Video Conferencing-Meaning, Advantages and Disadvantages ; Telex and its role; Audio Conferencing

VIDEO CONFERENCING

It is an arrangement which facilitates the speakers to communicate with each other in different localities using public telephone links. Participants of the conference located in different geographical distance areas can discuss issues by using their terminals that are linked together viz the telecommunication network.

Usually, group communication takes place in person, in the same room, but new technology provides a facility for discussion with a group of persons on the internet. You can conduct a meeting, hold a group discussion or brief people scattered across the country or around the World You can consult a number of experts through computers using group decision support systems for their views before making a decision or for finalizing a plan of action. In teleconferencing, the attention is focused on the idea or concept that is being communicated. This is the advantage of the method but sometimes this overemphasis on the message with a corresponding neglect of the person communicating it, may not be fully in tune with the corporate culture, which needs a dynamic medium of communication.

In recent years, big business organizations are using teleconferencing method to conduct business meetings with the concerned executives who are geographically scattered all over a region. Video conferencing connects individuals in real time through audio and video communication over broadband networks enabling visual meetings and collaboration on digital documents and shared presentations.

Advantages of Video conferencing- 

 (i) Significant Travel Savings- The constant climb of air travel prices barely seems like news anymore, and smart organizations are finding alternatives. Not only is video conferencing a direct replacement for many in-person business trips, but because there is virtually no cost to add additional key employees to a virtual meeting, you can easily bring the right team together. 

(ii) Improved Communication- Video conferencing restores many visual cues necessary in long distance communication. Non-verbal communication constitutes about two-thirds of the communication between people. For example, eye contact enables us to 'get' a message from a speaker that voice communication alone may not successfully convey, creating essential social bonds and shared understandings. Audio conferencing and e-mail lose these non-verbal cues.

(iii) Increased Productivity- Important meetings are shorter and more effective. Video conferencing users report saving a minimum of two hours a week with the technology. The interactivity of group collaboration and document sharing greatly increases productivity.

(iv) Conferencing Quality- All of the pros and cons of video conferencing hinge on quality. Early versions of video conferencing quality had uneven clarity of the audio and video broadcast. Today, these problem still remain for low-end and consumer systems. However, state of-the-art technology now delivers excellent, reliable audio and video quality, making this one-time disadvantage one of perception, not reality.

Disadvantages of Video Conferencing-

(i) Technical failures with equipment, including connections that aren't made. 

(ii) Unsatisfactory for complex interpersonal communication, such as negotiation or bargaining. 

(iii) Impersonal therefore an atmosphere of group rapport can not be created easily. 

(iv) Lack of participant familiarity with the equipment, the medium itself, and meeting skills. 

(v) Acoustic problems within the teleconferencing rooms.

(vi) Difficulty in determining participant speaking order, frequently one person monopolizes the meeting.

(vii) Greater participant preparation and preparation time needed. 

(viii) Informal, one-to-one, social interaction not possible.

TELEX

The term 'telex machine' means a character printer connected to a telegraph that operates like a typewriter. Telex is the name that was given to a service for the teletypewriter. This communication system worked on a network of teletypewriters and sent messages via the PSTN Telex has almost disappeared, superseded by the fax machine and e-mails. But Telex is still used by the deaf to communicate over the telephone. There is a receiver that couples with the telephone and makes a connection with the other end. Now they are connected and can type messages to each other.

Telex machines are not widely used and their days are numbered, but they still play an important role.

1. In parts of the banking and financial system they are still used for some types of trade and confirmation, because telex messages are legal documents unlike faxes or e-mails. Both sender and recipient are formally identified (they have to be subscribers to the telex network). neither party can deny the transmission (the sender can't claim that they didn't send it, nor the recipient that they didn't receive it), and the message can't be faked.

2. Ocean-going ships are still required to have telex machines, as a safety requirement. 3. In remote parts of Africa, telex is still the most reliable (and often only) form of government and administrative communication. The very low bandwidth means telex can work in places where voice and internet cannot, such as over low quality radio or microwave connections.

 AUDIO CONFERENCING 

High tech Conference calls have become indispensable for all business operations, whether large or small scale. Conferencing is an effective solution for any business that needs meetings regularly with clients or business partners, Conference calls make meetings simple and convenient, it's also one of the most cost-effective methods.

Audio Conferencing is the most common option for conference calls. The main advantage of using audio conferencing is its low cost. Essentially the only expense involved in audio conference is the cost of suitable equipment and the phone charges. Phones with built-in speakers will do the job. However, audio conferencing has its related disadvantages too. Furthermore, we can enhance it by combining communication lines with other mediums such as computers. Audio conferencing has a great potential for larger groups to conference in and the technology used is fairly reliable. Audio conferencing is also very accessible and consumes lesser time to set up.

On the down side, Audio conferencing transmission may be of poor quality at times since it relies on phone lines. Noise can affect the conversation and may even cut the host out. Also, the presence of a facilitator is needed especially when a conference consists of a large number of people. Another problem is that you can't see the person on the other side of the line, which affects personal relations. Since conference calls generally involve people from different parts of the world, it is hard to gauge whether a person is serious or humorous, and that can cause unnecessary interpersonal problems.

The mentioned disadvantages only apply if such communication means is used in professional transactions or meetings. For businesses t se disadvantages could make or break a deal, thus other means of conferencing would be advised.