Face to face: video telephony connects

By Nadine Hantke Aug 1, 2010, 12:16 GMT

Hamburg - When the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajoekull laid European air travel low for several weeks this spring, most people focused on the tourists who had suddenly found themselves stranded across the world.

But countless meetings, both private and professional, had to be cancelled, crimping business plans everywhere. The more resourceful took the opportunity to discover video telephone connections and video conferencing

Both have improved in quality in recent years, in no small part due to quicker internet connections which help to prevent jerky video images.

Free services are the best option for simple conferences, small group meetings or private audio and visual communication. It's best if most contacts have installed the same programme on their machines. Services like Skype, Windows Live Messenger, Apple iChat or Yahoo Messenger all easily connect two computers.

iChat allows people using Mac OS-enabled computers to conference with multiple partners. Skype is also ramping up its operations. Its newest Beta Version 5.0 allows videophony with up to five people.

'But, so far, operations for this version are fairly unstable,' comments Andre Kramer, editor with the German computer magazine c't.

Videophony via Messenger requires that both conversational partners use the same programme. When it comes to professional systems, check the compatibility of the H323 standard.

'That guarantees that devices from various manufacturers can communicate with one another,' explains Christian Meyer of the Competence Centre for Video Conference Services at the Technical University of Dresden.

Free video conferencing software is available from firms like Bravis (Galaxy4Free), Daviko (PlaceCam) or Vivicom (V2cfree). Mebeam or Adobe's Connectnow are purely browser-based services. For private communication, a basic webcam and microphone usually provide adequate image and sound quality.

Meanwhile, larger and mid-sized companies have begun using video conferencing to cut back on travel costs.

'A professional system is worth the cost when you have teams or international partners spread all over the place,' says Kramer. And as soon as several people want to participate simultaneously or use bigger screens for conferencing, then messenger programmes will no longer suffice.

'Also, as soon as confidential details are discussed, conferences should be conducted via one's own server and not with a host like Skype,' advises Kramer.

But professional video conferencing systems come at a price. Smaller systems start at 2,000 euros (2,582 dollars), while room systems with zoom-capable full-HD cameras and microphones, offered by Tandberg, Polycom or Lifesize, cost between 20,000 and 50,000 euros.

The price differential can increase sharply as soon as the upgrade to a telepresence system is made. This technology creates the illusion of virtually sitting at a conference table with another person, both seeing the other as full-size images.

'The systems are usually reserved for the heads of major international firms,' says Meyer.

'Still, a videoconference, even with all of its technical advances, does not compare with a face-to-face meeting,' says Meyer. It lacks the same social feel. There's no way to shake hands and one has to concentrate harder on the person on the other end of the line. As a rule for business, first contacts are always best made in person.