Remote conference and remote video conferencing is becoming more commonplace as Millennials, and those from Generation Z enter the workforce and look for more opportunities to work outside of a traditional office setting.
Digital nomad, freelance, and remote workers have all seen drastic increases over the past decade, making the future of video conferencing even more vital.
“80% to 90% of the US workforce says they would like to telework at least part-time, 36% said they would choose it over a pay raise,” global workplace analytics state.
This data combined with companies becoming more open to transitioning into a remote work environment will lead to an interesting future for video remote conference.
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While the technology has been improving for quite some time, rapid innovations are necessary in order to keep up with the increasing need for easy to use conferencing technology.
16% of global companies operate in a fully remote fashion, meaning their ability to communicate relies fully on video conferencing and specialized project management tools developed with digital workplaces in mind.
Companies which incorporate remote work options for their employees see 25% less turnover.
Therefore, it is beneficial to innovative companies in the video conferencing and project management sector to continue improving software for the new digital worker.
Current Landscape of Video Conferencing Software
Zoom has the most potential for adapting to the future needs of remote workers and the companies they work for.
It’s extremely easy for technological novices to use, easily adaptable for small to medium-sized teams, and with future development could meet the needs of large teams.
Zoom is the top video conferencing software and should be able to evolve with the growing remote work vertical.
Uber Conference is strictly a conferencing protocol and far less flexible than Zoom. Unfortunately, it does offer the option for video conferencing.
If they are to thrive in the future, their software will have to include more than just audio conferencing with options to screen share.
“With a variety of pricing plans to choose from, Cisco WebEx is one of the few examples of video conferencing software that doesn’t require you to download and install an application before you can use it,” TechRadar says about WebEx.
While the platform is fully featured and optimized for large teams, it does come with a sizable learning curve. It is also more expensive than the other options on the list, however, it will need far fewer fixes than Uber Conference.
Platforms like Google Hangouts exist but are not likely to become the industry standard for video conferencing. Google is unlikely to focus their attention on building the platform into a competitor for solutions such as Zoom and/or WebEx.
GoToMeeting also exists within the vertical. It does not bring anything unique on the video conferencing front. Large teams can find the platform effective but will spend more on the packages associated with GoToMeeting than those from other companies.
What’s Really In The Future For Video Conferencing?
“Currently, the value of the enterprise video conferencing market is expected to accelerate to $4.48 billion by 2023. So, what’s driving the phenomenal growth of video conferencing, and what can we expect to see in the next few years?” UC Today’s inquiry is logical, especially considering how much capital is going into video remote conference over the next several years.
“As the cloud becomes prevalent and integral to enterprise strategies, more and more organizations are implementing cloud solutions.
These strategies provide a safe and seamless experience supported by a robust security posture that will add greater value to customers,” stated Daniel Boddington, Systems Engineer, StarLeaf when speaking to UC Today concerning the future of innovations within the vertical. “
As that trend continues, vendors will need to offer future-proof solutions that provide ultra-high definition 4K quality and pristine call fidelity or risk falling behind,” added Bobby Beckmann, Chief Technology Officer, Lifesize.
“Imagine if every video conference gave you a Steven Spielberg experience? Video is going to get smarter. It’s bringing together Silicon Valley and Hollywood. Steven Spielberg knows exactly where to put the cameras and when to cut from one to the next.
Now put that into software. Cameras have been dumb and expensive. They’re getting smarter and cheaper, so it will be very possible to have many in one room,” Scott Wharton stated when speaking to Yale Insights in July 2018. “We’re working on some technology where computer vision and AI can automatically frame the shot.
Even if you have 20 people in a room, just like humans are smart enough to know where the action is, AI can figure out to choose the person who stands up and walks to the whiteboard.”
Wharton would the interview by making a bold prediction concerning the future of video conferencing, “In 5 or 10 years, you’ll start seeing meetings happen in holograms and 3-D.
I know that sounds crazy, but a lot of the technology like bandwidth, processing, low-cost cameras, and AI/computer vision to do it is already available. We again have to do that work of getting the pieces to work together. Instead of it being on a TV, you’ll probably have heads-up VR/AR displays. They may look like regular eyeglasses.”
If these innovations are the future of video remote conference, the transition of the workplace would continue. More workers will demand free to work from remote locations if conferencing technology reaches those lofty levels.
Along with advances in project management tools, more companies are likely to become fully remote and save costs associated with a central office space.
Numerous jobs will stay out of the remote work sphere, however, the freedom such technology brings will give workers more freedom over their work, lives, and reduce the amount of stress they have to endure.
