Ready to integrate video conferencing solutions into your office space and activate your hybrid workforce? Many companies have recognized the benefits of doing just that and are outfitting their meeting rooms to support real-time engagement between remote and office employees as well as their customers.

Still other organizations have been less enthusiastic to embrace the hybrid work model and remain on the sidelines, watching and waiting to see where expectations meet necessity. These businesses may be reluctant to implement video conferencing solutions into their office space. Most of these reasons can be attributed to uncertainty or misperceptions regarding what implementation means. We now take a look at some of the common objections associated with integrating video conferencing into your space and what the real story is.

1. Cost Considerations – Video conferencing equipment and infrastructure have been traditionally expensive, so cost was the barrier for many companies to justify the investment in the past. Some companies may still perceive video conferencing as a costly technology.

The Real Story: Videoconferencing technology has actually become more affordable in recent years, thanks to manufacturers developing plug and play devices that are Teams certified. These devices require minimal integration or customization, resulting in a cost-effective solution for small to medium-sized meeting rooms for under $10,000.

2. Technology and Equipment Challenges: Video conferencing requires reliable connections and high-quality audio and video equipment, and companies may be concerned about the technical challenges of setting up and maintaining video conferencing equipment. Also, past negative experiences around video conferencing technology persists as it was often unreliable, with issues such as dropped calls, poor audio and video quality, and difficulty connecting.

The Real Story: Setting up you video conferencing system can now be seamlessly applied with high quality and video conferencing equipment from top brands like Poly, Jabra, and Logitech. Also getting set up is easy and the reliability issues around connectivity has evolved considerably. Companies can also work with manufacturers to provide proof-of-concept projects that are price and time-effective. This allows businesses to test different technologies and find the best fit for their needs before committing to a full-scale implementation.

3. No Video Platform Set up: Some companies may not feel confident installing video conferencing equipment citing that they do not for example have a Teams license.

The Real Story: This should not be a stumbling block to adoption. You can obtain high quality video conferencing devices that are platform-agnostic, which means that even if companies have not yet decided on their hybrid work model or chosen their preferred collaboration platform, they can still implement videoconferencing.

4. Resistance to Change: Some employees may be resistant to change and may prefer traditional in-person meetings. This can make it difficult for companies to transition to video conferencing.

The Real Story: While there has been a wait and see approach pending the adoption of the hybrid work model, it is safe to say that many companies will continue to permit or even encourage remote worker flexibility. Competing both as an organization and for good talent means embracing the new reality. As they say resistance is futile!

Any investment needs to have an ROI and embracing video conferencing technology has it in spades when it comes to workforce productivity as well as team cohesion, collaboration and well-being. That said, you need to have it to compete in business. With affordable plug and play devices, platform-agnostic solutions, and the support of companies like Rova Unify and their manufacturing stable of technology partners, there has never been a better time to integrate videoconferencing and other collaboration technologies into your workspace.