferencing would have just been used with an internal system, however, it is now possible to expand the service to any IP telephony connection to dial in to suppliers, partners and customers.

He turned to a recent survey by Wainhouse Research which revealed that almost three-quarters of respondents said that they used a PC of laptop as their primary device for video conferencing, while the rest opted to use their smartphone or tablet.

And it is these smart devices which are set to take a chunk out of the PC and laptop share over the course of the next year, with "on the move" desktop video conferencing at airports, hotels and train stations becoming just as popular as the boardroom for hosting calls.

Online video conferencing could also be set to grow in the recruitment sphere, with consultants carrying out interviews with applicants via specialist software. Websites such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook are being used to promote job opportunities, and it is this social media influence which Mr Ritrangkla referred to which could see this sector change for good.

In the future, customer services departments might also make use of video calls to answer queries of customers and carry out product demonstrations before they then buy online.

Article Source: Video conferencing moving to smart gadgets, influenced by social networks