Videoconferencing Demystified: Making Video Services Work
This book shows you how to bring videoconferencing benefits to your business.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Videoconferencing Demystified: Making Video Services Work
Part 3: Conducting a Successful Conference
The Corporate Videoconferencing Facility
As we noted earlier, there are two ways a corporation can have videoconferencing capability. The first is through the use of a videoconferencing service provider that arranges the use of a public room and manages the entire event from start to finish. The other is to purchase and install a videoconferencing room for the corporation. We will discuss each of these options in turn.
The Public Room Option
Companies that use videoconferencing only occasionally cannot justify the cost of installing a dedicated room for the service. Instead, they have the option of contracting with a service provider like Proximity or Kinko s. These companies are true service providers: They provide the oversight, scheduling, logistics management, and event execution for the client. If they do their jobs properly, the client walks into the room, sits down, and commences the meeting.
As a customer, there are a number of issues that should be discussed with the service provider. The first of these is fee structure. How is the event to be billed? Is it a fixed price or is it billed on an hourly basis? Does the price include equipment, support, and other ancillary services, or are these separate line items? What are all of the billable components of the service?
The second issue is service quality. Videoconferences today must be high-quality events, or they are deemed to be failures. Does the service provider offer a service level agreement as part of the service that they offer? What...
Copyright The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2002 under license agreement with Books24x7
