Video Conferencing - The Impact On People And Businesses

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What’s the difference between Video Conferencing and Telepresence?

Telepresence picks up where video conferencing left off. Telepresence IS real time, full-high-definition, immersible sound and vision. Telepresence IS most importantly: the feeling of being “there” when you’re “here”. Telepresence is lifelike, video conferencing is not. Telepresence is that hi-line Mercedes AMG, video conferencing is a Ford Escort - Period.

Why Telepresence now?

Video conferencing has been around a while now but has always lacked the feeling we spoke about above. Jumpy computer screens, broken audio and poor lighting add to the impersonal touches of video conferencing (ie slow motion camcorder on top of your computer monitor). Finally, technology, bandwidth, vision and sound have all converged on video conferencing to create the telepresence experience. It’s about time! Crystal clear surround sound and real-time full-high-definition visual effects enhance the feeling of being there – thus telepresence. That nervous twitch, roll of the eyes, sniffle, tap of the foot – things you see when you’re present and sitting across a conference room table – things you don’t see or feel from video conferencing, but do with telepresence.

Today, what “real” uses are there for Telepresence?

There is no short answer even possible here. We’ll name a few, more like we’ll put your imagination to work. Imagine a single specialist doctor in Canada treating patients in Haiti via telepresence. Robots in space doing the actual work while the telepresence operator dons his telepresence helmet and gloves at his workstation in Texas. Meeting your Russian company vice president while you’re in the executive telepresence room at the office in Denver. Just a few…

What are “real” savings of Telepresence?

Your imagination still working on the last answer? Don’t let up yet! What carbon footprint? Don’t need that airplane ticket to go check on your staff in Russia now do you? What lost life in the Iraqi war? Unmanned drones and soldiers via telepresence. Military and combat cost savings? Immeasurable. Less travel costs, airline frustration, fuel, lost time, carbon emissions, etc. Those are tangible, real savings to name just a very limited few.

You starting to see what telepresence can do that video conferencing can’t? We hope you see what we’re seeing! Telepresence – its time has arrived!

Check out the video thread in Section 8 of the Telepresence Forum where you can watch some Telepresence YouTube videos! If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video must be worth a million!

Ride on the "Next Plane of Existence" TM

Video conferencing is considered to be one of the most effective forms of communication using electronic means.

Video conferencing utilizes a camera, a microphone and a connection, which can be via phone lines or through the Internet to allow people to communicate both orally and visually. Today, video conferencing has become very effective, because of the deep penetration of the Internet. Add to this, the decreasing prices of video capture devices such as web cameras and you will easily find that video conferencing is now a household name.

When a large number of people want to communicate with each other, video conferencing makes it possible. When an organization wants to have an internal meeting of all its members, in which all its attendees are in different areas and are not able to reach the location of the meeting or in case it is not possible to bring them all in one location at all, what does it do so that all thse members can effectively communicate with each other in real-time?

It schedules a meeting through the use of video conferencing. With video conferencing, it is now possible for people who are aurally or vocally challenged, to communicate among themselves using sign language. These people can make use of a video conferencing service, even if both the parties have such vocal and aural problems.

Video conferencing solutions have had considerable impact in the area of education. The major impact of video conferencing has been in the area of distance education as well as in courses which are obscure and thus it is difficult to arrange teachers for them. Video conferencing allows the deployment of a centralized course and makes it possible for students to interact with the best teachers without the need to go to the places they teach at.

A number of universities in the United States provide the general public with access to recordings of video conferencing. Video conferencing also allows researchers to collaborate with each other from anywhere in the world to carry out their projects. You can find out more about video conferencing and webcasts at http://www.whatisawebcast.com

Video conferencing has also significantly contributed to the field of health care. Video conferencing has made telemedicine and telenursing a reality. It has also made it possible to optimally use health care funds in rural areas. Through the use of video conferencing technologies it is now possible for doctors to communicate and discuss cases with each other.

Business however is the area which has been radically impacted by the video conferencing technologies. With the globalization of businesses and their top brass spread all over the world it has become more and more difficult to synchronize the work flow in companies. Thanks to video conferencing, however, now these businesses are able to function in a smooth manner and especially their sales departments, whose personnel are always on the go as they are now able to telecommute to work.

Video conferencing has made the process of communications both economical and effective for people and businesses around the world.

Article by Dean Forster of http://www.whatisawebcast.com . You can find out more about webcasts and video conferencing technology at => Streaming Video