Audio-Video Conferences

Audio-video conferences are very useful nowadays in several fields and industries because of their ability to connect people located in various places. Through this technological breakthrough, it has become easier to exchange ideas with people across the globe.The beginnings of audio-video conferences can be traced back as early as 1964. These conferences were facilitated by a crude and expensive picture phone device. Since then, the machine has evolved to become the complex business tool it is today, complete with additional features such as a color monitor and recording capabilities.Audio-video conferencing has been especially useful in the business and education sectors. In business, it allows companies that have different sites around the world to hold meetings in a fast and efficient manner. These companies are able to save money because they need not provide transportation expenses for their employees who are participating in international business meetings.Meanwhile, in the education sector, audio-video conferencing has been particularly useful in conducting seminars or lectures in which the participants are located in different parts of the world. Distance education has become possible. It is with the advent of audio-video conferencing that the terms 'remote students' and 'remote professors' emerged.There are basically two types of audio-video conferences. These are the asynchronous and synchronous types. Asynchronous audio-video conferences are recorded and can be viewed by the participants anytime they prefer. On the other hand, synchronous audio-video conferences are real-time conferences where the participants can interact with each other. With this type of audio-video conference, immediate feedback is possible, which makes it similar to a traditional meeting.Audio-video conferencing is definitely a great tool that industries can use to achieve their goals and objectives. It allows companies and educational institutions to save time and money. Technology experts say that there are still more improvements and features to expect, for audio-video conferencing has not yet reached its full potential. For instance, the idea of enabling audio-video conferencing through mobile phones has been gradually gaining ground as some of the giant telecommunication companies have already adopted it. Smaller telecommunication providers may follow suit and even introduce further improvements to audio-video conferencing.