The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the video conferencing market.
The way we work and communicate has changed drastically. Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic earlier this year, face-to-face communication has become a thing of the past for many of us. Working from home has become the new normal and with it, video calling: voice-only calls have pretty much been replaced by video calls. Video calling has revolutionised communications and collaborations and has quickly become a daily part of our lives. Now that we’re all working remotely, seeing one another on a video call is really the only interaction we have with our colleagues. The question we must now ask ourselves is this: can we ever truly go back to voice-only calling? And do we really want to?
Pre-Pandemic Video Calling
In the decade or so before Covid-19, remote working, and thus video calling, was slowly on the rise; between 2010 – 2020, there was a 400% increase in employees working from home at least once a week. There were a few things driving the video conferencing market growth. The advancement of technology meant that more and more people were eschewing the traditional 9-5, Monday-Friday work week for more flexible times to suit them. People were beginning to realise that they could work from virtually anywhere in the world, provided they had a decent internet connection. Working remotely, at least part time, gave employees freedom to enjoy a better work/life balance. People with children and families were finding that they could spend more time with them. Those who lived far away from the office no longer had to suffer through the commute five days a week.
Additionally, the effectiveness of remote working and video calling also meant that businesses could have global ambitions when it came to growth. It was now easier than ever to expand a business into the global market. Video calling allowed employers to interview prospective applicants who lived overseas and would be able to gauge their suitability far better than a voice-only call. Hiring employees overseas meant there would be an on-the-ground presence. Technology would allow them to connect to the business network and collaborate with colleagues in other countries. Employees in different countries were just a phone call away. Furthermore, having bases in different time zones allowed businesses to be online and productive 24/7. As the number of businesses with an international presence climbed, so too did the number of video calls made.
However, many workplaces were still wary of remote working and most expected employees to work regular hours in the office. Conference calls usually took place with audio-only, with video calling reserved for only the most critical meetings. Every business had a conference room – you know the one I’m talking about. The large, cold room with the uncomfortable chairs and a single phone in the middle of an expansive table that you can never quite hear well enough. Video conferencing was slowly becoming more popular, but it still was the exception rather than the rule.
Impact of the Pandemic
Fast forward to March 2020 (and to the present day) where the West is beginning to come to terms with Coronavirus and a global pandemic is declared. The world goes into lockdown and governments all over are asking people to stay home where possible and not go out unless absolutely essential. Consequently, millions of people are now having to get used to working from home for the first time. Gone are the long commutes, tea making rounds and plastic clamshell lunches form Pret-a-Manger. For those who are used to working in an office, working from home sometimes proves to be daunting and overwhelming. Trying to be productive and assertive at work from behind a screen at your kitchen table is incredibly difficult. Having a work/life balance is virtually impossible when it’s all happening under one roof.
Within days, video calling becomes the new normal for most people, particularly within the B2B, B2C, education and healthcare sectors. As face-to-face communication is no longer possible, video calling has become the replacement. Indeed, people are often choosing to video call even where a normal phone call would suffice. By April 2020, Zoom alone was seeing 300 million daily meeting participants, an enormous increase from 10 million in December 2019. Similarly, Microsoft Teams users more than doubled from 32 million in March 2019 to over 75 million in April 2020.
Furthermore, travelling for business has almost disappeared completely. This means that international reach has been limited for businesses and so they have adopted video calling software as an alternative. Video conferencing has become a solution to a problem we never imagined we would have. We can no longer hop on a plane for a meeting in New York or Hong Kong, we can’t meet up with our colleagues for a quick drink after work.
Although voice-only calls can often achieve the same end goal as a video call, many people are opting to use video for any call they make. The reason for this is simple; seeing the face of the person you are talking to helps you connect. You can read their expressions and their body language rather than relying on what they are saying. It improves the degree of engagement, fosters relationships, promotes cooperation and improves the sense of shared purpose among colleagues. At a time when a lot of us are feeling incredibly vulnerable and isolated, video calling gives us that little bit of human interaction to cling to.
Permanent Change?
It certainly seems that video calling is here to stay. Whilst recent talks of having a vaccine by the Spring have given people hope, it’s almost certain that remote working will continue to be our new normal for a long time. Even with a vaccine, many people say that they would not want to go back to the office full time. Both employers and employees have discovered that working from home, at least part of the time, can be incredibly beneficial for people’s mental and physical health. This in turn allows them to be more effective and productive. Between saving time (and money) by not commuting, being able to spend more time with family and having more time to practice self-care and exercise, working from home certainly has many benefits.
Moreover, because the technology is continually advancing, having a partially or even totally remote workforce is more than plausible. Systems such as Microsoft Teams Rooms facilitates continued collaboration between those in the office and those at home. Some may feel that remote working negatively affects their creativity; not physically being around people makes teamwork and collaboration much harder. Microsoft Teams is the perfect solution to this as it helps make working together as smooth and pain-free as possible.
A Forbes insight report found that video calling is indeed the way forward. It concluded that if businesses want to optimise collaboration and enhance team performance, they must embrace video calling. Video calling adds a layer that audio alone doesn’t have. It helps foster relationships by allowing you to see the other person’s face. When we can see people’s facial expressions and body language as opposed to simply hearing their voice, we feel more connected. It allows us to focus better on what the other person is saying and helps us interact and engage.
To conclude, it is clear that the advantages of video calling mean that going back to voice-only calls would be a step back. Video calling allows participants to be more connected, enables remote working and allows employees to be more productive. Video calling is now the default option for much of business communication and it is set to stay that way for the foreseeable future.
If you would like to find out more about the technology available for your remote workforce, call us on +44 203 034 2244 or +1 323 984 8908 Alternately, you can contact us online. We will be happy to help you overcome your hotel IT challenges so that you set your business apart.
Cardonet have been working with businesses for the past twenty years to help them overcome their technological challenges. We have engineering bases in the United Kingdom, Europe and Southern California and our group of highly experienced engineers are available 24/7 to assist and ensure that your IT infrastructure is secure and running seamlessly.
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