Within the next few years, experts say, two-way video communications will be the new cutting edge way of doing business. The banking industry is already starting to deploy "virtual tellers" at branch offices while the retail industry is apparently gearing up to introduce "virtual store clerks."
This "kiosk-based" form of video communications at bank and retail locations is the prelude to the much larger rollout of fixed-line and mobile two-way video communications, which will ultimately bring this new form of communication into the privacy of our homes. Obviously, there are still hurdles to overcome before video communications becomes commonplace. For one thing, there's still the basic problem of not enough bandwidth on our last-mile networks.
Then there is the simple fact that most consumers do not have video phones or even video cameras and microphones connected to their PCs at home. Perhaps more importantly, there is still a question of how many people really want two-way video communications whether actually seeing the person you are speaking with offers enough value to the consumer to make the cost of rolling out IP video communications worth it.
However, with the major wireless service providers of the world working in concert with the handset makers and aggressively rolling out video capabilities on their next generation networks, we are no doubt getting closer to the day when two-way video communications will become a reality. As advanced new mobile devices (i.e., videophones) come onto the market, and consumer demand for them increases, it only makes sense that the call center industry will follow suit.
Farther down the road there's the potential for using IP video for a wide range of customer service and support operations, which people can access from their homes. For example, one day an agent in a tech support center will be able to "show" a consumer who just bought a new computer how to load some new software, or perhaps troubleshoot a set-up problem, right on the consumer's computer screen.
The ability to "show" a consumer how to do something, in real rime, rather than "tell" them over the phone will no doubt have powerful applications in the future.
Posted by:
Marketing Team
Vcare Call Center,
www.vcarecallcenter.com
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