In our digital and globalized society, immediacy has become a priority. Our lifestyles, increasingly simplified by technology, are driven by the search for efficiency.
According to a study published by Harris Interactive in January 2018, the French feel they are running out of time. They seek immediacy and speed in their acts of consumption, to feel like they are filling their lives to the brim and not wasting time on unnecessary or non-productive tasks. According to the survey, 61% of French people surveyed say they are always looking to save time in their lives.
This need for efficiency and time optimization is also shared by companies and their employees to gain productivity. And although mankind has always tried to reduce the distances between individuals, from smoke signals, the invention of the telegraph, to the advent of the Internet, one of the main obstacles to efficiency at work is the lack of tools to simplify communication (behind undoubtedly the poor management of priorities…)
In the era of a globalized economy, it is necessary for a company to be able to connect with the other side of the world instantly. While telecommunications have long made this possible, the social networking and Internet revolution has brought new technologies into the efficiency race: videoconferencing and livestreaming.
Videoconferencing allows participants to meet virtually around the world, as if they were in the same room, while livestreaming expands a “closed” event, making it accessible to an audience potentially scattered around the globe. Bringing these two processes together would be a further step in simplifying communications and removing physical constraints.
Linking videoconferencing and livestreaming: what opportunities?
There is a strong technological similarity between livestreaming and videoconferencing, as both processes are live broadcasting techniques over the Internet.
But what are the advantages of merging these two processes which, although similar, have always evolved independently?
Enriching videoconferencing
Additional functionalities quickly become necessary to enrich a videoconference exchange, such as document sharing, moderation of the speech or the organization of the highlights of a meeting (management of video shots, on-screen appearances of speakers, audio sharing). These command specificities are equivalent to the needs of a live broadcaster. Indeed, what looks like a simple moderation in the context of a videoconference corresponds to real video production practices during a live event.
Offering a solution to companies in need of these technologies
Videoconferencing has very quickly become a must for companies, especially large groups with international subsidiaries. It allows them to connect employees, during board meetings for example, without them having to travel. It is also possible to add spectators to these meetings (without the power to intervene). The scenarios and configurations of videoconferencing are infinite, depending on the uses and needs of these companies.
Responding to constantly changing uses and the need for simplicity
Medical consultations via videoconferencing or even surgical operations performed by a robot that can be remotely controlled by a surgeon? Nothing futuristic, it is already a reality. Telemedicine is a fast-growing sector, and the addition of live video would offer new opportunities: retransmission of an operation in subjective view, training of students and doctors.
In the media field, duplexes are made for TV channels thanks to Skype. However, the device is very expensive, because the video control room must have a specific console to integrate the stream to the live broadcast on their channel. A lightweight cloud video conferencing solution like Blastream would make it easier to perform such a duplex and thus reduce broadcasting costs.