We get a mix of reactions from IT pros when we present the idea of an easy-to-manage video conferencing solution. And for good reason—for the better part of a decade, video conferencing was an infrastructure headache that required persistent monitoring and hand-holding just to keep it working. For the believers, the introduction to cloud video conferencing has been a dream come true. For the skeptics … let’s just say we’ve witnessed some pretty bizarre face contortions couple their disbelief.

In our webinar, WTF (Why The Face) and Other IT Reactions to Video Conferencing, we go into depth busting five of the most common IT reactions to video conferencing. Here’s a summary of our findings:

Myth 1: Setup and Management Are Inconceivable!

“I have meeting rooms, huddle rooms, laptops, mobile phones—and all of these devices take too much time to set up and maintain.” – IT

Lifesize® Icon™ meeting room cameras are built to effortlessly pair your cloud video conferencing service to your meeting room display. They connect just like an Apple TV® or Roku® device and make for a secure connection. Just plug the camera to the TV and the Internet, give it power and follow the on-screen guide to start making video calls. Once setup is complete, automatic updates take over so you’ll always have access to the latest and greatest software features.

Pairing meeting rooms systems to Lifesize® Cloud also makes it easy to centrally manage your account through the Admin Console. Add or subtract users, create virtual meting rooms, access usage data and run reports right from your browser.

Myth 2: Adoption Is Hopeless!

“It won’t be readily adopted. We’ll be paying for something we won’t use.” – IT

Every contract we sign is kicked off with a custom onboarding service. We have CSAs (Cloud Solution Advocates) whose sole responsibility is to ensure a successful adoption. Your CSA will walk you through the deployment and answer any questions you have during the onboarding as well as provide ongoing support to make sure everything is working smoothly.

But a successful adoption is only one part of onboarding—the rest of the equation is in the features that bring users back time and time again.

Myth 3: Security Is Futile!

“My private calls will be easily accessible.” – IT

This one is just simply not true. We take every step to make sure every call made and received through our solution is secure. Video calls are encrypted using AES-128 and TLS encryption, and our recording and sharing service, is encrypted both on the fly (while recording) and at rest (in the sharing portal).

If you have an identity provider and want to run the service through SSO, we have a list of IDPs that connect to our enterprise solution. For everything else security related, check out the Lifesize Cloud Security Overview.

Myth 4: Scaling Is Preposterous!

“It’s too difficult and expensive to scale video conferencing.” – IT

There was a time when everything had to be housed on premises and infrastructure equipment costs were a huge barrier to entry—making video conferencing a tool reserved for executives. With Lifesize Cloud, it only takes a couple of minutes to deploy HD video conferencing for the entire company. And as your organization grows, you can easily scale up to add more users or more meeting room systems with a couple of keystrokes.

Myth 5: Reliability Is Unimaginable!

“Packet loss! Dropped calls! Video conferencing is frustrating.” – IT

Lifesize Cloud is built on IBM Cloud®, which is ultraresilient and helps us traverse the globe. When you’re making a video conference call, it’s not just going over the open Internet to get to the other side. The call actually only travels a short distance to an IBM PoP and then travels across the country or across the world on the IBM network. This makes for a higher quality call with reduced noise and latency. If you want to know more about the tech behind the call, check out the Lifesize Cloud Architecture Comprehensive Guide.


We’ve only scratched the surface on these video conferencing myths. Be sure to check out the webinar recording for the full conversation, including a Q&A where we cover everything from native language support to how guest invites work and give a peek into the product roadmap for Lifesize Cloud.