With credit tight and the cost of doing business rising at every turn for small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs), profit and productivity are difficult.
Sightspeed Inc. says they can help SMBs be more profitable and productive with affordable Internet-based face-to-face video communications that increase collaboration and cut travel expenses, stress, wasted time and carbon emissions.
"There are a lot of solutions out there that small- to medium-sized businesses can use to stay in touch, remain productive and keep travel costs down," CEO Peter Csathy said, yesterday via e-mail. "
But what sets SightSpeed (News - Alert) Business apart is the affordable video conferencing service it brings to your desk top. Feature-rich and high-quality video and audio make it possible to see and hear anyone in the world, all with just a Web cam and broadband Internet connection. SightSpeed Business takes you anywhere you need to go from the comfort of your desk chair."
There are six compelling ways entrepreneurs can use SightSpeed (News - Alert) Business and its nine-way simultaneous video conferencing to significantly increase their profits and quality of life, the company says.
Number one is that SightSpeed brings far-flung team members face to face. Geographically dispersed team members can still effectively meet face to face and improve their understanding of shared targets; strengthen collaboration, morale and satisfaction; and raise their productivity. Video meetings can be formal or informal.
Secondly, Sightspeed can improve relationships. Studies have shown that effective communication with customers is a leading indicator of financial performance, resulting in higher market values and greater customer satisfaction. With sales territories expanding, face-to-face contact via video conferencing can be among the most valuable and cost-effective tools for today’s sales professionals competing in a global marketplace.
The technology can help business people to meet more efficiently and make decisions quicker. SightSpeed Business video conferencing enables SMBs to meet spontaneously with customers, suppliers or employees when necessary, not according to travel arrangements. Decisions can be timelier and more effective when the exchange of information occurs face to face. Meetings are online and flexible, maximizing attendees’ availability and minimizing their attachment to a specific location.
SightSpeed can raise employee enthusiasm and productivity. SightSpeed Business video conferencing enables more frequent real-time contact with individuals or groups of employees. A manager’s video e-mail to a sales team can keep direct communication and motivation on a constant basis. A video e-mail from a manager to an employee with the message “Well done” can strengthen their relationship while building worker confidence and enthusiasm. And a video record of a meeting made available for replay to individuals or groups can raise employees’ sense of inclusiveness and shared accountability.
By removing the distance, SightSpeed Business video conferencing lets managers screen more eligible candidates, thereby raising the quality of potential hires. Interviewing candidates by video conferencing saves the time and expense of traveling and is more effective than phone interviews. Since SightSpeed is mobile, interviewing managers don’t have to be in a fixed location. It also makes it possible for employees to work remotely, minimizing relocation cost and eliminating the potential loss of a key employee and the need to hire a new one.
Lastly, SightSpeed can eliminate fixed investments for communications equipment. Compared to the cost of outfitting even a single room-based video conferencing system, SightSpeed wins hands down. It cost less than $20 per month per user, or less than $200 per year with volume discounts, and it’s a quick and easy download of a “software as a service” application. Most users need only a broadband connection to the Internet, since webcams now come built into virtually all laptops and many business desktops. Its high-resolution, 30-frames-per-second, full-color, full-motion, cross-platform video has won numerous awards for quality, and SightSpeed is widely recognized as the “gold standard” for Internet video conferencing.
Sightspeed, founded in 2001 and based in Berkeley, Calif., is a provider of Internet video communications for both the consumer and business user, offering a broad portfolio of Internet video communications services.
These include, SightSpeed Free, SightSpeed PLUS and SightSpeed Light, a consumer-focused video chat service, which turns a PC or Mac into an easy-to-use video phone to communicate with friends and family around the world. In addition, SightSpeed Business is a high-quality, cost-effective and hardware-free videoconferencing service for all businesses.
Eve Sullivan is a contributing editor for TMCnet, covering news in the IP communications, call center and customer relationship management industries. To read more of Eve's articles, please visit her columnist page.
Edited by Eve Sullivan