Video conferencing

Video conferencing, also known as web conferencing, is a communication technology that enables two or more people in different locations to collaborate face-to-face in video meetings over the internet. It enables remote or hybrid work by allowing teammates to work together from anywhere in real time.

Video conferencing services use microphones, cameras, and speakers on devices like computers and smartphones—alongside your internet connection—to send and receive audio and video in real time.

Web conferencing offers several key benefits for teams and organizations, such as:
 

• Higher engagement. Host interactive and accessible meetings that make it easy for every everyone to participate in deeper, more personal ways.
• Easier collaboration. Connect people from anywhere, enabling teams to share files and work together in real time.
• Increased productivity. Communicate more efficiently and share ideas faster by adding visuals to your online meetings.
• More flexibility. Reduce location constraints and give teams more control over when and where they meet and collaborate.
• Improve the employee experience. Give remote workers a greater sense of belonging by providing more opportunities to meet face to face.
• Faster communication. Communicate and share work in real time—rather than sending emails and waiting for replies.

Better presentation skills. Get guidance and feedback to help improve the quality of your video meetings using features like speaker coach in Teams.

Key features that help ensure the success of your video conferencing include:
 

• Recordings. Save meetings to share with participants for future reference.
• Chat. Quickly connect with colleagues before, during, and after web conference calls.
• Live translation. Keep everyone engaged in your video meetings using real-time, AI-powered translation across 40 languages.
• Captions. Enable real-time captions during your meetings to further boost clarity, inclusivity, and accessibility for all attendees.
• Screen sharing. Showcase demonstrations to help everyone follow along with your presentation.
• Customized backgrounds. Minimize distractions by replacing your surroundings with a virtual background.
• Raise your hand. Reduce interruptions by letting other participants know when you’d like to talk or ask questions.
• Speaker coach. Get real-time guidance in Teams to help you speak more confidently in meetings.
• Participant list. Easily follow up with participants after web conference calls by viewing and downloading the list of meeting attendees.

Reaction buttons. Quickly engage with content or discussions without interrupting the call.

Organizations use video conference calls to connect teams and streamline collaboration in a variety of ways, such as:
 

• Team meetings and standups. Keep widespread teams productive, engaged, and informed on important company news and initiatives.
• Client presentations and demonstrations. Build trust and showcase products to potential clients without having to travel.
• Training and onboarding. Deliver interactive learning experiences for employees and valuable webinars for customers.
• Recruitment and interviews. Expand your talent pool by interviewing candidates from across the globe.

Strategic planning. Connect teams across locations to facilitate executive decision-making at any time.

Brainstorm and visually collaborate with teammates across devices and locations at any time. Use video conference calls to quickly connect with colleagues and drive productivity both remotely and in the office.

Manage and control secure video conference calls by reducing noise, removing uninvited attendees, and designating presenters. For example, meeting participants in busy environments can isolate their voices and use virtual meeting backgrounds to help reduce distractions.

Easily meet and connect with teammates across the globe to simplify hybrid collaboration and boost productivity. Global organizations with widespread teams can use video conferencing to share key information with every person, regardless of their location.

Hold interactive meetings for up to 1,000 attendees—plus, host virtual webinars and broadcasts for up to 10,000. Consider hosting video conference calls to help onboard new workers and provide teams with valuable opportunities to connect, learn, and grow.

Video conferencing, also known as web conferencing, is a way for people to meet, communicate, and get work done together in video calls. Video conferencing platforms like Microsoft Teams connect workers across locations to help them collaborate in real time.

Using video conferencing services on devices like computers and smartphones, anyone in your organization can work remotely or from different offices without sacrificing productivity or availability.

As remote and hybrid work grows more popular, many companies use enterprise video conferencing to connect teams and workers—no matter where they work.

Whether you want to schedule a quick one-on-one chat or a larger business meeting with your entire organization, video conferencing is key for enabling your teams to work together and stay in touch.

To join or host video conference calls, you need a device with a webcam, microphone, and speakers. While many modern laptops and smartphones already have this technology built in, organizations can adopt specialized video conferencing tools—such as headsets, cameras, and displays designed for Teams—to improve the quality of their web conferencing.

Additionally, you need internet access and a video conferencing software to be able to connect to other devices and communicate with teammates.

Video conferencing apps use your camera, microphone, and speakers—as well as your internet connection—to quickly send and receive video and audio across devices. This empowers your teams to simultaneously see and hear each other in real time, even when they’re in multiple locations.

Plus, Microsoft Teams connects to Microsoft 365 apps like SharePoint and OneDrive to streamline file sharing and simplify collaboration during your web conference calls.

Video conference apps include a variety of capabilities designed to help global teammates meet in more engaging ways and drive productivity in the moment. Key features that help ensure the success of your video conferencing include:
 

• Recordings. Save meetings to share with participants for future reference.
• Chat. Quickly connect with colleagues before, during, and after a web conference call.
• Live translation and captions. Deliver AI-powered translation across 40 languages in real time to help keep everyone engaged in your video meetings. Plus, add captions to further boost clarity, inclusivity, and accessibility for all attendees.
• Screen sharing. Highlight demonstrations and make it easier for attendees to follow along with your presentation.
• Customized backgrounds. Choose a virtual background, upload your own, or blur your surroundings to help minimize distractions.
• Raise your hand. Let other participants know when you’d like to talk or ask questions to reduce interruptions.
• Speaker coach. Microsoft Teams offers real-time guidance to help you speak more confidently in meetings—such as notifications when you interrupt someone or reminders to check in with your audience.
• Participant list. View and download the list of meeting attendees to reference and follow up with participants after web conference calls.
• Reaction buttons. Quickly engage with content or discussions without interrupting the call.

Most video conferencing tools allow participants to choose whether they want to appear on camera or just use their microphone.

Taking advantage of video conferencing features and capabilities enables significant benefits for you and your teams, such as:
 

• Higher engagement. Web conferencing elevates the interactivity and accessibility of your meetings, empowering everyone to participate in deeper, more personal ways.
• Easier collaboration. Video conference calls connect teams from anywhere to help them share files and work together in real time.
• Increased productivity. The visual nature of video meetings helps you communicate more efficiently and share ideas faster.
• More flexibility. Video conferencing reduces location constraints by giving teams more control over where and when they can meet and collaborate.
• Improve the employee experience. Virtual conferences provide widespread teams with more opportunities to meet face to face, giving remote workers a greater sense of belonging.
• Faster communication. Video meetings help teams communicate and share work in real time—rather than sending emails and waiting for replies.

Better presentation skills. Elevate the quality of your video meetings and become a more confident speaker using features like speaker coach in Teams. Get guidance and feedback to help improve your pacing, limit filler words, and engage your audience.

As market conditions evolve and business needs change, teams must ensure they have the adaptability needed to drive productivity from anywhere. As a result, hybrid work has become a key part of modern business—blending in-office collaboration with remote flexibility. At the center of this transformation is video conferencing, a tool that has shifted from a convenience to a strategic necessity.

Enterprise video conferencing is key for global teams to maintain productivity across different offices or remote locations. Using platforms like Teams, businesses can foster engagement, maintain productivity, and make informed decisions from anywhere, at any time.

The modern hybrid work environment has taken video conferencing from a luxury to a necessity. Video meetings provide an opportunity for teams to connect face-to-face—whether they’re in the same office building or an entirely different zip code.

Because workers may not be in the same setting, your organization should identify best practices to use for virtual calls. For instance, you should take meeting notes in a digital, widely accessible app or document to keep everyone organized and on the same page. It’s also important that meeting attendees test their equipment and ensure it works before joining group calls to avoid technical mishaps.

The rise of hybrid work has transformed video conferencing into a strategic business tool. Adopting web conferencing tools and software isn’t just about connecting people, it’s about uncovering new opportunities to support productivity and strengthen your organization, including:
 

• Talent expansion. Elevate your teams with diverse skills and perspectives by hiring top talent, even when people are located outside of your immediate location.
• Talent acquisition. Offer remote and hybrid work options to help make your company more appealing to today’s workforce.
• Operational efficiency. Optimize and accelerate collaborative workflows to drive productivity by streamlining communication with video meetings.
• Business agility. Support remote and hybrid work to easily adapt to market changes and evolving business needs.
• Employee engagement. Empower every person to stay connected and actively participate in video conference calls, even when some team members are traveling.

Inclusivity and accessibility. Make it easier for participants to understand and contribute during your video meetings with features like real-time captions and translations.

Stay connected to your teammates and colleagues even when you’re apart. Get together virtually—anytime and anywhere—with a video conference.

Host your video conference in a virtual shared space using Together mode. Choose from environments such as café, resort, or lounge to bring everyone into the same place.

Boost the flexibility of your organization’s workflows by starting a video conference and inviting anyone to join—even if they’re not on Microsoft Teams. For example, your organization can use web conferencing to connect with external teams to collaborate seamlessly.