Video is the future of brand communications, but like other content, optimal video engagement requires integration across the marketing and comms board for consumers, and across the workforce spectrum as an internal tool. New research from integrated video collaboration technology Vidyo, in collaboration with design and development agency WebRTC.ventures, reveals how the telehealth industry has become an ideal use case study.
As healthcare communicators shift to a model of value-based care that emphasizes high quality, accessibility and low costs, they seek alternatives to generic, siloed video communications solutions.
The study, The Rise of Embedded Video Communications: Trends in Video-Enabled Apps, reveals that communications platforms-as-a-service (PaaS) is a top choice for those who are planning embedded video projects, with 49 percent of respondents saying that they plan to use a communications PaaS to initiate an embedded video project within the next 12 months.
More than 45 percent of survey respondents say they embed video into a telehealth application, making telehealth the top use case across the board. Care providers use a communications PaaS to thread real-time video throughout clinical workflows to simplify the engagement process for both the patient and the clinician.
“In today’s digital world, real-time video is the human touch that helps organizations engage directly with their desired audiences,” said Vidyo CMO Elana Anderson, in a news release. “For example, telemedicine enhances continuity of care and, therefore, the patient experience. This report shows the tremendous uptake of embedded real-time video to enrich and simplify how we communicate.”
Beyond healthcare, embedded real-time video communication is used across all industries
About 40 percent of respondents embed video into collaboration/online meeting applications, while 35 percent embed video into contact center workflows and 30% embed video into distance learning solutions. Other responses include field services, technical support, webcasts and webinars and gaming. Industry analysts expect the United States video communications PaaS market to skyrocket from $60 million in 2016 to $1.7 billion in 2020, with ubiquitous remote visual communications benefitting virtually any scenario.
For the 47 percent of respondents who have not yet embedded video into an application, technical limitations and high costs are stated as common barriers to adopting the technology. Full internal development of a video collaboration application requires hosted global infrastructure and high development and maintenance costs. A communications PaaS, on the other hand, offers cloud hosting, attractive usage-based pricing, and little to no need for expertise in video technology.
Network quality is also a top technical concern, with 55 percent of respondents reporting that the network they use is not good enough to guarantee a quality video experience. With today’s rapid proliferation of personal, mobile devices and remote teams, companies prioritize reliable, quality video experiences over any network: 4G/5G, variable wifi networks, and low bandwidth scenarios.
“A communications PaaS lets organizations focus on making their applications shine and on creating great customer experiences, rather than on the burden of becoming video infrastructure experts,” added Anderson. “Organizations need a simple and cost effective way to integrate this critical channel into their customer engagement workflows.”
Vidyo co-authored the survey of 166 Chief Information Officers, Chief Technology Officers, General Managers, Front-end Developers and Engineering Directors with WebRTC.ventures, a global team of WebRTC experts that builds custom real-time applications with video, voice, and data exchange.
