Video conferencing can be used in different environments, which is one of the reasons the technology is so popular. Uses for video conferencing include business meetings, educational training or instruction and collaboration among health officials or other representatives. video conferencing has been used in the following fields:
BUSINESS
- Improve use of executive time.
- Speed up decision-making.
- Keep meetings brief and more focused than face-to-face meetings.
- Enable top management to quickly and effectively communicate with employees sitting in multiple locations.
- Allows virtual project management via video and data conferencing with geographically dispersed peer groups at short notice.
- Provides an effective way of delivering cost-efficient training to individuals without the requirement to consistently travel to central locations.
- Creates a medium for conducting interviews.
- Saving travel time and expenses.
- Increasing an instructor's audience.
- Maintaining the ability for interaction between teachers and students.
- Connecting with guest speakers and experts.
- Multi-school project collaboration.
- Enabling teachers to share information and team-up with teachers in remote sites.
- Virtual field trips to museums, zoos, aquariums, institutions and other interesting locations that are geographically distant from the school.
COMMUTING
Working out of home has never been easier or more practical. Videoconferencing makes it possible to stay connected with people in a very real way. Videoconferencing allows users to save resources by meeting with clients and/or colleagues via videoconference. This reduces travel expenses, while maintaining face-to-face contact.
For a minimal cost, it is possible to set-up a fully functional videoconferencing system that works in a professional and reliable way from your home office.
LEGAL ENVIRONMENTThe use of videoconferencing technology is becoming more prevalent in today’s courtrooms. Videoconferencing systems are used to enable testifying witnesses to “appear” in court without having to travel to the courtroom. Expert witnesses, prisoners, and various other witnesses can provide the same testimonies from remote locations. From the prison, prisoners will see and hear everything that takes place in the courtroom and will be able to answer questions posed to them by the presiding judges and lawyers. Videoconferencing in the court system offers significant cost savings and improved security by reducing the need for high-security prisoner transport. The entire courtroom experience will be made shorter, safer and more cost-effective.
 MEDICINE
There are times when a person needs medical advice but is unable to visit their personal physician or even more likely, a specialist. In such situations using videoconferencing can make all the difference. A patient in a rural location can easily “meet” with a specialist from anywhere in the world. Videoconferencing enables patients to get the necessary information and expert guidance they need quickly and easily. While videoconferencing cannot replace all visits to a medical professional, in some instances it can be the only method of meeting with a specific doctor, and in a difficult situation it may prove to be a lifesaver.
SKYPE FEATURES
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Talk to anyone else on Skype, anywhere in the world, for free with a Skype-to-Skype call. Catch up with your backpacking brother in Asia, check in with your boss away in the US – call any Skype contact for free.
Catch up face-to-face with more people at the same time on a group video call with Skype. Whether you’re kicking off a project or showing off the latest addition to the family, it’s the next best thing to being there.
Conference calls-Talk to more than one person at once. It's free if you're all on Skype.
Skype To Go numbers-Call people at great value rates from your mobile with special access numbers.
Online Numbers-One number anyone can call you on, wherever you are in the world - and you answer on Skype.
Voicemail-Let Skype take a message when you’re not free to talk.
Call forwarding-Forward your Skype calls to any phone you choose when you’re not online.
Call transferTransfer a Skype call to anyone else on Skype, or to a phone number.
Caller ID-Show it's you when you call a phone number from Skype.
Screen sharing-Show presentations, photos and more over a Skype call.
Instant messaging-The quick way to chat without having to make a call.
Send filesSend documents, video clips or photos – any size for free.
SMS-Send great rate text messages to friends' mobiles with SMS on Skype.
Skype WiFi-Get online with public WiFi using Skype Credit so you only pay for what you use.
Harware Requirements for Skype
The things that are absolutely needed to run Skype are a working microphone and working speakers. This could consist of a microphone plugged into your computer and your standard desktop speakers, or it could be a headset purchased especially for Skype. You just need some way of talking and listening.
Many laptops have microphones and speakers built in. If you have Skype installed, try a test call to see if your setup is currently working
A webcam is not necessary to use Skype or even to see other people in a video-conference. A webcam is needed for other people to see you. Many laptops have webcams built in, but if yours does not there are many external webcams on the market, many for less than $30.
Skype recommends a broadband Internet connection for audio and video conferencing. A satellite connection could work, but not necessarily consistently. Dialup works only with text messages.
If the computer Skype is to be run on is really old, it might lack the computing power to run Skype. Skype recommends a 1 GHz processor and at least 256 MB of ram.
For running Skype without a computer there are a variety of phones on the market and even some devices that let you use traditional phones to make calls. Check out skype.com for a decent selection of USB-, Ethernet- and WiFi-based phones.
Some cell phones can run Skype, including the iPhone. Check out skype.com to see if a given cell phone is compatible.
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BUSINESS
MEDICINE
