Peering into video for VARs

Dave Stevinson looks at the issues surrounding the expanded market for online videoconferencing

One of the biggest IT concerns for businesses that use webconferencing is the level of security offered by the technology.

This is one area the reseller needs to consider. Many service providers offer peer-to-peer conferencing, where the IP address of the business's computer and the IP address of its client or partner company are used to transfer the data.

This type of system requires that the data stream be encrypted so it cannot be captured or viewed by a third party. Many providers also offer password protection and time-sensitive passwords.

Videoconferencing solutions are being widely adopted. This technology is on the verge of reaching tipping point, and we will see a flurry of vendors and resellers wanting to integrate this technology with their business strategy.

I have heard that the videoconferencing market will be worth $5bn (£3.1bn) by 2016. The spread of smartphones and tablets looks to considerably expand the market for live visual communication.

You could go down the servicing route and provide the full box and dice: hardware, connectivity, maintenance and troubleshooting, for example. Or you could just look at supplying the hardware that supports the wide range of applications available.

This technology is increasingly being supported on a range of desktop and mobile devices, giving technology providers plenty of scope to get involved.

But customers who look to the reseller to manage their videoconferencing services will have no tolerance for low-quality experiences. Rolling out video is challenging and time consuming, straining all resources, human or IT.

Videoconferencing deployment, monitoring and management as well as proactive identification, troubleshooting and problem solving must be considered alongside bandwidth demands, firewalling and network address translations.

It is also critical to set up discovery of all end points and tracking of video clients. This can be done as a troubleshooting exercise. You need to have policies that clearly lay out the quality of service you wish to provide.

A number of technology companies are adding videoconferencing to their portfolios. Even big players, such as Orange, have recently launched videoconferencing as a service – not only for the boardroom but for mobile devices too. SaaS packages from the likes of Webex and iMeet can interface with existing hardware.

With technology such as Facetime on the iPhone, Skype, iGoogle and many others, face-to-face communication technology already seems as if it is at our fingertips. However, using this technology within your business is unprofessional, especially if the connection constantly drops out. Therefore, business users require a more sophisticated setup.

You can look at adding videoconferencing machines to your portfolio that can provide webconferencing out of the box. Alternatively, you could boost your line-up with additional accessories and software for videoconferencing, such as webcams, microphones, cameras and monitors.

Likewise, the use of external microphones will need to be considered for multi-person interfacing. Headsets might be the most cost-effective solution. But for group meetings, products such as omnidirectional microphones are superior for recording and transmitting dialogue.

Dave Stevinson is sales director of VIP Computers