Applied Video

There are many more applications for videoconferencing besides just run-of-the-mill business meetings. Doctors can talk to patients, judges can communicate with wardens, companies can train employees, and engineers can work together to improve products. Werch has architect clients who use videoconferencing to collaborate with construction companies and interior designers via a split screen that shows blueprints on one side and participants on the other.

There are even some fanciful uses of videoconferencing that may eventually evolve into business applications. “I recently saw a popular fiction author who was signing autographs on books, but the trick was, the author was in New York and the books were in California,” Werch says. Using writing software, a videoconferencing connection, and a robotic hand, the author was able to sign books remotely.

One of Baer’s customers invested in videoconferencing after receiving funding from an investor in California who wanted to be able to talk with Minnesota employees each week. More and more, he says, customers are partnering with companies that already have videoconferencing capabilities and must acquire the technology themselves.

Audio-visual professionals are predicting an uptick in business. “A limited number of corporate boardrooms in the U.S. have a wide-screen panel or projector setup,” Brandabur says. “Everyone will convert in the next 60 months.” High-definition videoconferencing promises to improve the user experience, and businesses might find it can save time and money.


Buy or Rent?

What if you’re not ready to invest $20,000 in a high-definition videoconference system for several locations? Renting is also an option, especially if you don’t intend to videoconference very often. Gary Fern at Graybow Communications, Inc., in Minneapolis, says it costs about $200 per hour to rent a videoconferencing suite at Graybow’s location. He tells clients that if they need to videoconference intermittently throughout the year, they should go the rental route. But if they need to videoconference on a monthly or bimonthly basis, it’s probably time to buy.

Michael Werch, of Video Guidance in Eden Prairie, says it costs about $250 per hour to rent a videoconference room at his company. He recommends leasing equipment if you plan to videoconference about once a month—he charges $300 to $500 per month for each location.

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