Video is one of the most popular modes of communication in the world today. Offering a quick and easy way to align people through face-to-face conversations, video eliminates the need for travel. What’s more, with video, business leaders can engage employees anywhere.
You don’t need an in-person meeting or boardroom session to inspire productivity. Video will bring all of the nuances of a real-life discussion into the virtual world. It’s no wonder that Bloomberg estimates a value of $6.7 billion for video conferencing by 2025.
VCaaS, or Video Conferencing as a Service, brings together two crucial trends in the digital landscape. With VCaaS, companies can access all of the video technology they need through the cloud. There’s no need to host any complex technology in your office. Instead, all you need to do is click a button. If you have a camera and a microphone, you’re already halfway there.
Video Conferencing as a Service
Video conferencing “as a service” leverages the cloud go-to-market strategy. This solution means that you can buy a video conferencing service from a business, and use it however, you choose, from anything with a connection to the internet.
VCaaS tools are available to use on smartphones and tablets, multi-media desk phones, plug-and-play meeting room kits, and computers. The flexibility of this cloud-based service means that anyone can get involved. Even smaller businesses without an advanced tech team or a lot of budgets can use video.
VCaaS has increased in popularity in recent years, as legacy video infrastructure investments begin to reach end-of-life. Already, throughout the communication landscape, we’ve seen more companies making a move to cloud. Solutions for UC as a service and Contact Centre as a service are growing. Some vendors are even offering Communication Platform as a service strategies, to provide teams with more flexibility.
Video in the cloud follows the same model as those other “as a service” products. With nothing but a software subscription, you can access all the latest in video technology on the cloud. There are no complex installations or maintenance involved. Everything is handled for you, on the back-end.
Although VCaaS comes in many shapes and sizes, some of the most popular platforms share similar features, such as:
- Access to innovative tech: VCaaS can allow businesses to access things like custom backgrounds, and HD conferencing at the touch of a button.
- Hardware flexibility: It’s common for a VCaaS subscription to work with a wide selection of conferencing tools, meeting rooms, phones, and cameras.
- Simplicity: VCaaS is all about making video conferencing more accessible. Most of the time, you can start a conference with nothing but a link or a button press.
- Minimal maintenance: The VCaaS provider manages everything from security to updates. That means less work for your team.
- Integrations: VCaaS solutions can often work with existing tech in your stack, like UCaaS tools, and collaboration services.
The Video First Culture
The demand for VCaaS is supported, in part, by a growing need for video. Companies are increasingly relying on video to enable strategies for remote work and mobile employees. With video, it’s possible to build a productive and engaged workforce, without having anyone in your office.
As studies from Stanford and other leading entities continue to prove the value of remote working, the need for video will continue. What’s more, a cloud platform for video will be more important too. The cloud will give businesses the flexibility they need to upgrade their video solutions whenever and however they choose.
For some businesses, this could mean embracing things like 4K and HD conferencing for mobile workers when 5G is a more realistic tool. For others, it could mean having the freedom to explore things like virtual assistants for arranging video meetings, or computer vision for recognising meeting attendees. There’s even room in the future for VCaaS solutions that enable VR and AR.
At the same time, video conferencing as a service also allows modern businesses to access the exact technology they need, for a price that they can afford. Rather than paying for a complicated system that you may only occasionally use, you can add and remove features to your video system, such as:
- Specialist services for AI analytics and machine learning
- Integrations with collaboration and scheduling tools
- Support for screen and file sharing
- Webinar and broadcasting support
- Access to high-definition streaming
- Support for huddle rooms and agile meeting rooms
Looking to the Future of VCaaS
VCaaS, or video conferencing as a service, ensures that businesses of all sizes can discover the benefits of video for themselves. This means tapping into video for better collaboration between team members, and improved training for your remote resources. It can also mean using video as a way to connect with employees and host business-wide webinars for global organizations.
In some environments, companies are even beginning to explore video as an alternative channel for customer service. Particularly in the B2B landscape, access to the right VCaaS tools can allow companies to present meaningful and rich demonstrations to possible clients. All the while, these professional virtual meeting rooms reduce the need for expensive travel and in-person meetings.
VCaaS brings benefits like flexibility through interoperability, and automatic updates to the communication and collaboration landscape, so that businesses can focus more on the conversation. When you have a VCaaS vendor handling the back-end of your video strategy, you have more time to concentrate on engaging and supporting your team.
As we head into the future of VCaaS, cloud-based technology will continue to ease the pains of complicated legacy technology, while opening the door to the next generation. Video tools will come with virtual assistants and AI built-in so that companies can get better insights into their conversations. HD and VR meetings will become a more realistic option for everyone.
In an age where video-first cultures are spreading like wildfire, only VCaaS can give modern companies the flexibility and scale they need. VCaaS is the video solution that grows with you.
