Sunday, April 27, 2008

Video Conference Calls: Equipment & Software Requirements

By Jody Cafaro

An alternative to business travel is the video conference call. They are flexible and less expensive than business travel and help to lower costs and meet budget. Advanced technology has also introduced multi-user conference calls to the range of conference call services.

In order to get a good resolution during a video conference call and convey the information to the participants, the quality of the equipment used is important. When a video conference call is placed, a camera, PC system, audio controls and software are all interconnected. Information is then shown on the monitors that are connected to the PC system.

Both Windows and Macintosh operating systems include videoconferencing programs. Windows users can make use of NetMeeting to make video conferencing calls while Macintosh users have iChat AV. There are also several free software packages that are compatible with Windows and Macintosh and are available for download on the Internet.

There are conference call utilities which combine audio, visual and network systems into one device, thus making the conference call process more efficient. Usually individuals purchase portable devices while the larger, less portable systems are required for bigger companies. Some of the larger companies may decide to designate an individual room solely for video conferencing.

From the simple web-cam to a video conference call service that costs anywhere from fifteen thousand dollars, there are many different options available to the consumer and that will meet everyone's individual needs.

Dedicated desktop-based hardware is popular amongst individuals and the price range is between six hundred to three thousand dollars. There are also software-based headsets which are usually priced at a hundred dollars each, and they are great for personalized calls and are also known to reduce echoes when on a conference call.

Conferences that involve small numbers of participants usually consist of a PC-based system, which can cost between six to fourteen thousand dollars. Alternative systems that run over IP or ISDN are also simple to set up and use and cost between three to twelve thousand dollars.

Equipment needed for conference calls is expensive, anywhere up to ten thousand dollars but are required for large meeting groups. Multi-directional microphones are mostly required for conferences including video seminars or classes. The directional microphones are in key locations within a room with high-resolution cameras. The cost for a reliable microphone system can be as high as eight thousand dollars and the camera up to two hundred.

Purchasing conference call equipment and software is a major investment so check for reliability, ease of use, connectivity and compatibility. Ensure that updates and maintenance services can be easily obtained at any time.

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