Unified communications (UC) platforms are fast becoming one of the premium tools for improving employee collaboration and productivity in Australian businesses today. They support geographically dispersed teams and enable greater workforce flexibility and mobility. In today’s workplace, that’s crucial.

According to Dynamic Business, 62 per cent of businesses worldwide offer a flexible working policy. Most business leaders believe these policies improve workplace efficiency and increase productivity. And in times like COVID-19, businesses that might otherwise have shunned remote working are being forced to adapt to it and quickly virtual collaboration is no longer a nice-to-have, but a necessity so businesses can continue operating.

But you're only as efficient as the tools your business uses. UC solutions offer voice and video calling plus a suite of features including multi-party video conferencing, instant messaging, presence awareness, file and desktop sharing services, and more. Since these services are cloud hosted, you can access your services in most locations and enjoy updated software and new features as they become available.

Forward-thinking businesses are already using features like video conferencing. Whether it’s communicating with employees in different offices, customers, or other stakeholders, video conferencing easily enables “face-to-face” communication across locations.

A 2019 report by Fortune Business Insights believes that the “global video conferencing market is projected to reach USD 6.37 billion by 2026, exhibiting a CAGR of 9.8 per cent.”

Video conferencing benefits

Video conferencing technology has come a long way in recent years with faster internet speeds, high definition cameras and greatly enhanced microphones improving the quality of the conversation between multiple parties.

Although video conferencing can seem similar enough to picking up the phone and giving someone a call, it often speeds up conversation and facilitates communications. In many situations, it’s easier to have a conversation where you can see the person at the other end of the call and pick up on visual cues.

In fact, a Poly and Wainhouse Research survey found that 94 per cent of respondents cited efficiency and productivity as the top benefits of video conferencing. Other benefits included increased impact of discussions, expedited decision making, and reduced travel costs.

When should you use video conferencing?

Video conferencing isn’t just for important meetings or conversations. In fact, a Frost & Sullivan research found that 58 per cent of businesses are using video conferencing for day-to-day operations.

Video conferencing is also useful for meeting new clients and maintaining relationships. With ever-increasing time constraints and location independence on the rise, in-person meetings are becoming more difficult to coordinate, but video calls reduce the logistics involve.

Businesses that offer flexible work arrangements also benefit from video calls. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 30 per cent of all employed Australians now work from home - and that stat doesn’t include people who may work from home only occasionally.

While working from home can be great for an employee's work-life balance, it can be professionally isolating. Enter video calls. Instead of yet another email, video calls allow employees to interact with face-to-face contact, put a face to the name, and build rapport with colleagues across locations and time zones.

Here at Vocus, we use Zoom to connect our employees throughout Australia, all powered through a single laptop device. With the right technology in place, conducting meetings, sharing documents on-screen, and building a one-team mentality can happen no matter where someone is located.

Are you interested in increasing productivity and enabling video conferencing? See what Zoom Collaboration can do for your business today.