Interview of TAdviser with the head of a video conferencing of CROC company Mikhail Nikiforov

Mikhail Nikiforov: Demand for service, undoubtedly, is, but it is still not too big. However a number of serious premises, including advantage of the technology, gives us confidence to assume that the cloud video conferencing will be widely adopted in the Russian market in the nearest future.

Mikhail Nikiforov: First, it is an opportunity quickly enough to increase video conferencing capacities if the service is provided, in particular, by the system integrator locating a wide line of infrastructure products VIDEOCONFERENCING – servers of multipoint conference communication and servers of management. Thus, the customer can connect quickly to video conference sessions practically any number of participants including meeting rooms. If the customer has no terminal equipment for meeting rooms – not a problem, CROC can provide it in lease.

In case of own classical infrastructure of VKS which is expected a certain number of users it is possible to scale possibilities of a video conferencing, having only bought in addition the necessary equipment or licenses. It is more difficult, longer and much more expensive.

Secondly, this lack of capital costs of development of own VKS as the customer does not invest neither in an equipment room, nor in program the making infrastructures, i.e. pays only service. The financial model of service is based on operating expenses which can be regulated as required – possibly a design of a monthly, semi-annual, annual subscription. The cost of service is recorded in rubles and depends on the number of participants and at the same time held conferences and also types of the connected devices (VIDEOCONFERENCING terminals, mobile phones, stationary PCs).

Thirdly, using VKS from a cloud, at the customer need to administer independently infrastructure disappears. From it nothing is required for ensuring system operation of VKS. We implement the scenario when participants dial to conferences, are connected to them and work independently. If desired the customer can manage video conference service. For this purpose access to a special web self-service portal is provided to the administrator. On the web portal it is possible to see lists of users and conferences, to browse statistics of use of VKS, to change PIN codes.

Mikhail Nikiforov: Just the same, as well as classical solution VIDEOCONFERENCING: this directly participation in a conference, use of the uniform contact list, instant messaging, joint work over documents and also record of video sessions.

Mikhail Nikiforov: Yes, it is possible. It is possible to participate in a conference and from the stationary PC, and any mobile device (the notebook, the tablet, phone). For communication of staff of one company (I mean fast connection to a video session) it will be much more convenient to download a special application.

External users whose companies standard solution VIDEOCONFERENCING of any producers have also can be connected to a conference. If the organizations have no VIDEOCONFERENCING infrastructure, then it is possible to participate in a video conferencing session via the web browser or the system of unified communications of Skype for Business (Microsoft Lync).

Mikhail Nikiforov: Practice of holding sessions of a multipoint video conferencing shows that usually participate in VKS from three to several tens people. On a format it can be as one conference on all, and, for example, several at the same time held video sessions with a small amount of employees. It is technically possible to connect to VKS and the much bigger number of users.

Mikhail Nikiforov: Stirs, first of all, the mentality of the Russian customer assuming advantage of full control of any processes and systems over question economy. For safe use of VKS (that data were stored on the platform of the customer) as the corporate user considers, it is more reasonable to have own equipment, but not to receive a video conferencing from a cloud. It, by the way, belongs not only to VKS, but also to any cloud service. As a result, despite of a number of obvious advantages of use of service from a cloud, the choice is often made for benefit of purchase of own VIDEOCONFERENCING equipment.

Mikhail Nikiforov: We provide two security levels. First, all video conferences are protected by passwords which are appointed by the customer. It is the basic level allowing to avoid connection to VKS of unauthorized users and provided by default upon service purchase. Moreover, using the web portal the administrator of the customer can control all connections to actions.

Secondly, in case of increased requirements to security of VKS, additional protection of communication is provided when using allocate circuit. In this case all traffic circulating between terminals of the customer and our VIDEOCONFERENCING infrastructure is ciphered.

Mikhail Nikiforov: At this stage we offer VKS from a cloud as independent service. By the way, now it is available to all interested companies to free testing.

Mikhail Nikiforov: As practice shows, VKS from a cloud is interesting to the companies of any industry, and in respect of functionality the video conferencing has no industry specifics. Representatives of both the oil and gas industry, and retail, and finance, and the educational sphere make the corresponding inquiries for solutions VIDEOCONFERENCING to us. The main sign – geographical distribution of structure of the organization. However the cloud service of VKS will also be relevant and for those companies which hold a large number of meetings, for example, with contractors, and aim to increase the speed and efficiency of decision making. In this case VKS from a cloud allows to save not only time of employees, but also to optimize expenses on business trips. Everything together it allows to reduce operating costs of business.

Mikhail Nikiforov: According to forecasts of analysts, by 2020 the market of cloud services of a video conferencing in the world can reach $2.9 billion. Demand for a cloud service, undoubtedly, will grow also in Russia. Generally, we with careful optimism look forward. Especially as our partner Polycom company always proposes to the market the innovative solutions of VKS, and every year the range of solutions and services for final customers extends.