Smbs To Propel Growth Of Video Conferencing

According to a report by research house Frost & Sullivan

, the video conferencing sector of Asia Pacific will experience a substantial rise as Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs) realise its potential for improving collaboration. In the last 3-5 years, vendors have begun developing unique video conferencing solutions that were meant only for SMBs. Moreover, the adoption rate of this type of collaboration solution has also increased as the segment contributed to over 30 to 40 per cent of the international video conferencing market in 2011, as compared to less than 20 per cent in the previous years. Moreover, according to Frost & Sullivan, this figure will rise to a stupendous 50 to 70 per cent in the coming 3 to 4 years.

The growth rate has picked up in the past few years as the traditional perception of SMB segment has undergone a change. Now, vendors provide hosted video conferencing suites that can be just as feature-rich as the ones used by large companies, but at cost effective rates. For example, ArkadinOneplace, an all-in-one audio web video conferencing solution, has integrated video for facilitating face to face communication between users. This solution facilitates virtual remote collaboration at cost effective rates with a host of features, such as HD video calls, file transfer and Hi-Fi audio.

Another notable factor that is driving the rate of adoption of video conferencing in SMBs upwards is the trickle down effect. Large enterprises that are using such solutions on a large scale are talking about their substantial benefits, such as lower travelling costs and reduced carbon footprint, which is an attractive proposition for SMBs that are aspiring to join the big league. With information about the features, applications and benefits of such hosted products reaching many SMBs based in Asia Pacific, the result is higher deployment of lower end, cost effective video-based collaboration solutions, according to a senior analyst at Ovum.

However, adoption of video conferencing in SMBs has its own set of problems and barriers. The biggest challenge is the cost involved, since the setup requires considerable IT as well as network resources, which can prove to be quite expensive for many SMBs in Asia Pacific. Moreover, the initial setup cost is not the only expense involved, as running costs, maintenance and support costs as well as bandwidth requirements also become a burden to the users. However, hosted solutions and billing plans like Arkadin OneRate calls can provide the perfect solution to such issues by lowering running costs substantially while delivering the same business benefits.

Another concern for SMBs looking to deploy video conferencing for virtual collaboration is interoperability. Enterprises of all sizes now use communication tools using variegated channels, including desktop, browser and mobile devices. Thus, it is essential that the video conferencing solutions used by SMBs are compatible with a host of gadgets. With the advent of dedicated apps for all applications on popular collaboration platforms, interoperability has become a reality even for the employees of SMBs. The challenge of high bandwidth consumption can be tackled with advancements in technologies as High Definition will take up less bandwidth to be transmitted in coming times. Therefore, the video conferencing market seems set to grow at a rapid pace due to the increase in adoption by the SMB segment.

by: Lee Mark

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