Video as a Service (VaaS)

Video as a Service (VaaS) is the delivery of multiparty or point-to-point video conferencing capabilities over an IP network by a managed service provider.

A video conference is a live, visual connection between two or more people residing in separate locations for the purpose of communication. At its simplest, video conferencing provides transmission of static images and text between two locations. At its most sophisticated, it provides transmission of full-motion video images and high-quality audio between multiple locations.

Cloud-based video services enable organizations to deploy video conferencing quickly with minimal infrastructure investment. Many organizations turn to VaaS to enable employee collaboration and customer-facing services without having to worry about the conference participants' underlying networks and technologies.

Popular free video conferencing apps include:

Amazon Chime Pro - offers free video conferencing through June.

Cisco Webex Meetings - allows up to 100 participants for an unlimited duration.

Group Facetime - allows up to 32 iOS users at once.

Jitsi - allows unlimited participants for an unlimited duration.

Google Hangouts - allows up to 10 participants for an unlimited duration.

Skype - allows up to 50 participants for an unlimited duration.

Zoom - allows up to 100 participants for 40 minutes.

While video conferencing provides many benefits for businesses and individuals, it also has some disadvantages in addition to the security and privacy issues that have been in the news lately. For example, to be effective, VaaS requires a reliable, high-speed Internet connection. Only a strong Internet connection can guarantee that the voice audio and visual images will be delivered smoothly.