Early adopters face some challenges, but mobile videoconferencing promises on-the-spot communication with experts around the world.
By Leslie O'Neill
May 02, 2012
Houses of worship are modernizing their A/V systems with videoconferencing technologies that allow them to better connect with their congregation. With the addition of a mobile component, leaders can reach their communities for meetings and instruction, and can connect with inspirational people around the world.
Mobile videoconferencing is a relatively new addition to enterprise communications technology, and it’s another sign of the consumerization of workplace IT. Enabled by the proliferation of broadband wireless networks and enhanced optics in hand-held devices, mobile videoconferencing is one more app that people are starting to expect on their smartphones and iPads. Early adopters still face some challenges, but mobile videoconferencing is quickly picking up steam in the business world.
Free consumer applications like Apple’s FaceTime and Microsoft’s Skype have become wildly popular — so popular that Microsoft bought Skype for $8.5 billion last year. However, these apps don’t have the horsepower that a business needs, and, considering the vagaries of public wireless networks, enterprise requirements demand the most reliable mobile videoconferencing system possible.
“Enterprise-grade products really have the edge in terms of A/V quality and network performance — they enable a more seamless, transparent experience. There isn’t the reliability in free systems,” says Christianne Orto, Associate Dean and Director of the Manhattan School of Music’s Recording and Distance Learning program. The world-renowned conservatory uses mobile videoconferencing to connect students to artists, no matter where in the world their touring schedules take them.
Built Enterprise Tough
The Manhattan School of Music chose Polycom’s HDX telepresence system and the RealPresence Platform, which includes mobile clients for iPhones, iPads and Android devices, for both its reliability and its HD-quality video and audio. Artists carry their wireless
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