A lot of uncertainties are plaguing countries and companies as they try and respond to the implications of the coronavirus (COVID-19).
Restricted travel and working-from-home are just a couple of tactics increasingly being put into place to combat the situation.
But this isn’t the first time such measures have been taken. And most likely, unfortunately, it won’t be the last.
With this in mind, now could be as good a time as ever to look at solidifying your company’s unified communications and videoconferencing strategies and infrastructure to help reduce your reliance on face-to-face meetings and people-at-their-desk work environments.
Having these communication capabilities nailed can help your company maintain during challenges like we’re facing today, while greatly accelerating your business when times are better.
To get started, below are some ideas for you on video conferencing. If you’d like to better understand unified communications, you may want to review our recent blog – Finally, Unified Communications. See for Yourself.
Most people don’t use video conferencing every workday. Once. Twice. Maybe three times a week. But, every single day?
Well, those every-dayers are out there. Wainhouse Research found some and asked them about their preference for video conferencing solutions.
The top response didn’t surprise us at all. StarLeaf.
Although we’re far from being a research company, we get the same positive responses when we talk with our clients and prospects about StarLeaf. (Read to the end of this blog and you can see why, for yourself).
Why StarLeaf?
It’s easy to use. As easy as picking up your phone and calling. Of course, that concept is completely foreign to any video conferencing veteran.
Legacy video conferencing (VC) solutions are wrapped in proprietary technology. That’s fine, as long as the other endpoint is using the same technology. Which is why companies standardize on a VC platform across their offices. But, try to connect to another manufacturer’s platform. It’s not going to happen.
What’s new? StarLeaf’s video cloud. It eliminates all of that proprietary stuff. You can link your legacy video conferencing hardware directly to the video cloud. And from there, you have complete interoperability with all video endpoints, from all manufacturers. And, it provides interoperability for unified communication, including Skype for Business and Microsoft Teams.
There are similar services, often referred to as video conferencing as a service (VCaaS). VCaaS also happens in the cloud, but its purpose is to convert proprietary signals so they can connect and communicate with a different proprietary system.
What’s the difference? Scheduling. Or the lack thereof.
With a VCaaS solution, users are still burdened by the proprietary nature of their respective systems. To communicate, they have to schedule a meeting and each video endpoint must call in to be connected.
Now, come on. Does an iPhone user have to schedule a call with someone using Android?
And THAT’s the difference. StarLeaf lets you securely contact the other video endpoint directly. Just like picking up your phone and calling. Of course, if you want to do the scheduling thing, have at it.
There are other differences as well. One of the more significant is bi-directional screen sharing between traditional video endpoints and Skype for Business or Microsoft Teams. This type of capability gives your legacy video conferencing system a whole new lease on life.
Another difference? Well, you can give StarLeaf a try right now. Seriously. Click here to get started. In no time at all, you will be video conferencing just like an every-dayer.
