Skype is not a substitute for telepresence!
Microsoft’s acquisition of Skype has been a hot topic in the world of video communications and the power that Microsoft has put behind the audio and video calling service has seen the application appearing on many new mobile devices. For a long time, Skype has been the standard for free video calls on the desktop, and it’s rapidly becoming available to mobile device users on most platforms. Only recently, a version of Skype hit the iPad, joining Android and HP webOS tablets that can also support Skype video calls. Whilst this all sounds extremely exciting, where does Skype fit into the business enterprise landscape?
Similarly, the deployment of telepresence in enterprises worldwide is starting to really take off. A growing number of businesses are starting to use telepresence throughout their business: allowing them to improve collaboration amongst colleagues and improve customer service all whilst saving vast amounts of money in travel costs every year. Cisco is helping to drive video collaboration throughout all levels of the organisation – from the boardroom, to the desktop and even to remote workers. This is all supported by an intelligent network that can support high-definition Cisco TelePresence video meetings without loss of quality, jitter and delay. Once seen as a “nice to have” tool for the Fortune 500′s, Cisco TelePresence is fast becoming more accessible to SME’s as it gives a rapid return on investment from just the travel savings alone!
For a number of businesses, particularly SME’s, Skype will be the first application they look at because it’s well-known and will not require much in the way of a budget. But Skype is not an immersive high-definition experience – it’s a free application that ticks some of the boxes in terms of video collaboration. What Skype doesn’t give enterprises, is IT control. The reality is that Skype – if chosen by any organisation – has to run on a corporate network, and the IT department have no control over it. They will not be able to administer the call control, manage the bandwidth, user policies etc. These are the real issues that corporate solutions are procured against. An IT department in an organisation that allows an uncontrollable bandwidth application loose on a network is not a wise move! The ultimate objective for SME’s is to grow the business, and as they grow they must be able to scale video across the business in order to improve collaboration , reduce travel costs and increase productivity. As a growing number of companies deploy telepresence across the business and video becomes a key collaboration tool in replacing traditional business meetings, the difference between Skype and telepresence will become all the more evident.
What we are witnessing in the video communications industry is the emergence of Skype colliding against the effect of telepresence becoming more affordable to the SME market. Some businesses might use Skype for adhoc video calls or for a catch up with colleagues and be quite happy with it, for now. However, if you want to achieve improved collaboration throughout the organisation using video, Skype is not the answer. Cisco TelePresence delivers a high definition, immersive experience whether you’re on the road, in the office or taking part in an executive board meeting all on a network that is able to support and control the quality of the experience!
Seeing in believing – Check out Cisco TelePresence in action!