In recent years we have seen a complete transformation of how businesses conduct meetings and conferences. With remote working becoming the norm after COVID, geographical distance doesn't pose the slightest issue, and flexibility has become king.
It's an exciting and fast-paced time for those in and around the video conferencing software industry, as the global value of the video conferencing market in 2022 was $10.6 billion, with a projected value of $19.1 billion by 2027.
Platforms like Zoom and Skype have now become household names, which means competition has grown, and online conferencing services are striving to get ahead of the pack by implementing advanced and accessible features.
Becoming the most-trusted and most-used video conferencing app has never been such a fierce race.
The features (and residual benefits) at your disposal within many video conferencing apps are expanding and improving. It no longer has to be a straight-up video-call or conference. The tools and functions you can utilise - whether you're in an educational seminar, or a business conference - are there to have a positive and productive impact on your work and your team collaboration.
Innovations and Features Advantageous to You and Your Online Conference:
- Whiteboard Capability
- Telepresence, VR and Hologram Technology
- AI Meeting Assistants
- External Accessories and Peripherals
Whiteboard Capability
If you've used a video conferencing platform, you're probably familiar with the handy whiteboard feature. Most platforms including MyOwnConference integrate this visual and interactive tool through meetings, webinars, and conference presentations, by conveying ideas and supporting collaboration.
You can doodle on your own slides, add extra lines of text, add files, and promote a team brainstorm all on the same board.
Interestingly, the whiteboard feature was one of the reasons users began moving from Skype to Zoom. Zoom had the option (which proved to be popular) and Skype did not, that simple.
Now, the whiteboard on most online conferencing apps is packed full of tools and valuable functions. The Microsoft Whiteboard you can use in Teams, for instance, allows you to easily have your participants follow your view and actions around the entire whiteboard with the "Follow Me" function. That's an excellent addition, so your participants won't get lost on a large and expansive board with lots of ideas and tangents.
Telepresence, VR and Hologram Technology
The Telepresence Setup - as a way to further simulate an actual face-to-face meeting - has been around for a while, but it's advancing into a more futuristic realm with the implementation of Virtual-Reality and holographic technology.
In the past, a typical telepresence setup like the one shown has been the best way to feel as though you're in the room with your participants or colleagues. The downside is the cost. Specialty screens, cameras, microphones, and seating are set up in a way that optimises the meeting experience for all involved.
Except, shelling out the huge cost for a setup like this may not be so optimal for you or your business. That's why the continuing development of VR meeting technology will be likely to replace the previous versions of telepresence systems in the future, becoming a more cost-effective way to collaborate, learn, and network, while being immersive and fun.
Meta (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp) has the VR collaboration platform Horizon Workrooms, in which you can remotely meet, collaborate, and work with the avatars of real people. There's virtual whiteboards you can apply to any wall you like, breakout rooms, and just about everything you would get from a regular online conferencing app, yet it's all virtual and interactive, with a fun sheen to it, looking like a video game.
On the other hand, we have Webex Hologram by Cisco, where a headset system teleports your photorealistic image for extra engagement. For explanation and visual purposes virtual objects can be passed from one person to another, and ideas and information can be worked on in mid-air with your bare hands.
The future of communication is closer than we think.
AI Meeting Assistants
Avoma, Fireflies, and Krisp are just three of many options you have for an added layer of productivity when it comes to your online conferences. These apps empower your webinar/conference platform by transcribing audio to text, tracking topics, organising lead data through integrations, and even real-time language translations.
Things are very different to the pre-pandemic world, and the hybrid and remote workplace is the new normal. Keeping that in mind, a well utilised AI Meeting Assistant could save you a lot of time, especially if you're craving some needed help and organisation.
We're guessing it won't be long before all video conference platforms will have an integrated AI Assistant. Both GoToMeeting and InterMedia AnyMeeting are already there, with their own dedicated assistant tools.
External Accessories and Peripherals
If there's one great way to enhance your online webinars and conferences, it's acquiring and implementing high quality accessories and peripherals. The right gadgets can make a world of difference.
For group-to-group, classrooms, or team conferences, the Meeting Owl Pro 360º Camera is an innovative example of awesome in-conference gadgetry. The Meeting Owl can follow the speaker/presenter while recording with clarity, and with its 360º camera it can effectively capture a group from the centre of a conference desk, while also conveying each participant as an individual on the screen.
As online/video conferencing is such a prominent and growing industry, Logitech now provides an extensive range of video conferencing products, including video bars, meeting room kits, and webcams. Your professional video conferencing needs are thoroughly met by companies like Lume Cube (for lighting) and Logitech, but these aforementioned two are just the tip of the iceberg for accessories which can elevate your presentations.
Online Conferencing - Here to Stay, Here to Grow, Here to Improve
The staff at Bell Labs from 1927 would surely be impressed to witness the video communication marvels of today, while we - all too familiar with online meetings and video conferencing - would find the 1927 prototype "videophone" impressive too.
Over the next 10, 20, 30 years, we can expect to see leaps forward in the technologies we are currently using. The progression may be so swift that we wouldn't recognise the webinar, video-call, and online conferencing platforms that we use today.
The online workplace has firmly arrived, and in many ways it feels like we're entering a future we've seen in television series and films of the past.
We're moving forward independent of our workplace while advancing technology has allowed individuals to feel uninhibited by their employment, providing greater inner-satisfaction and personal freedom.
