A brief history of video conferencing. Part 2
From commercial premium service to "pocket" technology
The origin and development of video conferencing as we know it today occurred in the 20th century, the era of bold experiments in communications that were not always successful. The extremely high cost and the vague prospect of using video conferencing technologies posed major challenges to its advancement. It was only towards the late 1980s, when PCs and the Internet transitioned from novelty to commonplace, that video conferencing began to flourish, entering a period often referred to as its "golden age" that continues to the present time.
The beginning of the video conferencing revolution
Video communication as we know it took shape in the early 1990s, a period directly related to the spread of the Internet and integrated services digital networks (ISDN). Given the relatively high costs of computers and the Internet access back then, developers were driven to leverage the full potential of the devices, including within the realm of video conferencing, despite the lack of readily available hardware infrastructure for widespread user adoption and advancement.
During that period, video conferencing was accessible through two types: corporate software and hardware systems and PC-based solutions designed for private use. Implementation of video conferencing systems within a corporate setting required substantial investments in hardware components such as video cameras, compression and decompression software, ISDN connection interfaces, and much more — they were all located in specifically equipped conference rooms and operated using protocols developed by the International Telecommunications Union.
Video conferences for personal communication were conducted using a PC with an inexpensive webcam, audio input and output devices, and an installed video conferencing application connected to the Internet. However, these systems were deemed unsuitable for corporate environments, as they lacked sufficient image and sound quality and lagged in data transmission owing to network bandwidth limitations.
By that time, the benefits of visual contact provided by video communication had already been appreciated by specialists from diverse fields — doctors, engineers, politicians, and scientists around the world. In the early 2000s, the United Nations used video conferencing during the trials of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, while in the United States, the Securities and Exchange Commission embraced innovative technologies for conducting debates and meetings.
In 2001, during military operations in Afghanistan, Nick Robertson, a CNN international correspondent, conducted the first live broadcast using satellite video conferencing technology. Following this milestone, journalists leveraged the technology to transmit live video reports from Afghanistan to their headquarters for redistribution.
Since 2002, video relay services (VRS) for people with hearing impairments have been developed in the United States. Sorenson Media Inc., known for its video compression software, introduced an autonomous videophone for displaying video images on the screen, enabling those with hearing and speech challenges to communicate through sign language.
Video communication builds a new reality
From the beginning of the 21st century, video communication has surged in popularity, serving as a prevalent tool for both business and personal purposes. In this period, Skype, a free platform for video and audio communication, experienced widespread adoption. Skype's "golden era" extended from 2003 to 2019. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a significant increase in the use of video conferencing platforms, with Zoom emerging as the dominant choice in the private sector.
During the 2010s, prominent video conferencing developers like Zoom, Lifesize Cloud, Google Hangouts, and Google Duo introduced a new concept known as "cloud-based" video communication. This innovative approach resonated with the prevailing trends and enabled the maximization of emerging technologies. Instead of maintaining communications data on the company's physical servers, these solutions stored the information in the distributed centers managed by the service providers.
By adopting this model, the costs associated with video conferencing solutions were significantly reduced, streamlining their usability. Tasks such as data storage, server maintenance, scalability, and system upgrades were now handled by the video conferencing providers, freeing customers from these concerns. However, this shift also introduced inherent disadvantages of cloud services, including a lack of direct control over the infrastructure and heightened data security concerns, as sensitive information resided on third-party systems.
The early 2010s witnessed a series of remarkable achievements in the field of video conferencing. In 2011, Cologne hosted the longest live broadcast, while on May 19, 2013, Daniel Hughes from Britain, achieved a groundbreaking feat by making a video call to the BBC from the peak of Mount Everest using his smartphone. Another significant event took place on December 12, 2012, during the largest telephone forum organized by the League of Conservation Voters Education Fund, where 2 million calls were logged. Fast forward to 2015, Alex Weber and Rob Moore made history by setting a new world record for the longest continuous video call, maintaining their connection for 14 consecutive days.
At ISE 2014, TrueConf, an award-winning East European communication technology company, unveiled a pioneering video conferencing in 4K Ultra HD resolution. Subsequently, the developer released point-to-point video calls with this resolution, including even on smart TVs. Alongside TrueConf, Lifesize also played a pivotal role in advancing 4K video conferencing technology with the introduction of their Ultra HD video conferencing system, Lifesize Icon 700™.
TrueConf video conferencing in 4K resolution. Source: https://trueconf.com/
Since the mid-2010s, there has been a growing need for platforms that go beyond video communication to provide a comprehensive suite of tools including shared documents, file storage, and various collaboration features. Microsoft introduced its Teams solution in 2016, which quickly emerged as a frontrunner in this domain by integrating messaging, meetings, notes, and document sharing within a unified workspace. This shift has resulted in the phasing out of its predecessors, such as Office Communicator 2007 and Lync, with Microsoft Teams positioned to eventually replace corporate Skype for Business in the foreseeable future.
Smartphones, messengers, and video conferencing
Similar to other contemporary technologies, video conferencing has progressed beyond dedicated video conferencing hardware and desktops, expanding into full-fledged applications for smartphones. To comprehend this transformation, it is essential to reflect on its history: back in November 1996, the Israeli company Mirabilis introduced the ICQ application, offering mobile device users a groundbreaking capability — real-time instant messaging without the need for sending SMS.
The innovation was approved by both users and developers: Yahoo! Messenger and MSN Messenger by Microsoft debuted in 1998 and 1999, followed by Apple's iChat and Facebook Chat in the 2000s. These applications underwent enhancements, and by the early 21st century, they provided users with online communication, file and image sharing, personal and group chats. A pivotal moment in this advancement was marked by the inception of the mobile application WhatsApp in 2009, which swiftly rose to prominence and by 2014 had established itself as the leading messaging platform.
The proliferation of laptops and smartphones equipped with built-in cameras, coupled with the widespread access to the high-speed Internet, including mobile networks, facilitated the integration of video conferencing capabilities into mainstream communication platforms. The inception of FaceTime for the iPhone 4 in 2010 marked the beginning of this trend. Subsequently, with the onset of the pandemic, video communication via messaging apps became an mundane thing, as video calling was introduced on platforms such as Viber, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, Slack, Snapchat, and even Instagram.
COVID and new outlook
2019 has marked a new beginning for video communication. Research conducted by analytical agencies such as Gartner, Frost & Sullivan, IDC, and others, pinpointed Cisco, Poly/Polycom, Lifesize, Google, BlueJeans, Microsoft Teams (including Skype for Business), Zoom, and TrueConf as the foremost players in the video conferencing industry. Three main categories of video conferencing solutions emerged: hardware and software endpoints and server systems, which are mainly used by enterprises, and cloud services, which are equally applicable for private communication and specific corporate needs.
Gartner Magic Quadrant for Meeting Solutions 2019. Source: https://www.uctoday.com/collaboration/exploring-gartners-magic-quadrant-for-meeting-solutions-2019/
Despite the growing popularity of cloud-based services, users were not yet ready to completely abandon hardware-based meeting room products. Nevertheless, software solutions continued to dominate the market owing to their innovative features such as cost-effective scalability for expanding user bases within enterprises, the capability to transform a PC into a video conferencing server through software, the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) concept enabling the use of personal devices in meeting rooms, and the option to install video conferencing software on PCs and mobile devices, among other advantages.
In response to the evolving needs of modern businesses, there emerged a demand for video conferences tailored for small groups of employees, often dispersed globally, rendering the traditional "everyone in one meeting room" setup inefficient. Boardrooms gave way to more compact meeting spaces for one or a few individuals. This shift precipitated another trend: AV manufacturers started providing all-in-one kits designed for huddle rooms, ensuring compatibility with various software platforms.
The 2020 pandemic led to drastic changes in the video conferencing industry, with remote and hybrid work modes being the main trend. These modes have become deeply ingrained in the corporate environment to such an extent that even post-pandemic, they continue to dominate as the preferred choices for a vast number of employees. This can be mainly attributed to the success of video conferencing technologies which were rapidly adapted to the new circumstances.
The healthcare sector has become a prime domain for the adoption of cutting-edge video conferencing technologies. Medical facilities have leveraged video conferencing services to enable remote collaboration among healthcare professionals, create secure red and green zones within clinics, and sustain ongoing interaction with global colleagues to expedite decision-making during critical emergencies.
Education has also embraced technological advancements: remote learning, online lectures and workshops have become standard practices for both students and teachers. Video conferencing platforms have progressively integrated a myriad of collaboration tools, streamlining the learning experience while preserving crucial aspects of social interaction for students. Nevertheless, the proliferation of video communication in educational environments has raised security apprehensions, culminating in the inception of the term "zoombombing", that referred to unauthorized connection of outsiders with ignoble intentions to the conference.
The unprecedented surge in the adoption of video conferencing has had an impact on economics. Major players like Microsoft, Google, and Cisco have attained significant success on a global scale. During the second quarter of 2020, Microsoft's global revenue from unified communications increased by 19.5% to $4 billion. It took Google many years to make Google Meet a competitive product for team calls and video conferences in 2020. Webex, which was acquired by Cisco Systems in 2007, saw an increase in sales of its solutions to $1.3 billion in 2021.
However, the main “star” of the video conferencing surge turned out to be Zoom, which has become one of the symbols of remote work during the pandemic. According to Apptopia research, on March 11, 2020, the day when the World Health Organization announced the coronavirus pandemic, Zoom was downloaded by 343 thousand people. The popularity of this solution was facilitated by its successful business model, offering four tariff plans, including a free one, making it affordable to a wide range of users.
During the pandemic, the global perception of video conferencing changed: the number of requests for server video conferencing solutions from state-owned companies, law enforcement agencies, large businesses, and medical institutions has increased significantly. This shift was primarily driven by the inadequacy of cloud services to meet high security standards and ensure data storage within the customer's infrastructure, rather than in the provider's data center, as observed with platforms like Zoom, Microsoft, Google, and others.
Self-hosted video conferencing systems emerged as a highly efficient alternative for cloud and hardware solutions, offering the required data security level while also being cost-effective for setting up meeting rooms and individual workplaces. This migration was largely facilitated by their compatibility with existing enterprise communication tools such as PBX, SIP/H.323 endpoints, and video conferencing solutions from various providers.
The high demand for video conferencing solutions prompted developers to respond to customer requirements. Consequently, in response to a 30-fold surge in requests during the COVID-19 era, TrueConf offered its server-based video conferencing platform license free of charge to all organizations. This initiative resulted in the issuance of over 50 thousand licenses, facilitating the connection of a cumulative total of 4 million users.
Nevertheless, even with the myriad benefits of server-based video conferencing systems, cloud-based solutions hold their own significance within the corporate realm. They are predominantly favored by small and medium-sized businesses, along with organizations with relatively lower communication security demands. Moreover, cloud solutions frequently excel in terms of flexibility, scalability, and cost-efficiency, particularly for customers who do not require an extensive video conferencing infrastructure. Therefore, when selecting an appropriate video communication system, customers are advised to prioritize the internal requirements of the company. This strategic approach will assist in making an informed decision regarding the optimal choice between hardware, server-based, and cloud-based solutions.
Despite the lifting of quarantine restrictions, remote communication remains relevant — video conferencing has become a common tool for communication and collaboration globally. The widespread adoption of video conferencing can be attributed not just to the aim of saving time and financial resources, but also to the necessity of adjusting to evolving business landscapes. Advancements in technology drive developers to integrate an expanding array of features into video conferencing services for various scenarios and enhance participant engagement in remote workflows. The findings of sociological studies are clear – despite the pandemic's conclusion, employees are reluctant to return to office spaces, opting instead to work remotely from home.