By using multipoint and split-screen technologies, users can converse simultaneously with several faces in several different places. Screens can be split in a variety of grid patterns to accommodate a dozen or more users.
Some systems even allow for primary participants to appear larger than the others.
Because participants are interacting in real time, videoconferencing systems typically employ an automated switching system to shift from one speaker to the next. Since these systems can become confused if more than one participant is talking at the same time or if there s excessive background noise, videoconferencing etiquette suggests waiting until a speaker has finished before putting in your two cents worth and keeping the microphone muted when you re not speaking. Although there are times when there s no adequate substitute for being physically present, there are many instances where a 45-minute videoconference can save a day or two of lost productivity not to mention hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in plane fares, hotel bills, meals, and incidental expenses. Aside from the convenience, one of the secrets to videoconferencing s recent success is the simplicity of the system from the user s point of view. Part of Polycom s product development process, she explains, is to allow inexperienced users to test the equipment.