Video Conferencing,VaaS,VCaaS,VGaaS,VMR,Huddle Rooms,Video as a Service, Skype for Business,Polycom,Cisco,Virtual Meeting Rooms,VaaS Provider,VaaS VendorVideo conferencing has long been a sought after part of the business class UC mix. But with high quality, reliable live video streaming up until recently difficult and expensive to sustain, video has tended to find itself bundled in as part of the extra addons in UC packages, playing second fiddle to voice.
However, there are plenty who now feel it is time for video to step out from the shadows. Now that HD cameras are affordable and readily available, and broadband speeds can comfortably handle the transfer of real time video packets, consumer apps like Skype and Facebook Live have shown there is no shortage of demand for video communication.
The question is, can that translate into a business class solution? That is where a company like UCi2i steps in. Combining a video streaming software platform with a hosted cloud service business model, UCi2i offers Video as a Service – VaaS. For a monthly subscription, business users get unlimited point-to-point video calling plus the option of access to hosted Virtual Meeting Rooms (VMRs).
The system operates in much the same way as a virtual PBX system – each user gets their own contact address in lieu of a number, there is a browser based GUI for accessing contacts and making calls, with additional platforms and access points for video conferences. All of it is accessible from pretty much any device you choose.
So, should businesses be tempted to give a specialised hosted video service a try? Here are five reasons we can think of – see if you agree with them or not.
Get that Face-to-Face Feel
If we’re honest about it, video is probably an underused resource in business communications. Voice rules the roost, but that is mostly the result of long ingrained habits – for most of the past century, telephone has been the only option for real time communication. But there is plenty a telephone can’t do – in particular, it loses all of the nuance of body language and facial expression you get from face-to-face dialogue. Why else would most businesses still feel meetings are so important?
Video calling might not be able to completely replicate the subliminal, subconscious connections we make when talking to someone face-to-face, but it adds a lot more than voice. For building a rapport, conducting sensitive negotiations, coordinating a group, things are just that much more intuitive if you can see who you are talking to.
Unlimited Calls and Conferencing
The UCi2i subscription model makes the most of the cost efficiency of hosted cloud. For a monthly Connect license, you can make as many one-to-one video calls as you like. For a single FlexPort access license to the VMRs, you can join in as many video conferences as you like. Oh, and because the number of licenses is limitless, so is the potential conference size. So no call tariffs, no web conference platform charges, no user limits – just as much video as you want.
Plug In Existing Devices
UCi2i run their video applications via a browser based platform, V-Connect, which is designed to operate with pretty much any standards based device with a video camera and screen you can think of. It runs on Windows, Mac, iOS and Android, so can be used on a desktop PC, laptop, tablet or mobile. It also operates on SIP based endpoints, so if your business also uses video desk phones from the likes of Cisco, Polycom, Lifesize and Yealink, you can run V-Connect on them. In other words, no new hardware is needed at all, you can just use what you already have.
Use Your Favourite Platforms
If you are already a fan of video and have your own favourite video messaging platform, UCi2i allows you to run from that too. That applies to both Skype and Skype for Business, and any third party WebRTC video platform.
Let Someone Else Do the Hard Work
One of the great appeals of any hosted cloud service is that it takes all of the responsibility for installation, set up, configuration and maintenance out of your hands, and gives it to someone else. That is partly what you are paying the subscription for – for someone else to look after the system. Of course, with a cloud service like UCi2i there are no servers to install, no wires to run, no hardware to set up – they have the software platform all ready and waiting, all you have to do is sign up and log in.
UCi2i’s V-Desk support platform is available round the clock, 365 days a year, anywhere on the planet. As all maintenance and repair is done remotely, you don’t have to wait for an engineer to arrive. If you report a problem it gets dealt with quickly, and you are up and running again.
What do you think? Is VaaS something you could see your business using? What would be its advantages and disadvantages? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below, and feel free to share this article with friends and colleagues on social media.
This article is sponsored by
Read the UCi2i Video Conferencing as a Service Review here and request a Free Trial
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