There was a time when communication within a business was restricted. Entire departments would share a single audio conferencing bridge and there were limited video conferencing booths, with larger teleconferencing rooms reserved for the management.

The pandemic changed all of that in an instant. Businesses have had to adjust and transform very quickly to allow their employees to work from home. This is often done without the luxury of time for proper planning and evaluation.

Despite the threat of the pandemic diminishing, the hybrid ways of working are set to stay for the foreseeable future. It is important that we start to re-evaluate our workspace environment from three different perspectives:

• Employee Roles - The needs of the C-level suite differ from those of blue-collar workers, just as the requirements of the finance team vary from those of the sales team, which operates in a dynamic and mobile environment. Hence, a one-size-fits-all approach just wouldn’t work here.

• Office Setup - The office setup and design may also restrict how the workspace can be configured. As fewer employees are coming to the office on a daily basis, the need for large meeting rooms has fallen whereas the need for individual pods to take calls without disturbing the rest of the colleagues has increased.

• IT Setup - Lastly, nothing can happen if the underlying IT infrastructure required to support the workspace transformation is not adequate.

Bridging the Gap in Virtual Communication

When it comes to delivering online content across a large number of staff in different locations and time zones, virtual meetings and webcasts can be incredibly effective. However, they can also present a number of challenges that hinder their effectiveness:

• Bandwidth Limitation - Ultimately, even the best internet connection has limitations, making it impossible to facilitate or participate in a virtual meeting. When a high volume of users is sharing a connection with high-bandwidth activities such as HD video streaming or uploading, it can make it more difficult to successfully run a smooth virtual meeting.

• Technical Difficulties - Technical difficulties and connection issues can disrupt a virtual meeting or webcast, leading to delays, frustration, and lost productivity. In fact, according to a report by Ovum, technical difficulties and usability struggles with web conferencing software are the primary factors contributing to late-starting meetings. The latent factors are usually in the form of connection drops, audio problems, and compatibility issues with different devices and platforms.

• Security and Privacy Concerns - Virtual meetings can be vulnerable to security and privacy risks, such as hacking, data breaches, people posing as attendees or unauthorised access to confidential information.

Don’t Let Congestion Ruin Your Virtual Meetings

Imagine a scenario where a large corporation is hosting an all-hands virtual meeting with thousands of employees logging in from around the world. The company has invested in high-end video conferencing software and hardware to ensure a seamless experience for all participants.

However, as the meeting progresses, the network starts to experience heavy congestion due to the sheer volume of data being transmitted. The video stream starts to stutter, and the audio becomes garbled, causing many employees to miss critical information. Some employees may even drop off the call altogether, unable to reconnect due to network overload. As the meeting continues, frustration mounts and productivity suffers, as participants struggle to stay engaged in the meeting.

This scenario highlights the importance of an effective content delivery network, which can alleviate network congestion, enhance security, and ensure that all participants can access and engage with critical content in real-time.

Traditional solutions for addressing bandwidth and technical issues in delivering online content often involve costly investments in infrastructure, such as upgrading bandwidth or purchasing advanced conferencing tools. However, these solutions need time to be implemented and can cause disruptions to the entire organisation's IT system. Fortunately, there is a non-disruptive, cost-effective alternative available.
 
Our Solutions for Success

An enterprise content delivery network serves a similar function as a CDN which is used by consumer video streaming services, but instead leverages an organisation’s own private networks, such as LANs and WANs, to securely distribute content to employees and authorised viewers.

How do eCDNs work? Check it out here: Video in the enterprise: dealing with the data deluge | Orange Business (orange-business.com)

By distributing the content through local servers, an enterprise CDN (eCDN) reduces the amount of traffic that travels through a company's network, which helps avoid bottlenecks, latency, and buffering issues. This results in a faster and more reliable video streaming experience, allowing employees to stay engaged with not only virtual meetings but also corporate training, live events, and other important video communications. Essentially, eCDNs can also help you save on bandwidth costs and improve network security.

According to a white paper from research firm Metrigy, organisations that use eCDN to optimise video delivery saved an average of 22% annually on WAN costs.
 
Partnering with the right team to manage and optimise your workspace can make all the difference in ensuring a seamless, secure, and cost-effective experience for your organisation and stakeholders. By working with us at Orange Business, you’ll gain immediate access to a team of experts with a proven track record of success in implementing and managing workspace solutions, including eCDN, tailored to your specific needs. In the case of any technical difficulties, our team of IT professionals is here to assist you and ensure that your content is delivered without a hitch.

Don't let online town hall meetings become a nightmare! Let us help you deliver high-quality virtual meetings without the headaches. Click the link to discover how Orange Business can help your business achieve seamless, secure, and cost-effective content delivery.