Video Conferencing Technology Trends Shaping The Future Of Communication

Technology plays a major role not only in our personal lives but in our professional life as a tool for growth, success, and innovation. Advancements and innovations are not only changing the way we work but also the way we communicate with one another. In recent years we have seen a massive shift in technology trends in the workplace and in collaboration. Today, companies are seeking out the best tools and technologies that will increase collaboration, productivity, and will ultimately streamline their business. Here are some of the biggest video conferencing technology trends that are shaping the future of communication.

Cloud-y with a Chance of Communication

Cloud-based communication is king! Cloud communication popularity will only continue to rise because it offers a much more modern approach to group collaboration. Decision-makers are turning to cloud services because it offers them an easier, plug-and-play alternative to the traditional local setup. There are many qualities that make cloud-based communication more appealing to decision-makers and users than the traditional local infrastructure. Cloud services drastically reduce the cost of IT operations because there is no infrastructure or hardware to maintain so it offers an affordable solution to everyone. Another reason people are turning to the cloud is that these platforms can easily cater to large organizations and rapidly adapt to new changes and initiatives. Overall cloud services provide more ease and convenience to IT professionals and end-users alike.

Your Favorite Platforms All Working Together

As video conferencing continues to become the preferred collaboration meeting method, the chances of users operating on different platforms that previously never worked well with others will rise. This caused frustration between users having to run various systems throughout the day. However, one trend that will have users hailing Zoom, Cisco, and Microsoft is the news that they will soon become interoperable. Thank Goodness! 

This integration between the three biggest collaboration platforms will allow those using room systems like Zoom Rooms, Teams Rooms, or Cisco Rooms to seamlessly join meetings on the opposing platforms without having to purchase any additional licenses or use any third party service. By allowing users a frictionless transition between platforms there’s no doubt that we will see an increase in productivity and customer happiness across the board.

With the leaders in workplace collaboration platforms leading the way in interoperability integration, it is likely that others will begin to follow suit and hop on the interoperability bandwagon. So, it looks like we all can look forward to an increase in collaboration integrations.

Software-specific Rooms

IT decision-makers are starting to make the shift from open rooms to rooms dedicated to a specific video conferencing platform like Zoom Rooms, Teams Rooms, Cisco Rooms, GoToMeeting Rooms, Skype for Business Rooms, etc. Decision-makers are shifting to these dedicated rooms for several reasons. One reason is that typically, an organization uses one of those dedicated platforms for video conferencing and standardization in the organization makes their lives a whole lot easier. For larger organizations, it is extremely beneficial because it makes managing and scheduling much easier for their users. Users can schedule meetings and then enter the room and join the meeting with the single press of a button.

With an easy set up for most of these dedicated rooms, you can get them up and running with your choice of hardware relatively quickly. Overall it offers a standardized and streamlined system for your users and makes management and implementation significantly easier than having users who are using all different platforms. So you and your users can get excited for virtual meetings that feel almost like a face-to-face meeting with technology that reduces friction with the conferencing experience.

The Growth of 5G

The age of 5G is here and will bring mobile users faster speeds and lower latency than ever. This will make it easier for users to work remotely or on the go as the call quality will be better than ever for mobile users. So what does this mean for the video conferencing market? Well, it means that we will see a rise of IoT devices that will be faster in terms of real-time communication. It is also likely that the rise of 5G will make way for VR integration into the conference room. So you can look forward to an enhancement in your meeting experience with the spread of 5G availability.

AI is Everywhere

AI technology is popping up everywhere, especially in the world of video conferencing. We are seeing a rise of integrations from machine learning to neural networks that are paving the way for the rise of the smart meeting room. Companies are integrating AI technologies into their solutions to ultimately increase productivity, enhance the day to day workflow, and the overall video conferencing experience. One example of AI being used to streamline productivity is the increase of “virtual assistants” which help with note-taking, provide suggestions for pre-meeting preparation, schedule management, and other small tasks.

Manufacturers are integrating AI into their products and these advancements allow organizations to generate valuable data on their meeting rooms. This data analysis will help them understand how their rooms are being used and can even track interactions during video conference calls. Some examples are camera manufacturers utilizing AI and facial recognition which allows the camera to track speakers in the frame and even generate their names on the screen. Audio manufacturers are also integrating AI into hardware for new technologies.

There’s also a rise of systems using natural language processing which allows you to transcribe meeting conversations and even translate different languages in real-time, reducing latency issues.

Security - Your Virtual Bouncer

With the increased popularity of these trends like cloud services, AI, 5G, etc. we see a correlation with the rise of security concerns. With all of the new regulations put in place, people are more aware of privacy policies, data breaches, and internet security protocols. It is crucial that companies maintain and uphold security standards so their customers feel safe putting their valuable data in their hands. Customer’s main areas of concern are around data vulnerability, fraud prevention, network security, and messaging encryption. In order for both customers and businesses to feel confident in their security protocols, it is always smart to look at security standard certificates to know that the company or manufacturer that you purchase from takes privacy and data security seriously.

It’s always exciting to hear what the latest and greatest trends are and what they bring to the (conference room) table. So, to wrap everything up, the new decade offers a lot to look forward to in terms of new technology and innovations. We can’t wait to see how these video conferencing technology trends continue to evolve and benefit workplace communication and productivity.