Two key factors that have always hampered South African companies' aspirations to use video more effectively are the cost of the infrastructure and transmission. And although these remain concerns, the barriers have been lowered somewhat by advances in technology and some relief in bandwidth costs.
I think South African IT executives are slowly seeing the benefit of long-term planning and investment.
Andy Oldfield, director of Emerging Markets, Panduit EMEA
Andy Oldfield, director of Emerging Markets for Panduit EMEA, says video "is a brutal medium" that requires significant resources to process, transport and store, and that companies should proceed with caution.
That need for caution can be eased through proper planning, he suggests. "Planning and understanding what is being delivered are crucial. A lot of companies focus on the capital expenditure upfront, whereas it should be viewed from the total cost of ownership perspective."
With this in mind, Oldfield suggests companies consider a phased approach that circumvents wrong decisions and investments.
"Have a clear understanding of what the video content is to achieve," he says.
Corporate tool
Some companies use video to improve collaboration between teams where it's easier to share ideas using live or recorded video. Others are broadcasting messages from company executives to add a more human touch to such missives, while yet others have expanded the concept of a product data sheet into an equally informative but more appealing video format.
Only once a clear plan has been hatched should you look at the resources and whether this will be produced and hosted in-house or farmed out to a provider like Panduit, which has the infrastructure and expertise to provide a complete solution.
"Don't rush headlong into any solution," says Oldfield. "I think South African IT executives are slowly seeing the benefit of long-term planning and investment."
He believes some of that planning and investment needs to be directed towards media and platforms that support video, as its importance as a corporate tool is only going to increase.
First published in the November 2013 issue of ITWeb Brainstorm magazine.
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