The Modern Workplace: How Sussex Business Video Conferencing Boosts Productivity
Did you know we’re celebrating our 5th birthday in 2024? (Happy birthday to us!) Supporting Sussex businesses since 2019, the AJT Managed Services team has seen how the modern workplace has changed since COVID. A huge part of that change has been the growing popularity of hybrid working and business video conferencing (VC) in Sussex.
We’ve helped many small businesses in Brighton and Sussex evolve from traditional, solely office-based setups to flexible configurations that support not just in-office work but also remote, hybrid and even international collaboration. Here, we’re sharing some of the things we’ve learned along the way to help you if you’re considering your VC options.
What is so great about business video conferencing?
Increased flexibility and agility
Sometimes, a quick ‘face-to-face’ conversation can save hours of back and forth over emails. With video conferencing, you can meet anyone, anytime, anywhere with internet connection.
Save time and money
Video conferencing frees up the time wasted waiting for everyone to be in the same place at the same time. It means everyone can focus on doing whatever matters most to your business with that time instead.
Improved collaboration
Unlike a phone call, video conferencing offers businesses the ability to share screens, present documents, and communicate in real time. You can also record sessions for future reference or to share with people who couldn’t attend.
Work beyond Brighton and Sussex
Work with people outside of Sussex? Thinking about working with a client or partner in a different country? Connect easily with people wherever they are, thanks to video conferencing.
My business is only small and local to Sussex – should I bother with video conferencing systems?
It’s an understandable question for small business owners to ask themselves. There are plenty of benefits to video conferencing, even for small businesses mostly focused on a local customer base, including:
Scalable platforms
Virtual conferencing tools like Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams offer tiered packages, starting from free. So, as your business grows, your video conferencing capabilities can also easily.
Cost savings on office space
If people aren’t working from the office all the time, you may find you’re able to secure a smaller office space and therefore save a bit of cash on your business running costs.
Increased resilience
Nobody wants a repeat of COVID so we won’t even entertain that idea. But, say someone in your team can’t get into the office because of bad weather or train strikes. A decent virtual conferencing set up means they can still join anything they’ve got on their agenda from home.
Attract and retain top talent
A lot of people nowadays look for a certain degree of flexibility in their working life. Offering the opportunity to work remotely or hybrid (some days in the office, some days from home or elsewhere) widens the pool of potential candidates for new positions. It could help retain some of your existing top talent too.
User-friendly interfaces
Most video conferencing software and hardware is pretty intuitive and easy-to-use. Once it’s been set up, you can get collaborating virtually pretty quickly.
Are there any considerations I should bear in mind?
There are a few things that it’s important to get right to get the most out of your video conferencing setup.
Stay secure
You wouldn’t let an unknown person join a face-to-face meeting and it’s the same for virtual sessions! Set up strong passwords, use waiting rooms and keep your software updated to keep your meetings private.
Make sure you have the right hardware
One of the best ways to get the most out of video conferencing is to have at least one meeting room set up with a comms system (including a big screen, mics and speakers). That way, if you have multiple people in the office, they can be in the same room while others join remotely. This works well not only for meetings but also for training sessions, workshops, pitches, and all sorts! Scroll down for examples of some of the setups we’ve installed recently.
Can your network cope?
Good video conferencing needs a good network to back it up. There’s no point investing in state-of-the-art hardware if your connectivity means it’ll all be frozen screens and poor sound quality anyway. Speak to us today if you want help understanding the networking requirements to support video conferencing.
Our recent work: Yealink business video conferencing in sussex
We recently installed a Yealink system for our client J2 Aerospace.
Successfully installed Yealink A20 bundle for J2 Aerospace in Sussex
Why we choose Yealink for our clients in Brighton and Sussex
- Better collaboration through crystal-clear comms. Yealink’s HD audio and video tech helps everyone be seen and heard clearly during virtual meetings
- Works well with popular conferencing platforms. Yealink seamlessly integrates with Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams so however your business chooses to work, virtual meetings are easy
- Cost-effective for small businesses. The Yealink range covers various price points and generally offers a lot of bang for your buck compared to other manufacturers. Whatever your budget, we can help you find a system to suit