Video Conferencing Outsourcing Advantages/Disadvantages

The choice to outsource aspects of video communications nearly always begins with the recognition that daily operation of a video communications network can or will overwhelm internal staff members. For some organizations, recognizing that video communications is a specialized area of business operations comes only after meeting failure upon meeting failure. For others, it is due to a key employee's departure.

Rarely, but wisely, does an organizations plan for daily operations and the skills required to continually run a video communications network at the time systems are purchased and installed. Most organizations merely rely on vendor training as the means to get things running. This is where problems begin because with video communications, each connection is different and may require a different knowledge base to operate. Whether a meeting involves a single laptop and cabling to a projector or a video conference to multiple sites the connection is the key and it requires know-how to enable it.

The key advantage to outsourcing is speed. Highly skilled personnel in any area of specialty are difficult to assemble and even more difficult if they are not yet on staff or require training. Outsourcing service providers solve this problem by maintaining their focus on one area and they often maintain a staff of available technical experts that can begin working to resolve problems quickly.

Generally there are two alternatives for Video Conference Outsourcing:

• Hire an onsite service provider to staff your video conference helpdesk at your offices.
• Hire an outside service provider to host video conference calls on an external network.