International. Polycom presented the results of a study titled Streamlined Video Conferencing Strategy Drives Business Results, which reveals that video conferencing systems are experiencing growth in terms of usage, number of solutions, and overall complexity for end users and IT professionals.
According to the study, prepared in November 2018 by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Polycom, in particular, this data shows the need for companies to have simple and optimized solutions to speed up the start of meetings and simplify the tasks of the IT team that manages the system.
Among the most important findings of this new forrester international study on IT professionals and decision-makers are the following:
74% said that the number of videoconferences held has increased during the last two years.
84% reported using two or more cloud-based video conferencing solutions.
78% said they had two or more video conferencing terminals in their conference rooms.
In addition, the study revealed that the majority of companies that participated in the survey turn to several distributors to acquire both terminals and video applications in the cloud, which increases complexity instead of reducing it, all in a context characterized by the continuous irruption of new solutions in the market. In fact, the report shows that 96% of companies already experience difficulties when it comes to managing their video conferencing solutions.
The result leaves no room for doubt: a complex web of different services that IT professionals must manage, poor user experiences, and increasingly frustrated employees and IT professionals. According to a 2016 Forrester study on call quality, delaying video calls can cost a company more than a million dollars each year because of lost productivity.
Implications for the IT department
According to the study, IT professionals face an increase in costs and challenges associated with managing multiple cloud-based video conferencing systems.
These challenges include difficulties connecting to calls from conference rooms, delayed video calls, poor call quality, and poorly optimized user experiences. To specifically address productivity issues, 77% of IT professionals expressed a desire for an optimized user interface and experience in video conferencing systems.
The demand for flexibility from IT professionals was also one of the most prominent conclusions. 68% of companies have experienced an increase in the number of video conferencing applications used in their infrastructure and 67% want all solutions to be more flexible for employees and partners. This feature is critical for productivity, as the pace of innovation in the collaborative space has never been more accelerated due to the rapid entry into the market of new competitors, solutions and functionalities.
To view the full Forrester study, click here.
