Business Choice 2023: The Best Video Conferencing Services for Work

pcmag.com:

Not too long ago, having even one person join a work meeting via video call was unusual. The pandemic changed things, though, and a majority of working people use video conferencing regularly. For online meetings to work well, though, an office must have the right video conferencing service.

For the second consecutive year, we asked PCMag readers to tell us which tools work best for face-to-face meetings when you can't all be in the same room. The top picks are our Business Choice award winners. We break our results down into two categories: Employees' Choice—the services workers prefer when they have the option, and IT Managers' Choice—the services those who control the office technology prefer. For the latter survey, we thank our colleagues at Spiceworks(Opens in a new window) and its Aberdeen Strategy & Research(Opens in a new window) division for their assistance and expertise.

We spoke to Aberdeen VP & Principal Analyst Jim Rapoza about the continuing viability of video conferencing after so many people have returned to the office at least part of the time. He says, "While a majority of businesses use some form of video conferencing, including 74% of small to medium-size businesses, many still see it as limiting and a poor substitute for in-person meetings."

Aberdeen's research into the topic shows some significant benefits to keeping current with these tools. "We’ve found that businesses that use up-to-date video conferencing are 65% more likely to see improvements in new product and service innovation, 40% more likely to report enhanced workforce flexibility, and 38% more likely to improve acquisition of new talent," says Rapoza.

That means top IT leaders are modernizing their video conferencing abilities to stay