Affordable Video conferencing? For whom?
This service sounds good, but at $300/month/location, it sounds steep for most small businesses. Maybe a larger business could afford this, but when I look at systems like ASAP, even Yahoo and MSN's IM clients, I don't really see the benefit. Sure you would get higher video and sound quality, but I think only organizations with several offices (and therefore not small) across the country could see the savings (as compared to traveling).
For my desktop videoconferencing is what teleworkers and consultants like me need. Something easy, without too many requriements. For example, what I like most about Breeze and ASAP is that the client, doesn't have to have the application to see the video, hear the audio, or see my desktop. So I could easily turn the sound off, keep video on, and screen share (while talking on the phone), with anyone with Flash 7. That's affordable video conferencing.
Affordable Video Conferencing
By Lauren Simonds
July 22, 2004Tight budgets, rising travel costs and increased security procedures make face-to-face business communications a challenge for an SMB with a scattered workforce. Although video-conferencing has been available for years, the cost has generally been prohibitive to all but big enterprise players.
Now, thanks to GlowPoint, the nation's first carrier-grade, IP-based video communications service provider, SMBs can collaborate in real-time with enterprise-quality video-conferencing at a fraction of the cost.