While business may be global, reliable international internet hasn’t caught up.
This can have direct implications on the use of business video. For example, if you are a small business in Lebanon, and you want to use videoconferencing for a local call, you probably don’t want each call to route through a data center in Europe. The additional latency, and potential packet loss and other quality issues, could lead to a lot of ruined or even dropped video calls.
Data Consult is a leading integrator and cloud provider throughout the region, and has launched a VCaaS offering powered by GDS (the largest data service provider in Lebanon). The result is a video service that keeps all traffic local for a high quality experience.
I met with Jad Bejjani from Data Consult over video, connecting with my desktop Jabber client. During the call we did get an internet hit, which emphasized the need for this regional service. Otherwise, it was a typical Jabber experience. This managed service offering also offers the expected interop with Cisco, Polycom, Lifesize, etc., as well as other features such as a conference scheduling portal and integration with Skype.
The benefits of business video are truly universal, and I expect this local model to be successful in areas where the connectivity can be limiting. I will be sure to check back in with Jad and Data Consult to see how things develop.
