Before the pandemic, remote meetings were about as common as a solar eclipse. They were the last resort â usually used when someone had to stay home with a sick child or couldnât attend in person for another reason. Youâd dial in through a half-asleep conference phone, and that was pretty much it. Improving an âunnecessaryâ process wasnât even on the map.
Maybe we werenât ready, but a few pioneers had already started talking about the benefits of video and phone conferences. The main arguments back then were:
- Environmentally friendly
- Cost-effective
- Time-saving
Today, video and phone conferences are the norm. We simply assume our meetings will be digital â just like we once assumed Leif âLoketâ Olsson would be on TV when Bingolotto ruled the â90s.
That said, there are still good reasons for face-to-face meetings. Interaction matters â but itâs not critical. Before the pandemic, that interaction was the main reason to meet in person. Companies swallowed high travel costs and lost work hours because traveling from UmeĂ„ to SkĂ„ne for a one-hour meeting was considered completely normal. Suggest that today and⊠well, you get the picture.
Pre-COVID: Video meetings â for internal use only
Back then, video meetings were mostly for internal purposes. Occasionally youâd get an invite, and right on cue, the classic issues followed. People couldnât connect, audio didnât work, video lagged â and by the time everything was finally up and running, there were about 15 minutes left of the meeting. The tools simply werenât user-friendly.
Fast forward nine months, and now weâre talking about video meeting fatigue. Quite the shift, right?
Phone conferences â yesterdayâs standard
For many companies, phone conferences (or âtelcosâ) were the standard go-to. When someone couldnât attend in person, the solution was simple: call in.
Not surprising, really â the telephoneâs been around since Antonio Meucci built the first one in 1849 (though A. Graham Bell conveniently patented it later, but thatâs another story).
The benefits of phone conferences:
- Easy to book
- Simple to join
- Scalable
- External participants join as easily as internal ones
- Lower travel costs
How phone conferences work in lynes
In our world, there are two types of phone conferences: scheduled and spontaneous.
A scheduled conference works just like it sounds â participants receive an invite with a clickable link to join, plus the option to call in with a unique code (why anyone chooses that option, weâre not sure â but apparently, people still do).
Spontaneous conferences, or as we say in Stockholm, ad hoc conferences, are incredibly easy in lynes. You can add participants directly from a call or send out a link so they can join instantly â just like a scheduled conference.
No need to call someone and say:
âHey, we need to talk about the report. Can you dial 091234567 and enter code 46537?â
Whether scheduled or spontaneous, conferencing in lynes is simple. You can mute all participants, invite as many as you like, and skip the limitations of traditional setups. Phone conferences shouldnât be complicated â they should be lynes.
Video conferences â the new normal
These days, we donât ask where to meet. The question is how â or rather, which platform? We automatically assume itâs a video meeting.
Before, in-person interaction was the key argument against video. That, combined with the lack of technology, made video meetings rare. But now, the playing field has changed â and video meetings are our MVP. Theyâre personal, engaging, and feel more natural â like a ârealâ meeting.
How video conferences work in lynes
A video meeting in lynes couldnât be simpler. Click the link in your invitation â done. External participants can join straight from their browser, no downloads or plugins needed.
In the lobby, you can test your microphone, camera, and audio before joining â meaning no more âCan you hear me?â every time someone enters.
We donât limit the number of participants either. Whether youâre 10 or 100, lynes handles it with ease.
Need to share your screen? Of course. Because letâs be honest â whatâs a meeting without a PowerPoint? Just click once, choose whether to share your full screen or a single window, and youâre good to go.
Why video conferencing rocks:
- Easy to join
- No expensive equipment needed
- Faces to names â more personal interaction
- Screen sharing for presentations and visuals
- Lower travel costs
- Huge time savings
Phone and video conferences in lynes
A conference in lynes is exactly what it sounds like â a conference. Whether itâs audio or video depends on how participants choose to join. You can even start as a phone call, switch to video midway, and share your screen â all within the same ongoing session. No need to create a new meeting or switch tools.
You can also mix participants â some via phone, others on video. Sure, the ones calling in canât see the video participants (unless theyâre using our mobile app), but everyone can hear each other just fine.
Weâve truly lynesified conferencing. You decide how it works.
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