How to Choose the Best Video-Conferencing System For Your Business

In our modern world of digital meetings, you can crush a sales pitch in your pajama pants, ace your review from a cabin in the woods, and listen in on a companywide town hall while you make your breakfast. But first, you need a top-notch video-conferencing system.

The wrong tech can limit productivity, reduce video quality, and even cut your most important meetings short. But with dozens of options on the market, it can be tough to narrow down the best video-conferencing system to make sure calls at your unique company are seamless and frustration-free. We can help.

Here’s what you should know about video-conferencing systems, including how to pick the best service for your team.

What is a video-conferencing system?

A video-conferencing system allows two or more participants in different locations to communicate via real-time video streaming. It uses cameras, microphones, displays, internet connectivity, and video-conferencing software to facilitate virtual meetings, presentations and collaboration.

Benefits of using a video-conferencing system

Today’s remote and hybrid companies are overhauling their workplaces to accommodate asynchronous collaboration, flexible schedules, location independence, and digital meetings. In our new, digital-first corporate world, you need a good video-conferencing system to keep your team together.

Here’s how video conferencing can benefit you in business:

• Simulates face-to-face interactions so teammates can read each other’s visual and vocal cues
• Cuts down on time and expenses associated with in-person business meetings
• Supports flexible scheduling and a dispersed workforce by letting participants join meetings remotely from wherever they’re located
• Facilitates faster decision-making compared with text-based communication
• Lets remote-friendly companies host events and conferences to reach audiences worldwide without having to organize in-person functions
• Supports file sharing, screen sharing and chat for more robust, dynamic conversations

Types of video-conferencing systems

No matter the size of your company and budget, there’s a video-conferencing system on the market for you. Here are a few of the most common varieties.

• Telepresence video-conferencing systems: Multiple screens or monitors create a lifelike video-conferencing experience. These high-end systems may feature large screens, high-definition video, and surround sound.
• Integrated video-conferencing systems: These systems gather all of the necessary components—including the camera, microphone, codec, and display—into a single package. They best suit medium to large conference rooms.
• Desktop video-conferencing systems: These software-based solutions use a computer’s built-in webcam and microphone. They’re ideal for individual use or small group meetings.
• Room-based video-conferencing systems: Technology such as high-quality audio and video equipment is built into a conference room. These systems work well for small to large meeting rooms.
• Cloud-based video-conferencing systems: You can access these systems via your web browser without having to install dedicated software hardware. Cloud-based systems offer more flexibility and scalability.

Choosing the right video-conferencing system

Remote work has boomed in recent years, leaving no shortage of video-conferencing platforms. Picking the right one can be tricky and overwhelming. Here’s what we recommend.

Identify your organization’s needs

Ask yourself a few key questions to determine your company’s must-haves when it comes to video conferencing:

• How many participants will join your meetings?
• Will you need flexibility to scale as your company grows or hosts larger events?
• What types of meetings will you host (team meetings, client presentations, webinars)?
• Which features will you need to support these meetings (screen sharing, attendance taking, recording, breakout rooms)?

Ideally, your chosen platform should integrate with your company’s current tech stack, including calendar apps, project management tools, and CRM systems. Survey the hardware you already have on deck—will you need to purchase new equipment to support high-quality video conferencing?

Also, look for solutions that can scale to meet your company’s growth trajectory; you don’t want to spend money setting up a new video-conferencing system only to start over from scratch once your company outgrows it.

Finally, any system you choose should include encryption, access controls and other privacy features to comply with your company’s security standards and industry requirements, such as GDPR or HIPAA.

Consider your budget

Video-conferencing system costs vary significantly, and crunching some numbers ahead of time can help you avoid unpleasant surprises.

• Calculate the upfront cost of buying any new hardware and software, including professional installation if needed
• See if you’ll need to upgrade your internet service plan to support your new video-conferencing solution
• Think about the ongoing operating costs, which may include subscription fees, licensing, and maintenance

These steps can help you estimate the total cost of ownership over time, which you can then compare against the features and benefits of any system you’re considering.

Comparing different video-conferencing system options

Once you understand your company’s needs and budget, you can create a shortlist of suitable video-conferencing systems. From there, evaluate each platform’s user-friendliness, including its customer support services and training resources. Read reviews and check performance metrics to identify systems with high uptime and reliable connectivity. Also, request demos or sign up for free trials to test the systems in your unique work environment.

Also, consider each vendor’s product roadmap. See if it’s looking forward to new developments in video-conferencing tech. For example, the rise of automation will affect many business processes, including how we conduct meetings and events. And virtual reality may give us new capabilities for creating immersive, creative, and interactive collaboration environments. Your chosen video-conferencing company should be on top of these trends.

The best video-conferencing systems for business

And now the rubber meets the road. Which video-conferencing system should you choose? Let’s dive into a few of our top choices.

Slack huddles

A built-in Slack feature, huddles allow users to make spur-of-the-moment audio and video calls, encouraging spontaneous, informal interactions and fueling collaboration. You can call team members directly from Slack channels or direct messages without extensive prep or scheduling. Plus, huddles offer screen sharing, chat features, emoji reactions, and colorful backgrounds to add dimension to your meetings.

Zoom

Zoom has evolved from the video-conferencing system that seemed to take over the world in 2020. It’s now an integrated business communication platform, including Zoom Workplace and Zoom AI, as well as a business services and developer ecosystem.

Zoom offers audio and video meetings and conferences, AI-powered transcription tools, and team collaboration tools such as note-taking, text-based chat and whiteboards. The platform is easy to use, offers end-to-end encryption and features a few different pricing tiers for companies of different sizes. Plus, Zoom integrates with Slack.

Google Meet

As a cloud-based video-conferencing system, Google Meet is accessible to anyone with an internet connection and a modern web browser. Meet is part of the popular Google Workspace suite of productivity apps, allowing seamless setup for Google users.

Meet is simple and intuitive, offering a generous free plan and document collaboration features. It also lets users automatically save their meeting recordings to Google Drive. And don’t forget: Google Workspace offers apps for Slack.

Webex by Cisco

Webex leverage’s Cisco’s ecosystem of tools, hardware and smart conference room systems to provide a robust, long-trusted video-conferencing service. Webex’s scalability and virtually unlimited growth capacity suit organizations of all sizes.

Slack users can install the Webex Meetings Slack app to easily schedule, start and join meetings without leaving the Slack platform. And with Webex’s cloud recording feature, users can even share the recordings to Slack channels to keep everyone in the loop.

Get the most out of video conferencing with the right system

Every video-conferencing platform boasts its own strengths and features; take your time to make sure you’re picking the best solution for your unique business. You might even mix and match, using Slack huddles for spontaneous collaboration and Webex for more formal meetings, for example.

Any video-conferencing system you choose should integrate with your company’s AI-powered work platform to boost efficiency and reduce context switching. Browse Slack’s App Directory to see which video-conferencing tools are compatible with Slack.