Managing a Video Conference

2007-03-08 10:33:40

( Telephony )



A video conference is a telecommunications tool that allows a meeting to take place in one or more locations using two-way audio and video transmissions. A video conference allows for one to conduct presentations, demonstrations, and online lectures with people from other parts of the country or even the world. This eliminates inconvenience of having to ask the attendees to travel to a certain destination for the meeting.

In order to conduct a video conference, one needs to have certain equipment such as a video or web camera, a computer monitor or television, microphone, loudspeakers associated with display devices, an analog or digital phone (preferably using Polycom conference phones which provide clear audio reception), LAN or internet connection and a codec which is a software that compresses audio and video streams.

Some companies opt to lease video conference rooms or a video conference facility when a scheduled meeting occurs because there is a lot of equipment required to set up a video conference, let alone the time needed to set it all up; however, this is usually not the case. There are video conference systems that are readily available in the market:

Dedicated systems have all the components in order to conduct a web video conference combined in one single piece of equipment. It has a built in remote controlled video camera that is capable of audiovisual adjustments.

A desktop system can be added to your computer such as a web camera, microphone and the needed codec (the audio and video compression software) and transmission interfaces to convert it to a video conference system.

If one needs to conduct a video conference in three or more locations, one will need to use a Multipoint Control Unit (MCU). It is similar to an audio conference bridge whereby its function is to connect all calls originating from different places. All parties need to call the MCU in order to access the audio of the video conference.

Video conferencing has made a big impact in the medical world where medical practitioners have found it convenient to send, transmit or exchange medical data on diagnosis and consultations of their patients in real time. Physicians and nurses also use video conferencing as a tool to communicate with each other and discuss certain procedures in an emergency, when doctors are located in remote places, and thus save lives.


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