The hybrid working environment continues to grow and develop as more companies switch from office working.
The model allows companies to give their employees a better work-life balance and enable them to work from anywhere.
A RingCentral study found that 58 percent of UK workers would change jobs or industries to ensure a hybrid or remote working environment.
Vin La Rocca, Senior Vice President for Americas and EMEA, HP Hybrid Work Solutions, has declared that “hybrid work isn’t a trend; we live in that world”.
Due to the rise in hybrid working, vendors compete to create the best video conferencing solutions possible.
Video conferencing systems need to ensure that all meeting attendees have an equal say, no matter their working location.
Here we look at the best video conferencing solutions for hybrid work:
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is an all-in-one remote and hybrid communication tool that allows users to chat, call, and conduct video meetings from a single solution.
Teams is ideal for hybrid work due to the range of certified devices that integrate with the platform.
These devices can be installed outside physical conference rooms, and they will synchronise with the Teams meetings calendar.
Employees can use Teams to share files and conduct video conferences, supported by Teams’ built-in features and third-party integrations.
During a Teams call, users can conduct Q&A sessions, collect feedback, take notes on a whiteboard, assign action points, and more.
The platform is pre-configured to run with Microsoft’s Office productivity suite, which you can access from any device.
Pricing for Microsoft Teams starts from $4 per user per month; however, there is a free version of the platform.
Webex by Cisco
Cisco acquired collaboration leader WebEx in 2007 and gradually merged Webex features into its product range.
Cisco Webex offers a variety of hardware and software tools to support distributed teams, whether it is knowledge workers, decision-makers, or contact centres.
The Cisco Webex video conferencing platform is designed for the hybrid workplace.
In addition to video calling, it supports chat, file sharing, and third-party integrations to help hybrid teams stay connected.
The company’s range of hardware devices, like Webex Desk Series, Board Series, IP Phones, Room Series, and more, can be installed across the physical workplace.
Pricing starts at $14.50 per user per month for Webex by Cisco.
Google Workspace
The Alphabet-owned search engine giant rebranded G Suite as Google Workspace in 2020, underscoring its investment in hybrid and remote work technologies.
It enables video conferencing through Google Meet, a video platform for small to mid-sized businesses and large enterprises.
Users can switch seamlessly between chat and video calls, with Meet also having a range of hardware devices that can be installed in an office.
This includes Series One Desk 27 (for home offices and WFH power users), Series One Board 65 (for team conferencing rooms) and customisable Series One room kits.
In addition to video conferencing, users can add a global dial-in license to make calls to domestic and international numbers.
Pricing starts at $6 per user per month for Google’s Business Starter package.
