It’s clear that video is booming on the web.  Video sharing sites like YouTube and portable camcorders like the Flip have exploded.  Also, as I’ve discussed in previous blog articles and in the recent Businessweek Video Webcast - video conferencing is growing in leaps and bounds.

I’ve seen significant growth in the desktop video conferencing space with services like Skype, Tokbox, and ooVoo being used for everything from virtual meetings and remote collaboration to friends and family keeping in touch.   Thanks to the increase in broadband and wi-fi people can meet face-to-face virtually from almost anywhere.

Well now it looks like video chat/conferencing is about to get even more mobile.   Last week Apple released the iPhone 4 which includes a forward facing camera and a built in program called FaceTime that allows video chatting from iPhone to iPhone.  Also Sprint released the EVO 4G which also includes a front-facing camera and the QIK video chat software. It seems like the natural next step . . .

There is no mistaking that the time is ripe to get into the mobile video chatting game. It is already big enough with tools from Skype, Google (Talk) and others, and it’s only going to get bigger. There are already millions of notebook owners in the mix, and when you add what is likely going to be millions of smartphone and tablet owners, the potential market for video chat offerings is going to be huge.

via Is a Mobile Video Chat Revolution Imminent?.

I’m sure these two phones are only the start of this trend.  In fact you can be sure that once Apple starts to push this envelope others will be soon to follow – much the way that the iPhone invigorated the smartphone market and the iPad has woken up the sleeping tablet market.  I’m still shocked that the iPad didn’t include a camera on it for video chats – but I’m almost certain the next generation will include that feature.  In fact it’s one of the main reasons I didn’t run out and buy one – I’ll wait for the second generation so I can tap into the video.

The stats seems to back up this prediction in a recent report, entitled “Can You See Me Now?: The New World of Consumer Visual Communications,”  by GigaOM Pro. (subscription required):

Video conferencing has changed.  What was once a very costly technology only used by large enterprise type organizations with dedicated IT departments is now easier to use and more cost effective. There are a variety of solutions to fit almost any budget.

This was the topic of discussion a few weeks ago when I joined Bloomberg Businessweek in their New York Studios for a live Video Webcast called “Video Breaks Out of the Boardroom”.  The show was hosted by Jim Ellis, Assistant Managing Editor of Bloomberg Businessweek, and I was delighted that they invited me to join Marc  Beattie from Wainhouse Research to be part of this episode.  Here is a photo from our broadcast:

The Bloomberg building was amazing and everyone I met there was extremely friendly and helpful.  We had a wonderful discussion and looked at what’s involved with implementing video conferencing including how much technical know-how it takes, how and why companies using it, what it costs, and what are some of the stumbling blocks. We also took some great questions from those that were viewing the live broadcast.

In case you missed it you can now view the entire Video Webcast live.  Just register here and you can watch the whole show.  We discussed the topic for about 20 minutes and then had about 10 minutes of Q&A.  If you’re currently using video conferencing, or thinking about it, you definitely want to catch this.

A big thanks to everyone at Bloomberg Businessweek for having me be a part of this event. I hope to join them again for future shows!

Please post a comment below and let me know what you thought of the webcast and feel free to ask me any questions you might have about using video to connect with your virtual teams and remote workers.

I have to admit that these days I don’t travel that often.  Having a 3 year old son makes me want to stay home a lot more than I used to – and being I work in The Anywhere Office I find I can often avoid unnecessary travel by wielding my mobile work technology to work from anywhere. However now and again an opportunity arises that I just can’t pass up.  Last week I was invited to be a panelist on a Bloomberg Businessweek Live Video Webcast all about video conferencing.

It was a great opportunity that I didn’t want to miss – so despite the fact that it meant flying out of town on my birthday – I went to the West Palm Beach Airport here in sunny Florida and flew to New York City.

The webcast was lots of fun and I got to spend some time with my good friend Marc and visit with his family as well – a splendid time was had by all!  I got to the airport very early because I hitched a ride in with my wife (who works close to the airport) and it got me thinking about being productive in an airport and why I love flying out of PBI.  Here is a short video I shot talking about working from an airport with The Anywhere Office:

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I’ve been invited by Bloomberg BusinessWeek to be a panelist on a free live video webcast this Thursday (June 10th) all about video conferencing -  I hope you can tune in! Here is the description:

Video Breaks Out of the Boardroom
Thursday, June 10 at
10am PT | 1pm ET | 6pm GMT

Video is changing how companies interact with employees, suppliers, partners and customers. It’s an important area for growth and an essential tool for global businesses.

Join us as we speak to executives and thought leaders in the video collaboration space about emerging technologies and how these tools offer so much promise for business.

• Build & sustain business relationships
• Broaden the scope of your markets
• Strengthen customer relations and loyalty

Our expert panel, moderated by Jim Ellis of Bloomberg Businessweek, includes Marc Beattie, co-founder, Managing Partner, and Co-Manager ofUnified Collaboration Practice at Wainhouse Research and a recognized expert on the collaboration services market and Phil Montero, CEO of Montero Consulting, Founder of YouCanWorkFromAnywhere.com, and the spearhead of the remote work movement for more than a decade.

You will be able to participate in this live discussion through interactive questions and answers with our industry experts – all from the comfort of your desktop.

Click here to register today!

I’m looking forward to a great discussion. I’m also excited to see what the Bloomberg news studio looks like – it should be lots of fun! I hope you’ll join us and be sure to submit some questions.

If you can’t catch it live I will be posting the video here at The Anywhere Office after the event.

It’s no surprise that telecommuting, workshifting, or virtual work - whatever you choose to call it - not only makes smart business sense but can also help you run a more environmentally friendly business.

Whether you are a large corporation, small business, or solo professional there is a lot you can do to lighten your ecological footprint. When you reduce the need to travel and take advantage of technology to collaborate from anywhere you keep tons of carbon emissions from polluting the world.  A shift to printing less and using more digital documents saves untold numbers of trees.

By taking The Anywhere Office® approach you’ll save money, be more productive, and be more green. So this Earth Day make a commitment to make even a small adjustment to the way you work to do your part.

You can start by downloading The Anywhere Office Toolbox – our free eBook contains information and links to technology, services, and other resources we find of benefit to mobile workers, virtual teams and supporting virtual offices and distributed work.

You’ll find tools for gaining remote access to your documents or computer, holding web meetings and conferences, sending and receiving digital faxes, sending video email and holding video conferences, dealing with time-zones, and marketing your business online.

These are all free or affordable solutions with free trials – so there is no excuse!  Incorporate some of these tools today and make your business more green.

Unchain yourself from the office; work where and when you want.

A question I’m asked by many entrepreneurs, small business owners, and virtual team managers is  . . . “With all the technology available how do I know which tools are best for my virtual team or virtual office?” This is a common challenge and choosing the wrong tools (or too many tools) is a common pitfall of virtual teamwork.  It’s important to decide on a core set of tools to support remote collaboration and make sure everyone on your team knows how to use them.

But how do you choose? I have devised a workflow analysis we call the ICC Approach as it looks at your needs in 3 key areas – Information, Communication, and Collaboration.  In this short video I walk you through this analysis and help provide questions to guide your thinking when evaluating mobile work technology.

Give it a view and share your comments below to let me know your thoughts and experiences!

Whether you are collaborating with team members across distance or want to stay in touch with family and friends there are times when a phone call or an email just isn’t enough.  You long for face time.  Traveling or bringing everyone together isn’t always an option – so why not consider using video?

Recently I was traveling to Boston for a week to meet with some clients.  The hardest part of the trip was being away from my wife and 2 year old son Spencer.  We decided to make things more bearable we would have a video chat at least once a day using Skype. I also decided to send them frequent video emails using a great service called Tokbox.

Tokbox is a free service that allows you to send up to 10 minute video emails and have video conferencing with up to 20 people.  Both of these are very impressive as most other video email programs allow for only a minute or two and most video chat programs only support one-to-one conversations.

To see a sample of Tokbox in action view this short video I recorded using their service:

TokBox – Free Video Chat and Video Messaging

I haven’t tried their video conferencing services much as I currently use Skype for real time video chats but I will be testing it further in the coming weeks -  especially the multi-person video conferencing. I’ll follow up with another blog post to let you know my thoughts and share some of the other video conferencing services I have found.

I used to use Eyejot for video email and while I found the service to be good – it limits you to a recording of only 60 seconds unless you upgrade to one of their paid options.  Tokbox on the other hand blows that away with their 10 minute limit. This past week Spencer and I have been sending lots of video emails to family and friends that haven’t seen him in a while (he has even been strumming on my ukulele and singing some songs – needless to say everyone is amazed!)

Sending video email to family and friends is fun and a great way to keep in touch but video email can always be used as a serious business tool.  Video email among virtual team members is a great way to improve informal communication, boost team cohesiveness, and add a greater level of presence to conversations.  As a manager of a virtual team you could send out a video email to email to everyone on your team once a week letting them know about upcoming project deadlines or celebrating milestones reached.  Imagine how much more powerful a virtual pat on the back to a team member would be if you did it via video email and shared it with the whole team? The possiblities are endless and limited only by your creativity.

Want to know more about the service?  Read 10 Reasons to use Tokbox for Video Mail from their own blog.

Another great feature of Toxbox is they allow you to create a video recorder box to include on your website.  This allows people leave you a video message without having to have a Tokbox account.  We decided to give this a try so we are including a Video Recorder box below – if you have a webcam and a mic leave us a message using the box below and let us know what you think of the blog and if there is anything you’d like to see us cover here on The Anywhere Office.

No video camera? Leave us a comment below and let us know if you’ve used video email and how you think it can improve your virtual teams.