Now, more than ever, remote teams need a reliable, secure video conferencing solution. Whether you’re working fully remotely, or have flexibility between some staff being in the office and some working from home, chances are the past few months have got you thinking about the best way to get your team together virtually.
In a recent SkillScouter article, they revealed that:
Compared with just 2 years ago, 87% more people are choosing to use video conferencing currently. The growth rate of video conferencing is going to be substantially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic with 2020 seeing an unprecedented amount of video conferencing usage than ever before.
Many of us have turned to solutions such as Google Hangouts, Zoom and Skype to see us through these unprecedented times, and while we love these platforms, they don’t always offer the range of functions needed by many remote teams. While many options on the market can be pricey for a whole team, or might lack security, a managed video conferencing solution gives users the peace of mind to meet colleagues and customers confidently.
In this post, we’ll explore why a dedicated video conferencing tool could be a great investment for your business – especially when remote working is likely to become a long-term ‘new normal’ for so many of us.
A video service that’s customised to you
Assembly Managed Services offers video conferencing services involving popular services: Zoom, GoToMeeting, and Microsoft Teams. This means you can often work in the platform you’re used to (or a similar one) with the added benefit of increased security and functionality that is more closely personalised to your requirements. James Reilly, Head of Technology at Assembly Managed Services explains:
Zoom is an excellent product, but it’s not the only one. We design and build our solutions to suit our customers. We follow their criteria [which are] based upon suitability, operational practicability and commercial considerations.
Assembly Managed Services’ voice and video solutions allow your team to switch easily between a variety of communication methods, such as instant messaging, telephony and conferencing (voice and video). Crucially, we can actually reduce your operating costs as well. The mainstream platforms, if bought outright, aren’t cheap – with the cost mounting rapidly according to the number of team members and accounts you have.
Instead, we offer the option to combine your calls, lines, devices and video services into a bespoke Unified Communications (UC) solution. This will:
- Radically change how you do business
- Offer you genuine flexibility
- Arm you with a dynamic, 21st-century mobile working solution
- Provide you with an exceptional return on investment.
One of the key benefits of this model is that it is easy to use. A serviced video conferencing tool is intuitive and has a fuss-free set up. Too often businesses end up paying for features they won’t use, purely because it is ‘part of a package’ and there’s no opt-out option. Whereas, with a bespoke solution, the features included in your package can be closely matched to your needs. Not only that, but the quality of the product is far greater with a managed service, as Peter Smith, Managing Director at Assembly Managed Services highlights:
Our GoToMeeting application, for example, is provided with enhanced voice clarity by virtue of the world renowned Dolby Laboratories, creating an elevated conference room experience. It’s as close to being in the same room with a colleague or customer, as you can get, without actually doing so.
Video conferencing, although new to a lot of companies at the moment, isn’t a new service for Assembly Managed Services, who have more than 10 years’ experience offering it as a service. If you’re unsure how to manage costs and personalise your IT communication methods, then speaking to an expert might help you decide the best route for your business.
Is guidance and training included?
It’s not enough to merely download a video-calling software – top businesses need training so that their whole team can benefit from the investment. If you download a video conferencing platform, or have a vendor do this for you, and don’t get any consultancy alongside its use, you might feel apprehensive about how to get the most from the software’s included functionality.
With the Assembly Managed Services model, experts provide you with practical, logistical set-up, answering your questions as you learn. They’ll also equip you with recommendations about best practices and clever new ways to utilise your video conferencing platform that you might not have come across before. Peter Smith, highlights how the Assembly Managed Services solution works:
We offer support of the type that is peerless. We guide our customers through their selection choice, then deploy the training as no other organisation does. We know our customers don’t want to be stranded and left to it; they come to us because they require an end-to-end video conferencing solution, and that’s what we provide.
UC allows your team to switch seamlessly across a variety of communication methods such as instant messaging, conferencing, video and voice from pretty much anywhere. This convergence technology is transforming how companies do business, radically improving opportunities for collaboration, and operational effectiveness.
If something goes wrong, you probably don’t have the time and expertise to fix glitches. Whether it’s connectivity issues, or sound and display problems, we understand that businesses want clear advice – that isn’t riddled with impenetrable technical-jargon – at their fingertips (or the end of a phone line).
Who benefits from a dedicated video conferencing platform?
There are multiple uses for a video conferencing platform – and some that, even after months of navigating remote working, many businesses have not yet considered. Those who will feel the benefit of a managed service video solution most are likely to:
- Have previously over-spent on an ‘off the shelf’ model
- Find that their video solution doesn’t offer multiple communication methods in one bespoke package
- Desire a fast, secure and reliable connection
- Find collaboration is hindered across teams
- Feel anxious to offer customers the best experience possible
- Have plans to sustain a remote element at their business for the foreseeable future.
In this uncertain time, it’s more important than ever that businesses put customers front and centre. Customers will remember the businesses who stepped up and made communication a priority during the Covid-19 pandemic, so how are you going to sustain those relationships? James Reilly summarises the kinds of businesses that gain the most from this service:
Any company that has home working or remote employees, multi-site organisations and companies wishing to meet with their own suppliers and customers with enhanced communication will benefit from a dedicated video conferencing software.
Key takeaways
In times when we’ve never been more physically distant from one another, it is smooth communication, the ability to see and hear each other clearly, and the platforms that enable us to come together and collaborate that have emerged as truly indispensable.
If you’re looking for an integrated, personalised system that gives you better value and a provider that offers training while listening to your needs, then a managed service solution could be the perfect fit for your business. Don’t miss out on business opportunities and the chance to build lasting relationships with customers by way of inadequate communications systems letting you down; make plans to secure your business’ future now.
Talk to one of our specialists today to learn more about our remote working capabilities; how we’re bringing people, business and technology together; and what this means for you.
