Divisive Devices And Conferencing Woes?
Like – I suspect – many people, I spend far too large a percentage of my one and only life on various ‘net conferences, using a variety of platforms.
Most of them are truly loathsome. So it was quite refreshing recently, when speaking to a conf software vendor, Fuze, using its own product for said conference, to have a one-click connection, with no “sorry I’m struggling to get onto the conference” moments, and excellent lip-sync when using the video (and, no, we weren’t in the same room -) – hoping to spend more time with these guys down the line.
One issue the aside comments during the conf did raise is that of – “what devices are conf attendees using to access the conferences nowadays?” Given that I regularly test network infrastructure management (of various sorts) products, security admin services etc, that are all completely manageable via an Android/iPhone device, it seems logical that more and more folks are using said devices to join conferences, and this is indeed the case, regardless of their actual location – e.g. at their desk. And it’s not a trivial issue providing the same level of access and facilities across all platforms – phone, laptop, desktop, tablet (stone or otherwise), cave walls etc…
Moreover, it shows the ever-increasing need for focus on audio/video from smartphones to attain a quality, shall we say, approximately a thousand times better than that we experience with the likes of WhatsApp. And of course it needs to be secure, even by what Russian FIFA World Cup 2018 standards are likely to be (with probably less use of batons). Which brings me nicely onto another recent conversation with another vendor, this time Swiss-based Equiis (needless to say, the conference started exactly on time -). Equiis plays in the world of secure mobile comms, an area I’ve been focused on since the early 90s, care of Brand Communications, Netmotion and others. And it’s bigger than ever, for the aforementioned – and many other – reasons. Equiis’ focus is very much on the enterprise market, though they do have an intriguing announcement in the pipeline which will expand that market considerably, but I’m not at liberty to talk about that currently. Many people think I should be locked up anyway…
What is really key here is the ability to continue what typically starts as some kind of online conversation in the office and continues on the way back home, or to another meeting, the gym, pub, Indian take-away, noodle bar or whatever… with all the same secure functionality on tap. Two or more different locations shouldn’t require two or more different devices and applications and, regardless of the number of devices, the user methodology should be the same. This isn’t Nirvana, it’s just basically what’s needed in 2018 and beyond. Or at least until the world ends, which some people are suggesting might be as a result of the World Cup. Not sure about that, but I can certainly see a potential depression building over England as a result thereof… I do hope I am proved wrong -)